Juneteenth
Juneteenth National Independence Day is signed into law by President Joe Biden, to become the first federal holiday established since Martin Luther King Jr. Day in 1983.
What happened on June 17
37 events · 20 births · 20 deaths · 8 observances. From 653 to 2021.
Standout on June 17
2021
Juneteenth
Juneteenth National Independence Day is signed into law by President Joe Biden, to become the first federal holiday established since Martin Luther King Jr. Day in 1983.
About June 17
June 17 is the 168th day of the year. These facts are computed from the calendar, not copied from anywhere.
- Day of the year
- Day 168 of 365 (169 in leap years)197 days left in the year (197 in leap years)
- Falls on
- Wednesday in 2026, Thursday in 2027, Saturday in 2028, Sunday in 2029, Monday in 2030
- Week
- ISO week 25 of 2026 · Q2
- Zodiac sign
- ♊ Gemini (May 21 – June 20)
- Season
- Spring in the north · Autumn in the south
- June birthstone
- Pearl / Alexandrite / Moonstonepurity, balance and new beginnings
- June birth flower
- Rose / Honeysucklelove, passion and devoted affection
- Next occurrence
- In 233 days
- Roman numerals
- XVII.VIday.month — see the Roman numeral date tool
Anniversaries in 2026
- 5thJuneteenth2021
- 5thKenneth Kaunda2021
Born on June 17 — ages this year
- 2003Rizki Juniansyahturns 23
- 2000Odessa A'zionturns 26
- 1999Elena Rybakinaturns 27
- 1999Henri Jokiharjuturns 27
- 1997Alexander Bublikturns 29
- 1997KJ Apaturns 29
Historical events 37
A dated happening — a battle, treaty, launch, discovery, disaster or decision — recorded on this calendar day.
June 2017 Portugal wildfires
Wildfires erupted across central Portugal, eventually causing the deaths of 66 people.
Charleston church shooting
Nine people are killed in a mass shooting at Emanuel African Methodist Episcopal Church in Charleston, South Carolina.
White supremacy
A white supremacist committed a mass shooting at the Emanuel African Methodist Episcopal Church in Charleston, South Carolina, killing nine people during a prayer service.
Czech Pirate Party
Following a petition, the liberal progressive Czech Pirate Party was officially registered as a political party.
O. J. Simpson
Following a televised low-speed highway chase, O. J. Simpson is arrested for the murders of his ex-wife, Nicole Brown Simpson, and her friend Ronald Goldman.
George H. W. Bush
A "joint understanding" agreement on arms reduction is signed by U.S. president George Bush and Russian president Boris Yeltsin (this would be later codified in START II).
Apartheid
Apartheid: The South African Parliament repeals the Population Registration Act which required racial classification of all South Africans at birth.
Interflug Flight 102
Interflug Flight 102 crashes during a rejected takeoff from Berlin Schönefeld Airport, killing 21 people.
Dusky seaside sparrow
With the death of the last individual of the species, the dusky seaside sparrow becomes extinct.
Space Shuttle program
Space Shuttle program: STS-51-G mission: Space Shuttle Discovery launches carrying Sultan bin Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, the first Arab and first Muslim in space, as a payload specialist.
Watergate complex
Five men were arrested for attempted burglary on the offices of the Democratic National Committee, igniting the Watergate scandal that ultimately led to the resignation of US president Richard Nixon more than two years later.
Watergate scandal
Watergate scandal: Five White House operatives are arrested for burgling the offices of the Democratic National Committee during an attempt by members of the administration of President Richard M. Nixon to illegally wiretap the political opposition as part of a broader campaign to subvert the democratic process.
Richard Nixon
U.S. president Richard Nixon in a televised press conference calls drug abuse "America's public enemy number one", starting the war on drugs.
Nuclear weapons testing
Nuclear weapons testing: China announces a successful test of its first thermonuclear weapon.
Supreme Court of the United States
The United States Supreme Court rules 8–1 in Abington School District v. Schempp against requiring the reciting of Bible verses and the Lord's Prayer in public schools.
Ho Chi Minh City
Riots broke out in Saigon one day after the signing of the Joint Communiqué, an attempt to resolve the Buddhist crisis in South Vietnam.
List of leaders of South Vietnam
A day after South Vietnamese president Ngo Dinh Diem announced the Joint Communiqué to end the Buddhist crisis, a riot involving around 2,000 people breaks out. One person is killed.
Nez Perce
The Nez Perce tribe is awarded $4 million for 7 million acres (28,000 km2) of land undervalued at four cents/acre in the 1863 treaty.
Ironworkers Memorial Second Narrows Crossing
The Ironworkers Memorial Second Narrows Crossing, in the process of being built to connect Vancouver and North Vancouver (Canada), collapses into the Burrard Inlet killing 18 ironworkers and injuring others.
Cold War
Cold War: East Germany Workers Uprising: In East Germany, the Soviet Union orders a division of troops into East Berlin to quell a rebellion.
Decree 900
Guatemala passes Decree 900, ordering the redistribution of uncultivated land.
Guatemalan Revolution
Guatemalan Revolution: The Guatemalan Congress passed Decree 900, redistributing unused land greater than 224 acres (0.91 km2) in area to local peasants.
United Air Lines Flight 624
United Air Lines Flight 624, a Douglas DC-6, crashes near Mount Carmel, Pennsylvania, killing all 43 people on board.
Iceland
Iceland declares independence from Denmark and becomes a republic.
World War II
Second World War: RMS Lancastria was sunk by German aircraft near Saint-Nazaire, France, causing thousands of fatalities in Britain's worst maritime disaster.
Epsom riot
Hundreds of Canadian soldiers rioted in Epsom, England, leading to the death of a British police officer.
Detroit
In Detroit, autoworkers for car manufacturer Studebaker went on strike in the American auto industry's first major strike action.
Boxer Rebellion
Boxer Rebellion: Allied naval forces captured the Taku Forts from Qing China after a brief but bloody battle.
American Civil War
American Civil War: The Battle of Vienna, Virginia, took place, which involved one of the world's first military movements of troops by train.
French Revolutionary Wars
French Revolutionary Wars: Off the coast of Brittany, a Royal Navy squadron commanded by William Cornwallis (pictured) fended off a numerically superior French Navy fleet.
American Revolutionary War
American Revolutionary War: British forces took Bunker Hill outside of Boston, Massachusetts.
Mumtaz Mahal
Mumtaz Mahal (pictured), wife of the Mughal emperor Shah Jahan, died in childbirth; Jahan spent the next seventeen years constructing her mausoleum, the Taj Mahal.
Francis Drake
Explorer Francis Drake landed in a region of present-day California, naming it New Albion and claiming it for England.
Hungarian–Ottoman Wars
Hungarian–Ottoman Wars: Wallachian forces led by Vlad Dracula attacked an Ottoman camp at night in an unsuccessful attempt to assassinate Sultan Mehmed II.
Kalmar Union
The kingdoms of Denmark, Sweden, and Norway formed the Kalmar Union, a personal union under Eric of Pomerania.
Pope Martin I
Pope Martin I (pictured) was arrested in the Lateran Palace, Rome, and taken to Constantinople.
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.
Kenneth Kaunda
Kenneth Kaunda, Zambian educator and politician, first president of Zambia (born 1924)
Jean Kennedy Smith
Jean Kennedy Smith, American activist, humanitarian, author and diplomat (United States Ambassador to Ireland, 1993–1998) (born 1928)
Mohamed Morsi
Mohamed Morsi, Egyptian professor and politician, first elected president of Egypt after Egyptian revolution (born 1951)
Gloria Vanderbilt
Gloria Vanderbilt, American artist, author actress, fashion designer, heiress and socialite (born 1924)
Roberto Marcelo Levingston
Roberto M. Levingston, Argentinian general and politician, 36th President of Argentina (born 1920)
Süleyman Demirel
Süleyman Demirel, Turkish engineer and politician, 9th President of Turkey (born 1924)
Ron Clarke
Ron Clarke, Australian runner and politician, Mayor of the Gold Coast (born 1937)
Clementa C. Pinckney
Clementa C. Pinckney, American minister and politician (born 1973)
Larry Zeidel
Larry Zeidel, Canadian-American ice hockey player and sportscaster (born 1928)
Atiqul Haque Chowdhury
Atiqul Haque Chowdhury, Bangladeshi playwright and producer (born 1930)
James Holshouser
James Holshouser, American politician, 68th Governor of North Carolina (born 1934)
Holidays & observances 8
A holiday, feast day, awareness day or national day observed every year on this date.
Gondulphus of Berry
Christian feast day: Gondulphus of Berry
Rainerius
Christian feast day: Rainerius
Hypatius of Bithynia
Christian feast day: Hypatius of Bithynia (Eastern Orthodox and Byzantine Catholic Churches)
Albert Chmielowski
Christian feast day: Albert Chmielowski
Botolph of Thorney
Christian feast day: Botolph (England and Scandinavia)
Samuel Barnett (reformer)
Christian feast day: Samuel and Henrietta Barnett (Church of England)
Theresa of Portugal, Queen of León
Christian feast day: Theresa of Portugal
Saint Hervé
Christian feast day: Hervé
Spread across the centuries
- 7th century1
- 14th century1
- 15th century1
- 16th century1
- 17th century1
- 18th century2
- 19th century2
- 20th century42
- 21st century26
Earliest: Pope Martin I (653). Most recent: Juneteenth (2021).
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 June 17
What day of the year is June 17?
June 17 is the 168th day of the year, with 197 days left after it.
What star sign is June 17?
June 17 falls under Gemini (May 21 – June 20), a air sign ruled by Mercury. The birthstone for the month is Pearl or Alexandrite or Moonstone.
How many things happened on June 17?
We record 85 entries for June 17: 37 events · 20 births · 20 deaths · 8 observances. From 653 to 2021.
Who was born on June 17?
Rizki Juniansyah (2003) is among the notable births on June 17. The births section lists the rest.
How often is the June 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 June 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.