On This Day in History for April 17
Events in History
- 858 Benedict III's reign as Catholic Pope ends with his death
- 1387 Geoffrey Chaucer's "Canterbury Tales" characters begin their pilgrimage to Canterbury (according to scholars)
- 1397 Geoffrey Chaucer tells the "Canterbury Tales" for the first time at the court of English King Richard II
- 1492 Christopher Columbus signs a contract with the Spanish monarchs to find the "Indies" with the stated goal of converting people to Catholicism. This promises him 10% of all riches found, and the governorship of any lands encountered.
- 1524 Giovanni Verrazano, a Florentine navigator, discovers New York Bay
- 1534 Thomas More confined in the Tower of London
- 1555 Siena surrenders to Spanish troops
- 1596 Archduke Albrecht of Austria occupies Calais
- More Events in History
Marguerite Bourgeoys
J. P. Morgan
Thornton Wilder
Sirimavo Bandaranaike
Benjamin Franklin
Alexander Mackenzie
Barbara BushApril in History
Madame Tussaud's Bloody Background
Madame Tussaud, famous for her waxworks, perfected her art in the grimmest of 'schools' – the French Revolution - where she made models of guillotined heads.
April 16, 1850
St. Cuthbert Gospel
The St. Cuthbert Gospel cover and the first page of text
April 17, 2012
Wicked or Sinless? The Life of Lucrezia Borgia
Hardly a week went by when Lucrezia Borgia, born on this day, was not accused of some foul deed. But was she just a pawn in the hands of her evil family?
April 18, 1480
San Francisco Earthquake of 1906
Arnold Genthe's famous photograph, looking toward the fire on Sacramento Street
April 18, 1906