Historical Events on March 17

On This Day in History: March 17

1. In 432, at the age of about 16, St. Patrick was captured by Irish pirates from his home in Great Britain and taken as a slave to Ireland (traditional date).
2. In 1580, Prince William I of Orange was welcomed in Amsterdam.
3. In 1762, New York City hosted its first St. Patrick’s Day parade.
4. In 1778, Britain declared war on France in response to France’s alliance with the United States during the American Revolution.
5. In 1845, Stephen Perry of London patented the rubber band.
6. In 1860, six years after Commodore Matthew C. Perry ended Japan’s isolationist policy, the Japanese embassy arrived in San Francisco to sign a treaty of friendship.
7. In 1871, the National Association of Professional Base Ball Players was founded as the first professional baseball league.
8. In 1891 the British steamer Utopia sank near Gibraltar with the loss of 574 people.
9. In 1897, British boxer Bob Fitzsimmons knocked out American champion “Gentleman” Jim Corbett in the 14th round to win the world heavyweight title in Carson City, Nevada.
10. In 1898, John Philip Holland successfully tested the first modern submarine near Staten Island, staying underwater for 1 hour and 40 minutes.
11. In 1901, 11 years after Vincent van Gogh’s death, an exhibition of 71 of his paintings caused a sensation in Paris.
12. In 1905, Albert Einstein completed his important paper on the quantum theory of light, which laid the foundation for modern physics.
13. In 1932, Montreal Canadiens centre Howie Morenz recorded his 334th career point, surpassing Cy Denneny to become the NHL’s all-time points leader, during a 10–4 win over the New York Americans.
14. In 1938, the Italian Air Force, supporting Francisco Franco, bombed Barcelona during the Spanish Civil War.
15. In 1953, the United States conducted a nuclear test at the Nevada Test Site.