On This Day: What happened on 17 December?

Here’s a look at what happened on this day, 17 December, throughout history. We remember the news, events, and people that influenced the course of history forever.

ON THIS DAY: 17 DECEMBER

1903 | Wilbur and Orville Wright fly the first aeroplane successfully.

1920 | South Africa was given authority by the League of Nations to take over South-West Africa now called Namibia. 

1960 | Ethiopian Emperor Haile Selassie returns to his country after Kebur Zabangna (Imperial bodyguard) attempted a coup, on 13 December. He pardoned his son who was crowned the new Emperor.

1993 | American soldiers who were sent to protect the humanitarian organisation operating in Somalia left the country after a series of gun battles with the military of Somalia under the Command of General Mohammed Farrah Aidid.

1993 | Daniel Kablan Duncan starts his term as new Prime Minister of Ivory Coast.

1996 | Ghanaian diplomat Kofi Annan is appointed as Secretary-General of the United Nations.

READ: On This Day: What happened on 16 December?

DEATHS

2002 | Egyptian weightlifter, Mahmoud Fayad (76)

2011 | South African Roman Catholic bishop, Michael Gower Coleman (72)

2012 | Nigerian-born British artist, Chinwe Chukwuogo-Roy (60)

BIRTHDAYS

1929 | South African soprano singer, Nellie du Toit

1917 | Nigerian historian and writer, Kenneth Dike

1941 | Zimbabwean Minister of Foreign Affairs, Stan Mudenge

1942 | Head of State of Nigeria, Muhammadu Buhari

1971 | South African radio and TV presenter, Alan Khan

1974 | South African cricketer, Charl Langeveldt

1992 | South African cricketer, Quinton de Kock

SPORT

2010 | Day 2 of the 1st Test in Centurion, the Proteas led by 230 runs with 8 wickets remaining against India.

ENTERTAINMENT

1989 | The Simpsons first episode ‘Simpsons Roasting on an Open Fire’ premieres on television.

AFRICA FACT

The second-largest rainforest in the world is located in the Congo river basin in the central and west side of Africa. It has half of the continent’s wildlife including gorillas and chimpanzees.