February 17 - This day in History

February 17: General Interest
1904: Madame Butterfly premieres

On this day in 1904, Giacomo Puccini's opera Madame Butterfly premieres at the La Scala theatre in Milan, Italy... read more


American Revolution
1782 : French and British battle in the Indian Ocean
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/french-and-british-battle-in-the-indian-ocean


Automotive
1972 : Beetle overtakes Model T as world's best-selling car
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/beetle-overtakes-model-t-as-worlds-best-selling-car


Civil War
1865 : Union troops sack Columbia, South Carolina
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/sherman-sacks-columbia-south-carolina


Cold War
1947 : Voice of America begins broadcasts to Russia
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/voice-of-america-begins-broadcasts-to-russia


Crime
1906 : The first "Trial of the Century"
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/the-first-trial-of-the-century


Disaster
1993 : Ferry sinks near Haiti
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/ferry-sinks-near-haiti


General Interest
1801 : Deadlock over presidential election ends
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/deadlock-over-presidential-election-ends

1957 : Gromyko becomes foreign minister
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/gromyko-becomes-foreign-minister

1979 : China invades Vietnam
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/china-invades-vietnam


Hollywood
1982 : Lee Strasberg dies
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/lee-strasberg-dies


Literary
2000 : Dave Eggers' Heartbreaking Work of Staggering Genius debuts
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/dave-eggers-heartbreaking-work-of-staggering-genius-debuts


Music
1966 : Brian Wilson rolls tape on "Good Vibrations," take one
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/brian-wilson-rolls-tape-on-quotgood-vibrationsquot-take-one


Old West
1820 : Senate passes Missouri Compromise
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/senate-passes-missouri-compromise


Presidential
1801 : Thomas Jefferson is elected
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/thomas-jefferson-is-elected


Sports
1996 : Kasparov defeats chess-playing computer
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/kasparov-defeats-chess-playing-computer


Vietnam War
1966 : Taylor testifies on Operation Rolling Thunder
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/taylor-testifies-on-operation-rolling-thunder

1968 : U.S. casualty rate reaches record high
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/us-casualty-rate-reaches-record-high


World War I
1915 : Zeppelin L-4 crashes into North Sea
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/zeppelin-l-4-crashes-into-north-sea


World War II
1944 : U.S. troops land on Eniwetok atoll
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/us-troops-land-on-eniwetok-atoll