February 2016 Ankara bombing
Military vehicles explode outside a Turkish Armed Forces barracks in Ankara, Turkey, killing at least 29 people and injuring 61 others.
What happened on February 17
31 events · 20 births · 20 deaths · 8 observances. From 1621 to 2026.
Standout on February 17
2011
Bahrain
Arab Spring: In Bahrain, security forces launch a deadly pre-dawn raid on protesters in Pearl Roundabout in Manama; the day is locally known as Bloody Thursday.
About February 17
February 17 is the 48th day of the year. These facts are computed from the calendar, not copied from anywhere.
- Day of the year
- Day 48 of 365 (48 in leap years)317 days left in the year (318 in leap years)
- Falls on
- Tuesday in 2026, Wednesday in 2027, Thursday in 2028, Saturday in 2029, Sunday in 2030
- Week
- ISO week 8 of 2026 · Q1
- Zodiac sign
- ♒ Aquarius (January 20 – February 18)Cusp date — the exact boundary shifts by a day in some years.
- Season
- Winter in the north · Summer in the south
- February birthstone
- Amethystcalm, clarity and courage
- February birth flower
- Violet / Primrosefaithfulness and young love
- Next occurrence
- In 113 days
- Roman numerals
- XVII.IIday.month — see the Roman numeral date tool
Anniversaries in 2026
- 60thAeroflot Flight 0651966
- 30th1996 Biak earthquake1996
- 30thNASA1996
- 30thPhiladelphia1996
- 30thSasha Pieterse1996
- 30thSebastian Aho (ice hockey, born 1996)1996
- 20th2006 Southern Leyte mudslide2006
- 10thAndrzej Żuławski2016
February 17 through the years
- 10 years ago2016
- February 2016 Ankara bombing · Tony Phillips · Mohamed Hassanein Heikal
- 25 years ago2001
- Nothing recorded
- 50 years ago1976
- Nothing recorded
- 100 years ago1926
- Nothing recorded
- 200 years ago1826
- Nothing recorded
Born on February 17 — ages this year
- 1998Devin Whiteturns 28
- 1997Gaetano Castrovilliturns 29
- 1996Sebastian Aho (ice hockey, born 1996)turns 30
- 1996Sasha Pieterseturns 30
- 1995Madison Keysturns 31
- 1994Mason Jobstturns 32
Historical events 31
A dated happening — a battle, treaty, launch, discovery, disaster or decision — recorded on this calendar day.
2015 Haiti Carnival stampede
Eighteen people are killed and 78 injured in a stampede at a Mardi Gras parade in Haiti.
Bahrain
Arab Spring: In Bahrain, security forces launch a deadly pre-dawn raid on protesters in Pearl Roundabout in Manama; the day is locally known as Bloody Thursday.
Arab Spring
Arab Spring: Bahraini security forces killed four protesters in a pre-dawn raid at the Pearl Roundabout in Manama, while the "Day of Rage" took place in Libya with nationwide protests against Muammar Gaddafi's government.
Kosovo
Kosovo declares independence from Serbia.
2006 Southern Leyte mudslide
A massive mudslide occurs in Southern Leyte, Philippines; the official death toll is set at 1,126.
NASA
NASA's Discovery Program begins as the NEAR Shoemaker spacecraft lifts off on the first mission ever to orbit and land on an asteroid, 433 Eros.
Philadelphia
In Philadelphia, world champion Garry Kasparov beats the Deep Blue supercomputer in a chess match.
1996 Biak earthquake
An earthquake with a moment magnitude of 8.2 and a maximum Mercalli intensity of IX (Violent) occurred in the New Guinea Trench, which generated a tsunami that killed 108 people.
Cenepa War
The Cenepa War between Peru and Ecuador ends on a ceasefire brokered by the UN.
First Nagorno-Karabakh War
First Nagorno-Karabakh War: Armenian troops massacre more than 20 Azerbaijani civilians during the Capture of Garadaghly.
Ryan International Airlines Flight 590
Ryan International Airlines Flight 590 crashes during takeoff from Cleveland Hopkins International Airport, killing both pilots, the aircraft's only occupants.
Mount Everest
First winter ascent of Mount Everest by Krzysztof Wielicki and Leszek Cichy.
Sino-Vietnamese War
The Sino-Vietnamese War begins.
The Troubles
The Troubles: The Provisional Irish Republican Army carried out a bombing of a restaurant near Belfast, Northern Ireland, killing twelve people and injuring thirty others.
Bell UH-1 Iroquois
A U.S. Army soldier stole a Bell UH-1 helicopter (pictured) and landed it on the South Lawn of the White House in Washington, D.C.
1974 White House helicopter incident
Robert K. Preston, a disgruntled U.S. Army private, buzzes the White House in a stolen helicopter.
Volkswagen Beetle
Cumulative sales of the Volkswagen Beetle exceed those of the Ford Model T.
Jeffrey R. MacDonald
The family of Jeffrey R. MacDonald, United States Army captain, is found murdered in their home in Fort Bragg, North Carolina, US. Eventually, MacDonald was charged with and convicted of the murder of his pregnant wife and two daughters.
Berry L. Cannon
American aquanaut Berry L. Cannon dies of carbon dioxide poisoning while attempting to repair a leak in the SEALAB III underwater habitat. The SEALAB project was subsequently abandoned.
Aeroflot Flight 065
Aeroflot Flight 065 crashes during take-off from Sheremetyevo International Airport, killing 21.
1964 Gabonese coup d'état
Gabonese military officers overthrew President Léon M'ba, but French forces, honouring a 1960 treaty, forcibly reinstated him two days later.
Vanguard 2
Vanguard 2 (model pictured), the first weather satellite, was launched to measure cloud cover distribution.
World War II
World War II: The U.S. Navy began Operation Hailstone, a massive naval air and surface attack against the Japanese naval and air base at Chuuk Lagoon in the Caroline Islands.
Armory Show
The Armory Show (commemorative button pictured), the first large modern-art exhibition in the United States, opened at the 69th Regiment Armory in New York City.
Giacomo Puccini
Italian composer Giacomo Puccini's Madama Butterfly premiered at La Scala in Milan to poor reviews, forcing him to revise the opera.
Rudolf Diesel
Rudolf Diesel's first working diesel engine ran for one minute.
Cochinchina campaign
Cochinchina campaign: French Navy forces captured the Citadel of Saigon, defended by 1,000 Vietnamese soldiers of the Nguyễn dynasty.
Great Trek
Great Trek: Zulu impis massacred about 532 Voortrekkers, Khoekhoe, and Basuto near present-day Weenen, South Africa.
Treaty of Ghent
The United States ratifies the Treaty of Ghent – signed in late 1814 – formally ending the War of 1812.
Myles Standish
Myles Standish was elected the first commander of the militia of Plymouth Colony.
Births 20
A notable person born on this day. Each links to a person page with their dates and story.
Deaths 20
A notable person who died on this day.
Jesse Jackson
Jesse Jackson, American civil rights leader, activist, and politician (born 1941)
Paquita la del Barrio
Paquita la del Barrio, Mexican singer, songwriter and actress (born 1947)
Gamini Jayawickrama Perera
Gamini Jayawickrama Perera, Sri Lankan politician (born 1941)
Claude Jeancolas
Claude Jeancolas, French historian, author, and journalist (born 1949)
John Barrow (Canadian football)
John Barrow, American-Canadian football player and manager (born 1935)
Holidays & observances 8
A holiday, feast day, awareness day or national day observed every year on this date.
Lommán of Trim
Christian feast day: Lommán of Trim
Evermode of Ratzeburg
Christian feast day: Evermode of Ratzeburg
Fintan of Clonenagh
Christian feast day: Fintan of Clonenagh
Constabilis
Christian feast day: Constabilis
Seven Holy Founders of the Servite Order
Christian feast day: Seven Founders of the Servite Order Alexis Falconieri
Donatus, Romulus, Secundian, and 86 Companions
Christian feast day: Donatus, Romulus, Secundian, and Companions
Mesrop Mashtots
Christian feast day: Mesrop Mashtots
Janani Luwum
Christian feast day: Janani Luwum (Anglican Communion)
Spread across the centuries
- 17th century1
- 19th century4
- 20th century40
- 21st century26
Earliest: Myles Standish (1621). Most recent: Jesse Jackson (2026).
What the categories mean, and how the standout is chosen
- Historical events
- A dated happening — a battle, treaty, launch, discovery, disaster or decision — recorded on this calendar day.
- Births
- A notable person born on this day. Each links to a person page with their dates and story.
- Deaths
- A notable person who died on this day.
- Milestones
- A first, a founding or a turning point our editors flagged as a landmark moment.
- Holidays & observances
- A holiday, feast day, awareness day or national day observed every year on this date.
- Standout / notable
- Editor-written entries come first, then entries covered by the most Wikipedia language editions. For the standout tile we prefer an entry that has a picture.
Nearby and related
Questions about February 17
What day of the year is February 17?
February 17 is the 48th day of the year, with 317 days left after it.
What star sign is February 17?
February 17 falls under Aquarius (January 20 – February 18), a air sign ruled by Uranus (traditionally Saturn). The birthstone for the month is Amethyst.
How many things happened on February 17?
We record 79 entries for February 17: 31 events · 20 births · 20 deaths · 8 observances. From 1621 to 2026.
Who was born on February 17?
Devin White (1998) is among the notable births on February 17. The births section lists the rest.
How often is the February 17 page updated?
The day is filled the first time anyone opens it and then re-checked for new entries about every 90 days. Computed facts such as the weekday and the anniversaries update every year.
Get a daily entry like February 17
One short email a day from this calendar. Kept for this site only.
Text adapted from Wikipedia under CC BY-SA 4.0 and from Wikidata (CC0). Images come from Wikimedia Commons; credit and licence are shown with each image. Editorial entries are © What's On This Date. Sources & licensing · How this site works.