December 1917
   HOME

TheInfoList



OR:

The following events occurred in December 1917:


December 1 Events Pre-1600 * 800 – A council is convened in the Vatican, at which Charlemagne is to judge the accusations against Pope Leo III. * 1420 – Henry V of England enters Paris alongside his father-in-law King Charles VI of France. * ...
, 1917 (Saturday)

*
Battle of Jerusalem The Battle of Jerusalem also known as the Fall of Jerusalem occurred during the British Empire's "Jerusalem Operations" against the Ottoman Empire, in World War I, when fighting for the city developed from 17 November, continuing after the s ...
– The
Yildirim Army Group The Yıldırım Army Group or Thunderbolt Army Group of the Ottoman Empire or Army Group F (German: ''Heeresgruppe F'') was an Army Group of the Ottoman Army during World War I. While being an Ottoman unit, it also contained the German Asia Cor ...
of the
Ottoman Empire The Ottoman Empire (), also called the Turkish Empire, was an empire, imperial realm that controlled much of Southeast Europe, West Asia, and North Africa from the 14th to early 20th centuries; it also controlled parts of southeastern Centr ...
clashed with the
Egyptian Expeditionary Force The Egyptian Expeditionary Force (EEF) was a military formation of the British Empire, formed on 10 March 1916 under the command of General Archibald Murray from the Mediterranean Expeditionary Force and the Force in Egypt (1914–1915), at the ...
at Ell Burj and Nebi Samwil in
Palestine Palestine, officially the State of Palestine, is a country in West Asia. Recognized by International recognition of Palestine, 147 of the UN's 193 member states, it encompasses the Israeli-occupied West Bank, including East Jerusalem, and th ...
but suffered heavy losses in both attacks. * The
British Fourth Army The Fourth Army was a field army that formed part of the British Expeditionary Force during the First World War. The Fourth Army was formed on 5 February 1916 under the command of General Sir Henry Rawlinson to carry out the main British contrib ...
launched a night attack to capture Westroosebeke, Belgium from the Germans in an attempt to secure a winter line for units in Passchendaele but were ultimately repulsed by German defenses, losing 1,689 casualties. * The
United States Army The United States Army (USA) is the primary Land warfare, land service branch of the United States Department of Defense. It is designated as the Army of the United States in the United States Constitution.Article II, section 2, clause 1 of th ...
established the 5th Infantry Division. * The
Royal Flying Corps The Royal Flying Corps (RFC) was the air arm of the British Army before and during the First World War until it merged with the Royal Naval Air Service on 1 April 1918 to form the Royal Air Force. During the early part of the war, the RFC sup ...
established air squadrons No. 97 and No. 115. * The
United States Army The United States Army (USA) is the primary Land warfare, land service branch of the United States Department of Defense. It is designated as the Army of the United States in the United States Constitution.Article II, section 2, clause 1 of th ...
established the 213th Aero Squadron. * Chilean-American socialite
Blanca Errázuriz Blanca Elena Errázuriz Vergara (9 April 1894 – 20 March 1940), also known as Bianca de Saulles, was a Chilean socialite and the former wife of football player and businessman John de Saulles. In August 1917, Errázuriz fatally shot de Saull ...
was acquitted of the murder of her husband John de Saulles, a celebrity football player and manager turned millionaire through real estate in
New York New York most commonly refers to: * New York (state), a state in the northeastern United States * New York City, the most populous city in the United States, located in the state of New York New York may also refer to: Places United Kingdom * ...
, following a sensational trial that even covered an alleged affair with rising film star
Rudolph Valentino Rodolfo Pietro Filiberto Raffaello Guglielmi di Valentina d'Antonguella (May 6, 1895 – August 23, 1926), known professionally as Rudolph Valentino and nicknamed The Latin Lover, was an Italian actor who starred in several well-known sile ...
. The defense and media portrayed Errázuriz as a victim of a chauvinism during the divorce proceedings and custody battle prior to the couple's argument on August 3 that resulted in her shooting her husband. * The Spanish newspaper '' El Sol'' released its first edition in
Madrid Madrid ( ; ) is the capital and List of largest cities in Spain, most populous municipality of Spain. It has almost 3.5 million inhabitants and a Madrid metropolitan area, metropolitan area population of approximately 7 million. It i ...
. * A severe
cold wave A cold wave (known in some regions as a cold snap, cold spell or Arctic Snap) is a weather phenomenon that is distinguished by a cooling of the air. Specifically, as used by the U.S. National Weather Service, a cold wave is a rapid fall in temp ...
in
Interior Alaska Interior Alaska is the central region of Alaska's territory, roughly bounded by the Alaska Range to the south and the Brooks Range to the north. It is largely wilderness. Mountains include Denali in the Alaska Range, the Wrangell Mountains, and ...
produced the coldest recorded mean monthly temperatures in the
United States The United States of America (USA), also known as the United States (U.S.) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It is a federal republic of 50 U.S. state, states and a federal capital district, Washington, D.C. The 48 ...
.
Fort Yukon, Alaska Fort Yukon (''Gwichyaa Zheh'' in Gwich'in) is a city in the Yukon-Koyukuk Census Area in the U.S. state of Alaska, straddling the Arctic Circle. The population, predominantly Gwich'in Alaska Natives, was 428 at the 2020 census, down from 59 ...
averaged and
Eagle, Alaska Eagle ( in Hän Athabascan) is a village on the south bank of the Yukon River, near the Canada–US border in the Southeast Fairbanks Census Area in Alaska, United States. It includes the Eagle Historic District, a U.S. National Historic Lan ...
. * Born: ** Joanne Siegel, American model, wife to
Jerry Siegel Jerome "Jerry" Siegel ( ; October 17, 1914 – January 28, 1996) Roger Stern. ''Superman: Sunday Classics: 1939–1943'' DC Comics/ Kitchen Sink Press, Inc./ Sterling Publishing; 2006 was an American comic book writer. He was the co-creator of ...
, inspiration for the character
Lois Lane Lois Lane is a fictional character appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. Created by writer Jerry Siegel and artist Joe Shuster, she first appeared in ''Action Comics'' Action Comics 1, #1 (June 1938). Lois is an award-winning ...
in
Superman Superman is a superhero created by writer Jerry Siegel and artist Joe Shuster, which first appeared in the comic book ''Action Comics'' Action Comics 1, #1, published in the United States on April 18, 1938.The copyright date of ''Action Comics ...
; as Jolan Kovacs, in
Cleveland Cleveland is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio and the county seat of Cuyahoga County. Located along the southern shore of Lake Erie, it is situated across the Canada–U.S. maritime border and approximately west of the Ohio-Pennsylvania st ...
, United States (d.
2011 The year marked the start of a Arab Spring, series of protests and revolutions throughout the Arab world advocating for democracy, reform, and economic recovery, later leading to the depositions of world leaders in Tunisia, Egypt, and Yemen ...
) **
Eladio Dieste Eladio Dieste (December 1, 1917 – July 29, 2000) was a Uruguayan engineer who made his reputation by building a range of structures from grain silos, factory sheds, markets and churches, most of them in Uruguay and all of exceptional elegan ...
, Uruguayan architect, best known for his designs for Montevideo Shopping and Christ the Worker Church in
Estación Atlántida Estación Atlántida is a northern suburb of the city Atlántida in the Canelones Department of southern Uruguay. Geography Location The suburb is located on Route 11, about north of its junction with Ruta Interbalnearia. The railroad track th ...
; in
Artigas, Uruguay Artigas () is the capital of the Artigas Department of Uruguay. Its name comes from that of the national hero, José Gervasio Artigas, who fought for the emancipation of the River Plate, and sought to create a federative nation from these colonies ...
(d.
2000 2000 was designated as the International Year for the Culture of Peace and the World Mathematics, Mathematical Year. Popular culture holds the year 2000 as the first year of the 21st century and the 3rd millennium, because of a tende ...
)


December 2 Events Pre-1600 * 1244 – Pope Innocent IV arrives at Lyon for the First Council of Lyon. *1409 – The University of Leipzig opens. 1601–1900 *1697 – St Paul's Cathedral, rebuilt to the design of Sir Christopher Wren follow ...
, 1917 (Sunday)

* German submarine struck a mine and sank in the
English Channel The English Channel, also known as the Channel, is an arm of the Atlantic Ocean that separates Southern England from northern France. It links to the southern part of the North Sea by the Strait of Dover at its northeastern end. It is the busi ...
off the
Isle of Wight The Isle of Wight (Help:IPA/English, /waɪt/ Help:Pronunciation respelling key, ''WYTE'') is an island off the south coast of England which, together with its surrounding uninhabited islets and Skerry, skerries, is also a ceremonial county. T ...
then was rammed by a
Royal Navy The Royal Navy (RN) is the naval warfare force of the United Kingdom. It is a component of His Majesty's Naval Service, and its officers hold their commissions from the King of the United Kingdom, King. Although warships were used by Kingdom ...
patrol boat A patrol boat (also referred to as a patrol craft, patrol ship, or patrol vessel) is a relatively small naval ship, naval vessel generally designed for Coastal defence and fortification, coastal defence, Border control, border security, or law ...
with the loss of either 27 of her 34 crew or 29 of her 35 crew (sources differ). * German fighter ace
Walter von Bülow-Bothkamp Walter Kuno Reinhold Gustav von Bülow-Bothkamp (alternate spelling Bothcamp) (24 April 1894 - 6 January 1918) was a German fighter ace from an aristocratic family who was credited with 28 victories. After entering World War I as a hussar, he tra ...
shot down and killed British ace Harry G. E. Luchford, who had 24 victories at the time of his death. Von Bülow-Bothkamp would be shot down and killed by a British ace just one month later. * The Norwegian sports club Gjeilo was established in
Geilo Geilo () is a centre in the municipality of Hol, Norway, Hol in Buskerud, Buskerud county, Norway. Geilo is primarily a ski resort town, with around 2,500 inhabitants. It is situated in the valley of Hallingdal, 250 km from Oslo and 260  ...
, Norway before changing to its present name the following year to
Geilo Geilo () is a centre in the municipality of Hol, Norway, Hol in Buskerud, Buskerud county, Norway. Geilo is primarily a ski resort town, with around 2,500 inhabitants. It is situated in the valley of Hallingdal, 250 km from Oslo and 260  ...
. The club has sections on alpine skiing, freestyle skiing, skiing and biathlon, snowboarding, telemark skiing, football,
handball Handball (also known as team handball, European handball, Olympic handball or indoor handball) is a team sport in which two teams of seven players each (six outcourt players and a goalkeeper) pass a ball using their hands with the aim of thr ...
and cycling. * The first official
handball Handball (also known as team handball, European handball, Olympic handball or indoor handball) is a team sport in which two teams of seven players each (six outcourt players and a goalkeeper) pass a ball using their hands with the aim of thr ...
match was played in
Berlin Berlin ( ; ) is the Capital of Germany, capital and largest city of Germany, by both area and List of cities in Germany by population, population. With 3.7 million inhabitants, it has the List of cities in the European Union by population withi ...
.


December 3 Events Pre-1600 * 915 – Pope John X crowns Berengar I of Italy as Holy Roman Emperor (probable date). 1601–1900 * 1775 – American Revolution: becomes the first vessel to fly the Continental Union Flag (precursor to the " St ...
, 1917 (Monday)

* Battle of Cambrai – The German Second Army captured the village of
La Vacquerie La Vacquerie () is a former commune in the Calvados department in the Normandy region in northwestern France. On 1 January 2017, it was merged into the new commune Caumont-sur-Aure.St Quentin canal The Canal de Saint-Quentin () is a canal in northern France connecting the canalised river Escaut in Cambrai to the Canal latéral à l'Oise and Canal de l'Oise à l'Aisne in Chauny. History The canal was built in two phases, the second much lon ...
. *
Battle of Jerusalem The Battle of Jerusalem also known as the Fall of Jerusalem occurred during the British Empire's "Jerusalem Operations" against the Ottoman Empire, in World War I, when fighting for the city developed from 17 November, continuing after the s ...
– British forces recaptured the Palestinian village of Beit Ur el Foqa they had lost to the Ottomans five days earlier. Ottoman resistance in the
Judaean Mountains The Judaean Mountains, or Judaean Hills (, or ,) are a mountain range in the West Bank and Israel where Jerusalem, Bethlehem, Hebron and several other biblical sites are located. The mountains reach a height of . The Judean Mountains can be di ...
began to taper off everywhere. * The
New Zealand Division The New Zealand Division was an infantry division of the New Zealand Expeditionary Force raised for service in the First World War. It was formed in Egypt in early 1916 when the New Zealand and Australian Division was renamed after the detachmen ...
attacked the Polderhoek Spur ridge near
Ypres Ypres ( ; ; ; ; ) is a Belgian city and municipality in the province of West Flanders. Though the Dutch name is the official one, the city's French name is most commonly used in English. The municipality comprises the city of Ypres/Ieper ...
, Belgium but failed to complete their objective. The division held their ground against German counterattacks for a month, amassing a total 1,198 casualties by the end of December. *
Nikolay Dukhonin Nikolay Nikolayevich Dukhonin (; 13 December 1876 – 3 December 1917) was a Russian general who was briefly the last supreme commander of the Russian Army after the October Revolution before the Bolsheviks took control of it. Biography Du ...
, the last commander-in-chief of the
Imperial Russian Army The Imperial Russian Army () was the army of the Russian Empire, active from 1721 until the Russian Revolution of 1917. It was organized into a standing army and a state militia. The standing army consisted of Regular army, regular troops and ...
, was lynched and murdered at a railway station in
Mogilev Mogilev (; , ), also transliterated as Mahilyow (, ), is a city in eastern Belarus. It is located on the Dnieper, Dnieper River, about from the Belarus–Russia border, border with Russia's Smolensk Oblast and from Bryansk Oblast. As of 2024, ...
, Belarus after surrendering to Soviet custody. Red Army officer
Pavel Dybenko Pavel Efimovich Dybenko (; ; 16 February 1889 – 29 July 1938) was a Bolsheviks, Bolshevik revolutionary and a leading Soviet Union, Soviet officer and military commander. He was arrested, tortured and executed during the Great Purge and subseq ...
was alleged to have given the order to allow a mob of soldiers and sailors to bayonet Dukhonin to death, then use his corpse as target practice. * The first prototype of the Beardmore aircraft was flown. * The North Coast line was extended in
New South Wales New South Wales (commonly abbreviated as NSW) is a States and territories of Australia, state on the Eastern states of Australia, east coast of :Australia. It borders Queensland to the north, Victoria (state), Victoria to the south, and South ...
, Australia, with station Kempsey opened to serve the line. * Born: Wilhelm Brasse, Polish photographer and Holocaust survivor, known for his photo work during his imprisonment at the
Auschwitz concentration camp Auschwitz, or Oświęcim, was a complex of over 40 Nazi concentration camps, concentration and extermination camps operated by Nazi Germany in Polish areas annexed by Nazi Germany, occupied Poland (in a portion annexed into Germany in 1939) d ...
; in
Żywiec Żywiec () is a town on the River Soła in southern Poland with 31,194 inhabitants (2019). It is situated within the Silesian Voivodeship, near the Żywiec Lake and Żywiec Landscape Park, one of the eight protected areas in the voivodeship. H ...
,
Austria-Hungary Austria-Hungary, also referred to as the Austro-Hungarian Empire, the Dual Monarchy or the Habsburg Monarchy, was a multi-national constitutional monarchy in Central Europe#Before World War I, Central Europe between 1867 and 1918. A military ...
(present-day
Poland Poland, officially the Republic of Poland, is a country in Central Europe. It extends from the Baltic Sea in the north to the Sudetes and Carpathian Mountains in the south, bordered by Lithuania and Russia to the northeast, Belarus and Ukrai ...
) (d.
2012 2012 was designated as: *International Year of Cooperatives *International Year of Sustainable Energy for All Events January *January 4 – The Cicada 3301 internet hunt begins. * January 12 – Peaceful protests begin in the R ...
)


December 4 Events Pre-1600 * 771 – Austrasian king Carloman I dies, leaving his brother Charlemagne as sole king of the Frankish Kingdom. * 963 – The lay papal protonotary is elected pope and takes the name Leo VIII, being consecrated ...
, 1917 (Tuesday)

* U.S. President
Woodrow Wilson Thomas Woodrow Wilson (December 28, 1856February 3, 1924) was the 28th president of the United States, serving from 1913 to 1921. He was the only History of the Democratic Party (United States), Democrat to serve as president during the Prog ...
delivered his
State of the Union Address The State of the Union Address (sometimes abbreviated to SOTU) is an annual message delivered by the president of the United States to a joint session of the United States Congress near the beginning of most calendar years on the current condit ...
to the
65th United States Congress The 65th United States Congress was a meeting of the legislative branch of the United States federal government, composed of the United States Senate and the United States House of Representatives. It met in Washington, D.C., from March 4, 1917, ...
, which focused on the
United States The United States of America (USA), also known as the United States (U.S.) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It is a federal republic of 50 U.S. state, states and a federal capital district, Washington, D.C. The 48 ...
' entry into
World War I World War I or the First World War (28 July 1914 – 11 November 1918), also known as the Great War, was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War I, Allies (or Entente) and the Central Powers. Fighting to ...
: "I shall not go back to debate the causes of the war. The intolerable wrongs done and planned against us by the sinister masters of Germany have long since become too grossly obvious and odious to every true American to need to be rehearsed." *
Sfatul Țării ''Sfatul Țării'' ("Council of the Country"; ) was a council of political, public, cultural, and professional organizations in the guberniya, Governorate of Bessarabia in Russian Empire, Tsarist Russia. This became a legislative body which e ...
, governing council for
Bessarabia Bessarabia () is a historical region in Eastern Europe, bounded by the Dniester river on the east and the Prut river on the west. About two thirds of Bessarabia lies within modern-day Moldova, with the Budjak region covering the southern coa ...
within the crumbling
Russian Empire The Russian Empire was an empire that spanned most of northern Eurasia from its establishment in November 1721 until the proclamation of the Russian Republic in September 1917. At its height in the late 19th century, it covered about , roughl ...
, held its first session. *
Battle of Jerusalem The Battle of Jerusalem also known as the Fall of Jerusalem occurred during the British Empire's "Jerusalem Operations" against the Ottoman Empire, in World War I, when fighting for the city developed from 17 November, continuing after the s ...
– British troops found no further resistance on the main road between
Hebron Hebron (; , or ; , ) is a Palestinian city in the southern West Bank, south of Jerusalem. Hebron is capital of the Hebron Governorate, the largest Governorates of Palestine, governorate in the West Bank. With a population of 201,063 in ...
and
Jerusalem Jerusalem is a city in the Southern Levant, on a plateau in the Judaean Mountains between the Mediterranean Sea, Mediterranean and the Dead Sea. It is one of the List of oldest continuously inhabited cities, oldest cities in the world, and ...
. * The
Philippine Red Cross The Philippine Red Cross (PRC; ; ) is a non-profit humanitarian organization and a member of the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement. The PRC was established in 1947, with roots in the Philippine Revolution against Spanish colon ...
formed as a chapter of the
American Red Cross The American National Red Cross is a Nonprofit organization, nonprofit Humanitarianism, humanitarian organization that provides emergency assistance, disaster relief, and disaster preparedness education in the United States. Clara Barton founded ...
. It would becomes its own independent organization in 1934. * Born:
Alexander Baron Alexander Baron ( – ) was a British author and screenwriter. He is best known for his highly acclaimed novel about D-Day, ''From the City, from The Plough'' (1948), and his London novel ''The Lowlife'' (1963). Early life Baron's father was B ...
, British writer, author of ''From the City from the Plough'' and ''The Lowlife''; as Joseph Alexander Bernstein, in
Maidenhead Maidenhead is a market town in the Royal Borough of Windsor and Maidenhead in the county of Berkshire, England. It lies on the southwestern bank of the River Thames, which at this point forms the border with Buckinghamshire. In the 2021 Census, ...
, England (d.
1999 1999 was designated as the International Year of Older Persons. Events January * January 1 – The euro currency is established and the European Central Bank assumes its full powers. * January 3 – The Mars Polar Lander is launc ...
) * Died:
Scott Shipp Scott Shipp (also spelled Ship, born Charles Robert Scott Ship) (August 2, 1839 – December 4, 1917) was an American military figure, Confederate States Army officer, educator and educational administrator born in Warrenton, Virginia. He was the ...
, 78, American army officer, commander of the
Virginia Military Institute The Virginia Military Institute (VMI) is a public senior military college in Lexington, Virginia, United States. It was founded in 1839 as America's first state military college and is the oldest public senior military college in the U.S. In k ...
cadet battalion at the
Battle of New Market The Battle of New Market was fought on May 15, 1864, in Virginia during the Valley Campaigns of 1864 in the American Civil War. A makeshift Confederate army of 4,100 men defeated the larger Army of the Shenandoah under Major General Franz S ...
during the
American Civil War The American Civil War (April 12, 1861May 26, 1865; also known by Names of the American Civil War, other names) was a civil war in the United States between the Union (American Civil War), Union ("the North") and the Confederate States of A ...
(b.
1839 Events January–March * January 2 – The first photograph of the Moon is taken, by French photographer Louis Daguerre. * January 6 – Night of the Big Wind: Ireland is struck by the most damaging cyclone in 300 years. * January 9 – ...
)


December 5 Events Pre-1600 *63 BC – Cicero gives the fourth and final of the Catiline Orations. * 633 – Fourth Council of Toledo opens, presided over by Isidore of Seville. *1033 – The 1033 Jordan Rift Valley earthquake, Jordan Rift Val ...
, 1917 (Wednesday)

* The
Supreme Soviet of the National Economy Supreme Soviet of the National Economy, Superior Soviet of the People's Economy, (Высший совет народного хозяйства, ВСНХ, ''Vysshiy sovet narodnogo khozyaystva'', VSNKh) was the superior state institution for mana ...
, or Vesenkha, was established by
decree A decree is a law, legal proclamation, usually issued by a head of state, judge, monarch, royal figure, or other relevant Authority, authorities, according to certain procedures. These procedures are usually defined by the constitution, Legislativ ...
of the
Council of People's Commissars The Council of People's Commissars (CPC) (), commonly known as the ''Sovnarkom'' (), were the highest executive (government), executive authorities of the Russian Soviet Federative Socialist Republic (RSFSR), the Soviet Union (USSR), and the Sovi ...
(Sovnarkom) and All-Russian Central Executive Committee of Soviets, for the stated purpose to "plan for the organization of the economic life of the country and the financial resources of the government". * A
military junta A military junta () is a system of government led by a committee of military leaders. The term ''Junta (governing body), junta'' means "meeting" or "committee" and originated in the Junta (Peninsular War), national and local junta organized by t ...
led by
Sidónio Pais Sidónio Bernardino Cardoso da Silva Pais (1 May 1872 – 14 December 1918) nicknamed "the President-King" (), was the 4th president of Portugal, serving in 1918. A Portuguese people, Portuguese politician, Officer (armed forces), militar ...
pushed to overthrow the
Afonso Costa Afonso Augusto da Costa, GCTE, GCL (; 6 March 1871 – 11 May 1937) was a Portuguese lawyer, professor and republican politician. Political career Costa was the leader of the Portuguese Republican Party and he was one of the major figures ...
administration in
Portugal Portugal, officially the Portuguese Republic, is a country on the Iberian Peninsula in Southwestern Europe. Featuring Cabo da Roca, the westernmost point in continental Europe, Portugal borders Spain to its north and east, with which it share ...
. * After weeks of unfavorable weather, the ''
Luftstreitkräfte The ''Deutsche Luftstreitkräfte'' (, German Air Combat Forces)known before October 1916 as (The Imperial German Air Service, lit. "The flying troops of the German Kaiser’s Reich")was the air arm of the Imperial German Army. In English-langu ...
'' (German Air Force) made its first
heavier-than-air The history of aviation spans over two millennia, from the earliest innovations like kites and attempts at tower jumping to supersonic and hypersonic flight in powered, heavier-than-air jet aircraft. Kite flying in China, dating back several ...
raid against
United Kingdom The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom (UK) or Britain, is a country in Northwestern Europe, off the coast of European mainland, the continental mainland. It comprises England, Scotlan ...
since
October October is the tenth month of the year in the Julian and Gregorian calendars. Its length is 31 days. The eighth month in the old calendar of Romulus , October retained its name (from Latin and Greek ''ôctō'' meaning "eight") after Januar ...
. Nineteen
Gotha Gotha () is the fifth-largest city in Thuringia, Germany, west of Erfurt and east of Eisenach with a population of 44,000. The city is the capital of the district of Gotha and was also a residence of the Ernestine Wettins from 1640 until the ...
and two ''
Riesenflugzeug A ''Riesenflugzeug'' (plural ''Riesenflugzeuge'', German for "giant aircraft"), sometimes colloquially referred to in English as an R-plane, was any member of a class of large World War I Imperial Germany, German bombers, possessing at least th ...
'' bombers attacked in several waves, causing £100,000 in damage around the
London London is the Capital city, capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of both England and the United Kingdom, with a population of in . London metropolitan area, Its wider metropolitan area is the largest in Wester ...
area but inflicting few casualties. British
anti-aircraft guns Anti-aircraft warfare (AAW) is the counter to aerial warfare and includes "all measures designed to nullify or reduce the effectiveness of hostile air action".AAP-6 It encompasses surface-based, subsurface ( submarine-launched), and air-bas ...
shot down two Gotha bombers and their crews were captured while a third bomber went missing. * The Ukrainian State Academy of Arts, the first art academy for
Ukraine Ukraine is a country in Eastern Europe. It is the List of European countries by area, second-largest country in Europe after Russia, which Russia–Ukraine border, borders it to the east and northeast. Ukraine also borders Belarus to the nor ...
, was established in
Kiev Kyiv, also Kiev, is the capital and most populous List of cities in Ukraine, city of Ukraine. Located in the north-central part of the country, it straddles both sides of the Dnieper, Dnieper River. As of 1 January 2022, its population was 2, ...
with
Fedir Krychevsky Fedir Hryhorovych Krychevsky (; – July 30, 1947) was a Ukrainian early modernist painter. He was the brother of graphic designer Vasyl Krychevsky. Biography Krychevsky was born in Lebedyn, in the Kharkov Governorate of the Russian Empir ...
as the first rector. * The Finnish daily newspaper ''
Keskipohjanmaa ''Keskipohjanmaa'' is a morning broadsheet newspaper published in Kokkola, Finland. History and profile ''Keskipohjanmaa'' was first published on 5 December 1917. Its headquarters is in Kokkola. The paper has also regional offices in Haapajärvi, ...
'' published its first edition. * Born:
Wenche Foss Eva Wenche Steenfeldt Stang (5 December 1917 – 28 March 2011), better known as Wenche Foss (), was a leading Norwegian actress of stage, screen and television. Personal life Wenche Foss was born to engineer Christian August Steenfeldt-Foss ( ...
, Norwegian actress, known for stage and film roles including ''
The Master and His Servants ''The Master and His Servants'' () is a 1959 Norwegian drama film directed by Arne Skouen. The film is based on a 1955 play by Axel Kielland, who also plays a minor character in the film. The play and the film is based on true events in Sweden. ...
'' and ''
The Pinchcliffe Grand Prix ''The Pinchcliffe Grand Prix'' () is a 1975 Norwegian stop-motion-animated sports film directed by Ivo Caprino. It is based on characters from a series of books by Norwegian cartoonist and author Kjell Aukrust. It is the most widely seen Norweg ...
''; as Eva Wenche Steenfeldt-Foss, in Kristiania,
Norway Norway, officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic countries, Nordic country located on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. The remote Arctic island of Jan Mayen and the archipelago of Svalbard also form part of the Kingdom of ...
(present-day
Oslo Oslo ( or ; ) is the capital and most populous city of Norway. It constitutes both a county and a municipality. The municipality of Oslo had a population of in 2022, while the city's greater urban area had a population of 1,064,235 in 2022 ...
, Norway) (d.
2011 The year marked the start of a Arab Spring, series of protests and revolutions throughout the Arab world advocating for democracy, reform, and economic recovery, later leading to the depositions of world leaders in Tunisia, Egypt, and Yemen ...
) * Died:
Edmund Reid Detective Inspector Edmund John James Reid (21 March 1846 – 5 December 1917) was the head of the CID in the Metropolitan Police's H Division at the time of the Whitechapel murders of Jack the Ripper in 1888. He was also an early aeronau ...
, 71, British law enforcer, head of the
Criminal Investigation Department The Criminal Investigation Department (CID) is the branch of a police force to which most plainclothes criminal investigation, detectives belong in the United Kingdom and many Commonwealth of Nations, Commonwealth nations. A force's CID is disti ...
of the Metropolitan Police of
London London is the Capital city, capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of both England and the United Kingdom, with a population of in . London metropolitan area, Its wider metropolitan area is the largest in Wester ...
during the
Jack the Ripper Jack the Ripper was an unidentified serial killer who was active in and around the impoverished Whitechapel district of London, England, in 1888. In both criminal case files and the contemporaneous journalistic accounts, the killer was also ...
murders (b.
1846 Events January–March * January 5 – The United States House of Representatives votes to stop sharing the Oregon Country with the United Kingdom. * January 13 – The Milan–Venice railway's bridge, over the Venetian Lagoon betwee ...
)


December 6 Events Pre-1600 * 1060 – Béla I is crowned king of Hungary. * 1240 – Mongol invasion of Rus': Kyiv, defended by Voivode Dmytro, falls to the Mongols under Batu Khan. *1492 – After exploring the island of Cuba (which he h ...
, 1917 (Thursday)

*
Halifax Explosion On the morning of 6 December 1917, the French cargo ship collided with the Norwegian vessel in the harbour of Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada. ''Mont-Blanc'', laden with Explosive material, high explosives, caught fire and exploded, devastat ...
– French cargo ship , loaded with explosive material, collided with Norwegian ship in
Halifax Harbour Halifax Harbour is a large natural harbour on the Atlantic coast of Nova Scotia, Canada, located in the Halifax Regional Municipality. Halifax largely owes its existence to the harbour, being one of the largest and deepest ice-free natural har ...
,
Nova Scotia Nova Scotia is a Provinces and territories of Canada, province of Canada, located on its east coast. It is one of the three Maritime Canada, Maritime provinces and Population of Canada by province and territory, most populous province in Atlan ...
. The collision caused a fire that ignited the explosive material on ''Mont-Blanc'', causing the biggest man-made explosion in recorded history until the
Trinity The Trinity (, from 'threefold') is the Christian doctrine concerning the nature of God, which defines one God existing in three, , consubstantial divine persons: God the Father, God the Son (Jesus Christ) and God the Holy Spirit, thr ...
nuclear test Nuclear weapons tests are experiments carried out to determine the performance of nuclear weapons and the effects of their explosion. Nuclear testing is a sensitive political issue. Governments have often performed tests to signal strength. Bec ...
in 1945. The massive blast destroyed part of Halifax, killed at least 1,963 people and injured 9,000 more. **
Vince Coleman Vince Coleman may refer to: *Vince Coleman (baseball) Vincent Maurice Coleman (born September 22, 1961) is an American former Major League Baseball (MLB) player, best known for his years with the St. Louis Cardinals. Primarily a left fielder, ...
, a train dispatcher for
Canadian Government Railways Canadian Government Railways was the legal name used between 1915–1918 for all federal government-owned railways in Canada. The principal component companies were the Intercolonial Railway of Canada (IRC), the National Transcontinental ...
in Halifax, stayed at his telegraph office after the collision between and to send a stop order on an overnight train from
Saint John, New Brunswick Saint John () is a port#seaport, seaport city located on the Bay of Fundy in the province of New Brunswick, Canada. It is Canada's oldest Municipal corporation, incorporated city, established by royal charter on May 18, 1785, during the reign ...
that was carrying over 300 passengers from entering the city, saving hundreds of lives. His last telegraph decoded from
Morse code Morse code is a telecommunications method which Character encoding, encodes Written language, text characters as standardized sequences of two different signal durations, called ''dots'' and ''dashes'', or ''dits'' and ''dahs''. Morse code i ...
was said to have read: "Hold up the train. Ammunition ship afire in harbor making for Pier 6 and will explode. Guess this will be my last message. Good-bye boys." He was killed along with thousands of others in the ensuing
blast Blast or The Blast may refer to: *Explosion, a rapid increase in volume and release of energy in an extreme manner *Detonation, an exothermic front accelerating through a medium that eventually drives a shock front *A planned explosion in a mine, ...
. * The
Senate of Finland The Senate of Finland (; ) combined the functions of Cabinet (government), cabinet and supreme court in the Grand Duchy of Finland from 1816 to 1917 and in independent Finland from 1917 to 1918. The body that would become the Senate was establis ...
officially declared the country's independence from
Russia Russia, or the Russian Federation, is a country spanning Eastern Europe and North Asia. It is the list of countries and dependencies by area, largest country in the world, and extends across Time in Russia, eleven time zones, sharing Borders ...
, with the date continually observed as
Independence Day An independence day is an annual event memorialization, commemorating the anniversary of a nation's independence or Sovereign state, statehood, usually after ceasing to be a group or part of another nation or state, or after the end of a milit ...
. *
U.S. Navy The United States Navy (USN) is the maritime service branch of the United States Department of Defense. It is the world's most powerful navy with the largest displacement, at 4.5 million tons in 2021. It has the world's largest aircraft ...
destroyer In naval terminology, a destroyer is a fast, maneuverable, long-endurance warship intended to escort larger vessels in a fleet, convoy, or carrier battle group and defend them against a wide range of general threats. They were conceived i ...
was torpedoed and sunk in the
Atlantic Ocean The Atlantic Ocean is the second largest of the world's five borders of the oceans, oceanic divisions, with an area of about . It covers approximately 17% of Earth#Surface, Earth's surface and about 24% of its water surface area. During the ...
south west of the British Isles by German submarine , killing 66 crew in the first significant American naval loss of
World War I World War I or the First World War (28 July 1914 – 11 November 1918), also known as the Great War, was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War I, Allies (or Entente) and the Central Powers. Fighting to ...
and first ever U.S. destroyer loss to an enemy. Survivors were rescued by British craft. * German submarines and collided off the coast of
France France, officially the French Republic, is a country located primarily in Western Europe. Overseas France, Its overseas regions and territories include French Guiana in South America, Saint Pierre and Miquelon in the Atlantic Ocean#North Atlan ...
, killing 11 of the crew on board ''UC-69''. * The
United States Army The United States Army (USA) is the primary Land warfare, land service branch of the United States Department of Defense. It is designated as the Army of the United States in the United States Constitution.Article II, section 2, clause 1 of th ...
established the 7th Infantry Division. * The first
Viru Infantry Battalion The Viru Infantry Battalion () is a battalion of the Estonian Land Forces. It is a part of the 1st Infantry Brigade and its primary task is to train conscription-based infantry and anti-tank units. The battalion has been previously known as the ...
was established as part of the
Estonian Army The Estonian Land Forces (), unofficially referred to as the Estonian Army, is the name of the unified ground forces among the Estonian Defense Forces where it has an offensive military formation role. The Estonian Land Forces is currently the ...
. * The ''
Luftstreitkräfte The ''Deutsche Luftstreitkräfte'' (, German Air Combat Forces)known before October 1916 as (The Imperial German Air Service, lit. "The flying troops of the German Kaiser’s Reich")was the air arm of the Imperial German Army. In English-langu ...
'', the air arm of the
Imperial German Army The Imperial German Army (1871–1919), officially referred to as the German Army (), was the unified ground and air force of the German Empire. It was established in 1871 with the political unification of Germany under the leadership of Kingdom o ...
, established air squadron '' Jagdstaffel 43''. *
Chikuhei Nakajima , was a Japanese businessman, naval engineer, naval officer, and politician who was most notable for having founded Nakajima Aircraft Company in 1917, a major supplier of airplanes in the Empire of Japan. He also served as a cabinet minister. ...
and Seibi Kawanishi founded the Japan Aeroplane Manufacturing Work Company Ltd, the first aircraft manufacturing company in
Japan Japan is an island country in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean off the northeast coast of the Asia, Asian mainland, it is bordered on the west by the Sea of Japan and extends from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea ...
. * Born: **
Kamal Jumblatt Kamal Fouad Jumblatt (; 6 December 1917 – 16 March 1977) was a Lebanese politician who founded the Progressive Socialist Party. He led the National Movement during the Lebanese Civil War. He was a major ally of the Palestine Liberation Organ ...
, Lebanese politician, co-founder and leader of the
Lebanese National Movement The Lebanese National Movement (LNM; , ''Al-Harakat al-Wataniyya al-Lubnaniyya'') was a front of Leftist, pan-Arabist and Syrian nationalist parties and organizations active during the early years of the Lebanese Civil War, which supported ...
; in
Deir al-Qamar Deir al-Qamar () is a city south-east of Beirut in south-central Lebanon. It is located five kilometres outside of Beit ed-Dine in the Chouf District of the Mount Lebanon Governorate at 800 m of average altitude. History Crusader period The ol ...
,
Ottoman Empire The Ottoman Empire (), also called the Turkish Empire, was an empire, imperial realm that controlled much of Southeast Europe, West Asia, and North Africa from the 14th to early 20th centuries; it also controlled parts of southeastern Centr ...
(present-day
Lebanon Lebanon, officially the Republic of Lebanon, is a country in the Levant region of West Asia. Situated at the crossroads of the Mediterranean Basin and the Arabian Peninsula, it is bordered by Syria to the north and east, Israel to the south ...
) (d.
1977 Events January * January 8 – 1977 Moscow bombings, Three bombs explode in Moscow within 37 minutes, killing seven. The bombings are attributed to an Armenian separatist group. * January 10 – Mount Nyiragongo erupts in eastern Zaire (no ...
, assassinated) **
Irv Robbins Irvine "Irv" Isaac Robbins (December 6, 1917 – May 5, 2008) was a Canadian-born American businessman. He co-founded the Baskin-Robbins ice cream parlor chain in 1945 with his partner and brother-in-law Burt Baskin. Early life Robbins was born ...
, Canadian-born American entrepreneur, co-founder of the ice cream chain
Baskin-Robbins Baskin-Robbins, Inc. is an American multinational chain of ice cream and cake specialty store, specialty shops owned by Inspire Brands. Baskin-Robbins was formed in 1945 by Burt Baskin and Irv Robbins in Glendale, California.Winnipeg Winnipeg () is the capital and largest city of the Provinces and territories of Canada, Canadian province of Manitoba. It is centred on the confluence of the Red River of the North, Red and Assiniboine River, Assiniboine rivers. , Winnipeg h ...
, Canada (d.
2008 2008 was designated as: *International Year of Languages *International Year of Planet Earth *International Year of the Potato *International Year of Sanitation The Great Recession, a worldwide recession which began in 2007, continued throu ...
) **
Eliane Plewman Éliane Sophie Plewman (6 December 1917 – 13 September 1944) was a British agent of the Special Operations Executive (SOE) and a member of the French Resistance working as a courier for the "MONK circuit" in occupied France during World War II ...
, French spy, member of the
Special Operations Executive Special Operations Executive (SOE) was a British organisation formed in 1940 to conduct espionage, sabotage and reconnaissance in German-occupied Europe and to aid local Resistance during World War II, resistance movements during World War II. ...
; as Eliane Sophie Browne-Bartroli, in
Marseille Marseille (; ; see #Name, below) is a city in southern France, the Prefectures in France, prefecture of the Departments of France, department of Bouches-du-Rhône and of the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur Regions of France, region. Situated in the ...
, France (d.
1944 Events Below, the events of World War II have the "WWII" prefix. January * January 2 – WWII: ** Free France, Free French General Jean de Lattre de Tassigny is appointed to command First Army (France), French Army B, part of the Sixt ...
, executed at
Dachau concentration camp Dachau (, ; , ; ) was one of the first concentration camps built by Nazi Germany and the longest-running one, opening on 22 March 1933. The camp was initially intended to intern Hitler's political opponents, which consisted of communists, s ...
)


December 7 Events Pre-1600 *43 BC – Marcus Tullius Cicero is assassinated in Formia on orders of Marcus Antonius. * 574 – Byzantine Emperor Justin II, suffering recurring seizures of insanity, adopts his general Tiberius and proclaims him ...
, 1917 (Friday)

* The United States declared war on
Austria-Hungary Austria-Hungary, also referred to as the Austro-Hungarian Empire, the Dual Monarchy or the Habsburg Monarchy, was a multi-national constitutional monarchy in Central Europe#Before World War I, Central Europe between 1867 and 1918. A military ...
. * The Battle of Cambrai – The British gave up further positions to the Germans before the general operation was called off. ** German casualties were estimated between to casualties. British casualties were recorded as 47,596, including 9,000 men taken prisoner. ** German command credited the use of ten ground-attack air squadrons in providing
close air support Close air support (CAS) is defined as aerial warfare actions—often air-to-ground actions such as strafes or airstrikes—by military aircraft against hostile targets in close proximity to friendly forces. A form of fire support, CAS requires ...
to ground forces during the 17-day battle, for playing a key role in halting the British advance and convincing the ''
Luftstreitkräfte The ''Deutsche Luftstreitkräfte'' (, German Air Combat Forces)known before October 1916 as (The Imperial German Air Service, lit. "The flying troops of the German Kaiser’s Reich")was the air arm of the Imperial German Army. In English-langu ...
'' of the need for a permanent ground-attack force. * Canadian naval vessel foundered and sank in the Gulf of St. Lawrence, with a loss of 44 crew. * The province of
Romblon Romblon (, , ), officially the Province of Romblon, is an archipelagic province of the Philippines located in the Mimaropa region. Its main components include Romblon, an archipelagic municipality of the same name that also serves as the provi ...
was re-established in the
Philippines The Philippines, officially the Republic of the Philippines, is an Archipelagic state, archipelagic country in Southeast Asia. Located in the western Pacific Ocean, it consists of List of islands of the Philippines, 7,641 islands, with a tot ...
. * Japanese food manufacturer
Kikkoman is a Japanese food manufacturer. Its main products and services include soy sauce, food seasoning and flavoring, mirin, , and sake, juice and other beverages, pharmaceuticals, and restaurant management services. As of 2002, the company was the ...
, most noted for its soy and seasoning products, was founded in
Noda, Chiba is a Cities of Japan, city located in the northwestern corner of Chiba Prefecture, Japan. , the city had an estimated population of 154,114 in 69,191 households and a population density of 1500 persons per km2. The total area of the city is . Th ...
, Japan through the merging of eight businesses owned and operated by the Mogi and Takanashi families. * Born:
Hurd Hatfield William Rukard Hurd Hatfield (December 7, 1917 – December 26, 1998) was an American actor. He was known for playing characters of handsome, narcissistic young men, most notably Dorian Gray in the film ''The Picture of Dorian Gray'' (1945). Ea ...
, American actor, best known for the lead title role in ''
The Picture of Dorian Gray ''The Picture of Dorian Gray'' is an 1890 philosophical fiction and Gothic fiction, Gothic horror fiction, horror novel by Irish writer Oscar Wilde. A shorter novella-length version was published in the July 1890 issue of the American period ...
''; as William Rukard Hurd Hatfield, in
New York City New York, often called New York City (NYC), is the most populous city in the United States, located at the southern tip of New York State on one of the world's largest natural harbors. The city comprises five boroughs, each coextensive w ...
, United States (d.
1998 1998 was designated as the ''International Year of the Ocean''. Events January * January 6 – The ''Lunar Prospector'' spacecraft is launched into orbit around the Moon, and later finds evidence for Lunar water, frozen water, in soil i ...
) * Died: **
Ludwig Minkus Ludwig Minkus (), also known as Léon Fyodorovich Minkus (23 March 1826, Vienna – 7 December 1917, Vienna), was an Austrian composer of ballet music, a violinist and teacher of music. Minkus is noted for the music he composed during his caree ...
, 91, Austrian composer, best known for ballet compositions '' La source'', ''
Don Quixote , the full title being ''The Ingenious Gentleman Don Quixote of La Mancha'', is a Spanish novel by Miguel de Cervantes. Originally published in two parts in 1605 and 1615, the novel is considered a founding work of Western literature and is of ...
'' and ''
La Bayadère ''La Bayadère'' ("the temple dancer") ( ru. «Баядерка», ''Bayaderka'') is an 1877 ballet, originally staged in four acts and seven tableaux by the French choreographer Marius Petipa to music by Ludwig Minkus and libretto by . The ba ...
'' (b.
1826 Events January–March * January 15 – The French newspaper ''Le Figaro'' begins publication in Paris, initially as a satirical weekly. * January 17 – The Ballantyne printing business in Edinburgh (Scotland) crashes, ruining noveli ...
) **
Ann Eliza Young Ann Eliza Young (September 13, 1844 – December 7, 1917) also known as Ann Eliza Webb Dee Young Denning was one of Brigham Young's fifty-six wives and later a critic of polygamy. Her autobiography, ''Wife No. 19,'' was a recollection of her expe ...
, 73, American activist, former wife of
Brigham Young Brigham Young ( ; June 1, 1801August 29, 1877) was an American religious leader and politician. He was the second President of the Church (LDS Church), president of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church) from 1847 until h ...
and early advocate for women's rights (b.
1844 In the Philippines, 1844 had only 365 days, when Tuesday, December 31 was skipped as Monday, December 30 was immediately followed by Wednesday, January 1, 1845, the next day after. The change also applied to Caroline Islands, Guam, Marian ...
)


December 8 Events Pre-1600 * 395 – Later Yan is defeated by its former vassal Northern Wei at the Battle of Canhe Slope. * 757 – The poet Du Fu returns to Chang'an as a member of Emperor Xuanzong's court, after having escaped the city duri ...
, 1917 (Saturday)

*
Battle of Jerusalem The Battle of Jerusalem also known as the Fall of Jerusalem occurred during the British Empire's "Jerusalem Operations" against the Ottoman Empire, in World War I, when fighting for the city developed from 17 November, continuing after the s ...
– The
Yildirim Army Group The Yıldırım Army Group or Thunderbolt Army Group of the Ottoman Empire or Army Group F (German: ''Heeresgruppe F'') was an Army Group of the Ottoman Army during World War I. While being an Ottoman unit, it also contained the German Asia Cor ...
of the
Ottoman Empire The Ottoman Empire (), also called the Turkish Empire, was an empire, imperial realm that controlled much of Southeast Europe, West Asia, and North Africa from the 14th to early 20th centuries; it also controlled parts of southeastern Centr ...
abandoned
Jerusalem Jerusalem is a city in the Southern Levant, on a plateau in the Judaean Mountains between the Mediterranean Sea, Mediterranean and the Dead Sea. It is one of the List of oldest continuously inhabited cities, oldest cities in the world, and ...
in the face of advancing
Egyptian Expeditionary Force The Egyptian Expeditionary Force (EEF) was a military formation of the British Empire, formed on 10 March 1916 under the command of General Archibald Murray from the Mediterranean Expeditionary Force and the Force in Egypt (1914–1915), at the ...
. * After three days of insurrection, Portuguese prime minister
Afonso Costa Afonso Augusto da Costa, GCTE, GCL (; 6 March 1871 – 11 May 1937) was a Portuguese lawyer, professor and republican politician. Political career Costa was the leader of the Portuguese Republican Party and he was one of the major figures ...
handed power over to
Sidónio Pais Sidónio Bernardino Cardoso da Silva Pais (1 May 1872 – 14 December 1918) nicknamed "the President-King" (), was the 4th president of Portugal, serving in 1918. A Portuguese people, Portuguese politician, Officer (armed forces), militar ...
. * Born: ** Nisse Strinning, Swedish architect and designer, best known for kitchen and book shelf designs; as Nils Strinning, in
Kramfors Kramfors () is a locality and the seat of Kramfors Municipality in Västernorrland County, Sweden. It had a population of 5,990 inhabitants in 2010. The town grew on the western bank of the Ångerman river in the 19th century as harvested logs ...
, Sweden (d.
2006 2006 was designated as the International Year of Deserts and Desertification. Events January * January 1– 4 – Russia temporarily cuts shipment of natural gas to Ukraine during a price dispute. * January 12 – A stampede during t ...
) ** Ian Johnson, Australian cricketer, bowler for the
Victoria cricket team The Victoria cricket team is an Australian first-class cricket, first-class men's cricket team based in the Australian state of Victoria (state), Victoria. The men’s team, which first played in 1851, represents the state of Victoria (Austral ...
and the
Australia national cricket team The Australia men's national cricket team represents Australia in international cricket. Along with England, it is the joint oldest team in Test cricket history, playing and winning the first ever Test match in 1877; the team also plays One ...
from 1935 to 1956; in
North Melbourne North Melbourne is an inner-city suburb in Melbourne, Victoria (Australia), Victoria, Australia, north-west of Melbourne's Melbourne central business district, Central Business District, located within the City of Melbourne Local government ar ...
, Victoria, Australia (d.
1998 1998 was designated as the ''International Year of the Ocean''. Events January * January 6 – The ''Lunar Prospector'' spacecraft is launched into orbit around the Moon, and later finds evidence for Lunar water, frozen water, in soil i ...
) ** Alan Stewart, New Zealand academic, 1st Vice-chancellor of
Massey University Massey University () is a Public university, public research university in New Zealand that provides internal and distance education. The university has campuses in Auckland, Palmerston North, and Wellington. Data from Universities New Zealand ...
; in
Auckland Auckland ( ; ) is a large metropolitan city in the North Island of New Zealand. It has an urban population of about It is located in the greater Auckland Region, the area governed by Auckland Council, which includes outlying rural areas and ...
, New Zealand (d.
2004 2004 was designated as an International Year of Rice by the United Nations, and the International Year to Commemorate the Struggle Against Slavery and Its Abolition (by UNESCO). Events January * January 3 – Flash Airlines Flight 60 ...
) * Died:
Mendele Mocher Sforim Mendele Mocher Sforim (, ; lit. "Mendele the book peddler"; January 2, 1836, Kapyl – December 8, 1917 .S. Odessa), born Sholem Yankev Abramovich (, ) or S. J. Abramowitch, was a Jewish author and one of the founders of modern Yiddish and Heb ...
, 81, Russian Yiddish and Hebrew writer, co-founder of the Yiddish periodical ''
Kol Mevasser ''Kol Mevasser'' () was a Yiddish-language periodical that appeared from October 11, 1862 into 1872.Liptzin, Sol, ''A History of Yiddish Literature''. Middle Village, NY: Jonathan David Publishers, 1972. p. 41. It served as a supplement to ...
'' (b.
1836 Events January–March * January 1 — Hill Street Academy is named Colombo Academy and acquired by the Government, establishing the first public school in Sri Lanka. * January 1 – Queen Maria II of Portugal marries Prince Ferdinand ...
)


December 9 Events Pre-1600 * 536 – Gothic War: The Byzantine general Belisarius enters Rome unopposed; the Gothic garrison flees the capital. * 730 – Battle of Marj Ardabil: The Khazars annihilate an Umayyad army and kill its commander, ...
, 1917 (Sunday)

*
Romania Romania is a country located at the crossroads of Central Europe, Central, Eastern Europe, Eastern and Southeast Europe. It borders Ukraine to the north and east, Hungary to the west, Serbia to the southwest, Bulgaria to the south, Moldova to ...
signed an
armistice An armistice is a formal agreement of warring parties to stop fighting. It is not necessarily the end of a war, as it may constitute only a cessation of hostilities while an attempt is made to negotiate a lasting peace. It is derived from t ...
with the
Central Powers The Central Powers, also known as the Central Empires,; ; , ; were one of the two main coalitions that fought in World War I (1914–1918). It consisted of the German Empire, Austria-Hungary, the Ottoman Empire, and the Kingdom of Bulga ...
, withdrawing from participation in
World War I World War I or the First World War (28 July 1914 – 11 November 1918), also known as the Great War, was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War I, Allies (or Entente) and the Central Powers. Fighting to ...
. *
Battle of Jerusalem The Battle of Jerusalem also known as the Fall of Jerusalem occurred during the British Empire's "Jerusalem Operations" against the Ottoman Empire, in World War I, when fighting for the city developed from 17 November, continuing after the s ...
– The British
Egyptian Expeditionary Force The Egyptian Expeditionary Force (EEF) was a military formation of the British Empire, formed on 10 March 1916 under the command of General Archibald Murray from the Mediterranean Expeditionary Force and the Force in Egypt (1914–1915), at the ...
accepted a letter of surrender of
Jerusalem Jerusalem is a city in the Southern Levant, on a plateau in the Judaean Mountains between the Mediterranean Sea, Mediterranean and the Dead Sea. It is one of the List of oldest continuously inhabited cities, oldest cities in the world, and ...
delivered by the mayor,
Hussein al-Husayni Hussein Bey al-Husayni (; died 1918) was a Palestinian politician who served as mayor of Jerusalem from 1909 to 1917, the last years of Ottoman rule over the city. Born into the prominent Jerusalemite Arab family of al-Husayni, his father Sa ...
, on behalf of the Ottoman Governor of
Palestine Palestine, officially the State of Palestine, is a country in West Asia. Recognized by International recognition of Palestine, 147 of the UN's 193 member states, it encompasses the Israeli-occupied West Bank, including East Jerusalem, and th ...
. * German submarine was rammed and sunk in the
English Channel The English Channel, also known as the Channel, is an arm of the Atlantic Ocean that separates Southern England from northern France. It links to the southern part of the North Sea by the Strait of Dover at its northeastern end. It is the busi ...
by a
Royal Navy The Royal Navy (RN) is the naval warfare force of the United Kingdom. It is a component of His Majesty's Naval Service, and its officers hold their commissions from the King of the United Kingdom, King. Although warships were used by Kingdom ...
patrol boat with the loss of all 24 crew. *
Wexford Wexford ( ; archaic Yola dialect, Yola: ''Weiseforthe'') is the county town of County Wexford, Republic of Ireland, Ireland. Wexford lies on the south side of Wexford Harbour, the estuary of the River Slaney near the southeastern corner of the ...
beat
Clare Clare may refer to: Places Antarctica * Clare Range, a mountain range in Victoria Land Australia * Clare, South Australia, a town in the Clare Valley * Clare Valley, South Australia Canada * Clare (electoral district), an electoral district * Cl ...
0-9 and 0-5 to win its third
All-Ireland Senior Football Championship The All-Ireland Senior Football Championship (SFC) () is the premier inter-county competition in Gaelic football. County (Gaelic games), County teams compete against each other and the winner is declared All-Ireland Champions. Organised by the ...
title in
Croke Park Croke Park (, ) is a Gaelic games stadium in Dublin, Ireland. Named after Archbishop Thomas Croke, it is referred to as Croker by GAA fans and locals. It serves as both the principal national stadium of Ireland and headquarters of the Gaelic At ...
,
Dublin Dublin is the capital and largest city of Republic of Ireland, Ireland. Situated on Dublin Bay at the mouth of the River Liffey, it is in the Provinces of Ireland, province of Leinster, and is bordered on the south by the Dublin Mountains, pa ...
. * Born: **
James Jesus Angleton James Jesus Angleton (December 9, 1917 – May 11, 1987) was an American CIA officer who served as chief of the counterintelligence department of the Central Intelligence Agency from 1954 to 1975. According to Director of Central Intelligence ...
, American intelligence officer, chief of CIA Counterintelligence from 1954 to 1975; in
Boise, Idaho Boise ( ) is the List of capitals in the United States, capital and List of cities in Idaho, most populous city of the U.S. state of Idaho. As of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, there were 235,685 people residing in the city. Loca ...
, United States (d.
1987 Events January * January 1 – Bolivia reintroduces the Boliviano currency. * January 2 – Chadian–Libyan conflict – Battle of Fada: The Military of Chad, Chadian army destroys a Libyan armoured brigade. * January 3 – Afghan leader ...
) **
James Rainwater Leo James Rainwater (December 9, 1917 – May 31, 1986) was an American physicist who shared the Nobel Prize in Physics in 1975 for his part in determining the asymmetrical shapes of certain atomic nuclei. During World War II, he worked on the ...
, American physicist, recipient of the
Nobel Prize in Physics The Nobel Prize in Physics () is an annual award given by the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences for those who have made the most outstanding contributions to mankind in the field of physics. It is one of the five Nobel Prizes established by the ...
for his research in atomic physics; as Leo James Rainwater, in
Council, Idaho Council is a city in and the county seat of Adams County, Idaho, Adams County, Idaho, United States. The population was 839 at the 2010 United States Census, 2010 census. Major events Porcupine Races Council holds a "World Champion Porcupine ...
, United States (d.
1986 The year 1986 was designated as the International Year of Peace by the United Nations. Events January * January 1 ** Aruba gains increased autonomy from the Netherlands by separating from the Netherlands Antilles. ** Spain and Portugal en ...
) * Died:
Nat M. Wills Nat M. Wills (born Louis McGrath Wills; July 11, 1873 – December 9, 1917) was a popular American stage star, vaudeville entertainer, and recording artist at the beginning of the 20th century. He is best known for his "tramp" persona and for per ...
, 44, American vaudeville entertainer, best known for his early vaudeville recordings including "No News" which is preserved by the
Library of Congress The Library of Congress (LOC) is a research library in Washington, D.C., serving as the library and research service for the United States Congress and the ''de facto'' national library of the United States. It also administers Copyright law o ...
(b.
1873 Events January * January 1 ** Japan adopts the Gregorian calendar. ** The California Penal Code goes into effect. * January 17 – American Indian Wars: Modoc War: First Battle of the Stronghold – Modoc Indians defeat the Unit ...
)


December 10 Events Pre-1600 *1317 – The Nyköping Banquet: King Birger of Sweden treacherously seizes his two brothers, dukes Valdemar and Erik, who are subsequently starved to death in the dungeon of Nyköping Castle. * 1508 – The Leag ...
, 1917 (Monday)

*
Panama Panama, officially the Republic of Panama, is a country in Latin America at the southern end of Central America, bordering South America. It is bordered by Costa Rica to the west, Colombia to the southeast, the Caribbean Sea to the north, and ...
declared war on
Austria-Hungary Austria-Hungary, also referred to as the Austro-Hungarian Empire, the Dual Monarchy or the Habsburg Monarchy, was a multi-national constitutional monarchy in Central Europe#Before World War I, Central Europe between 1867 and 1918. A military ...
as part of its alliance with the
United States The United States of America (USA), also known as the United States (U.S.) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It is a federal republic of 50 U.S. state, states and a federal capital district, Washington, D.C. The 48 ...
. * The
Nobel Prize The Nobel Prizes ( ; ; ) are awards administered by the Nobel Foundation and granted in accordance with the principle of "for the greatest benefit to humankind". The prizes were first awarded in 1901, marking the fifth anniversary of Alfred N ...
Committee selected British physicist
Charles Glover Barkla Charles Glover Barkla (7 June 1877 – 23 October 1944) was an English physicist who received the Nobel Prize in Physics in 1917 for his discovery of characteristic X-rays. Life Barkla was born in Widnes, England, to John Martin Barkla, a sec ...
as recipient for the
Nobel Prize in Physics The Nobel Prize in Physics () is an annual award given by the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences for those who have made the most outstanding contributions to mankind in the field of physics. It is one of the five Nobel Prizes established by the ...
while Danish authors
Karl Adolph Gjellerup Karl Adolph Gjellerup (; 2 June 1857 – 11 October 1919) was a Danish poet and novelist who together with his compatriot Henrik Pontoppidan won the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1917. He is associated with the Modern Breakthrough period of ...
and
Henrik Pontoppidan Henrik Pontoppidan (; 24 July 1857 – 21 August 1943) was a Danish realist writer who shared with Karl Gjellerup the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1917 for "his authentic descriptions of present-day life in Denmark." Pontoppidan's novels and sh ...
shared the
Nobel Prize in Literature The Nobel Prize in Literature, here meaning ''for'' Literature (), is a Swedish literature prize that is awarded annually, since 1901, to an author from any country who has, in the words of the will of Swedish industrialist Alfred Nobel, "in ...
. The
International Committee of the Red Cross The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) is a humanitarian organization based in Geneva, Switzerland, and is a three-time Nobel Prize laureate. The organization has played an instrumental role in the development of rules of war and ...
was awarded the
Nobel Peace Prize The Nobel Peace Prize (Swedish language, Swedish and ) is one of the five Nobel Prizes established by the Will and testament, will of Sweden, Swedish industrialist, inventor, and armaments manufacturer Alfred Nobel, along with the prizes in Nobe ...
for its humanitarian efforts throughout
World War I World War I or the First World War (28 July 1914 – 11 November 1918), also known as the Great War, was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War I, Allies (or Entente) and the Central Powers. Fighting to ...
. * Austro-Hungarian naval ship was torpedoed and sunk at
Trieste Trieste ( , ; ) is a city and seaport in northeastern Italy. It is the capital and largest city of the Regions of Italy#Autonomous regions with special statute, autonomous region of Friuli-Venezia Giulia, as well as of the Province of Trieste, ...
, Italy by two Italian torpedo boats under command of Luigi Rizzo with the loss of 46 of her 469 crew. * German submarine struck a mine and sank in the
North Sea The North Sea lies between Great Britain, Denmark, Norway, Germany, the Netherlands, Belgium, and France. A sea on the European continental shelf, it connects to the Atlantic Ocean through the English Channel in the south and the Norwegian Se ...
with the loss of all 34 crew. * Harry Marshall Erskine Evans was elected 14th
Mayor of Edmonton This is a list of mayors of Edmonton, a city in Alberta, Canada. Edmonton was incorporated as a town on January 9, 1892, with Matthew McCauley acclaimed as its first mayor during the town's first election, held February 10, 1892. On October ...
after earning half of the vote in the
Alberta Alberta is a Provinces and territories of Canada, province in Canada. It is a part of Western Canada and is one of the three Canadian Prairies, prairie provinces. Alberta is bordered by British Columbia to its west, Saskatchewan to its east, t ...
city's
municipal election In many parts of the world, local elections take place to select office-holders in local government, such as mayors and councillors. Elections to positions within a city or town are often known as "municipal elections". Their form and conduct var ...
. * The
Junkers J 8 The Junkers CL.I was a ground-attack aircraft developed in Germany during World War I. Its construction was undertaken by Junkers under the designation J 8 as proof of Hugo Junkers' belief in the monoplane, after his firm had been required by the ...
was first flown and in three months would be used by
Germany Germany, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It lies between the Baltic Sea and the North Sea to the north and the Alps to the south. Its sixteen States of Germany, constituent states have a total popu ...
as
attack aircraft An attack aircraft, strike aircraft, or attack bomber is a tactical military aircraft that has a primary role of carrying out airstrikes with greater precision than bombers, and is prepared to encounter strong low-level air defenses while pr ...
. * The
Tata Oil Mills Company Tata Oil Mills Company also known as TOMCO, was a public limited company and part of Tata Group. It was incorporated on 10 December 1917 with head office at Bombay by Dorabji Tata. It was into manufacture and sale soaps, detergents, cooking oi ...
was established as a subsidiary manufacturer for the
Tata Group The Tata Group () is an Indian multinational conglomerate group of companies headquartered in Mumbai. Established in 1868, it is India's largest business conglomerate, with products and services in over 160 countries, and operations in 100 c ...
in
Bombay Mumbai ( ; ), also known as Bombay ( ; its official name until 1995), is the capital city of the Indian States and union territories of India, state of Maharashtra. Mumbai is the financial centre, financial capital and the list of cities i ...
. * Born:
Yahya Petra of Kelantan Sultan Yahya Petra ibni Almarhum Sultan Ibrahim ( Jawi: ; 10 December 1917 – 29 March 1979) was Sultan of Kelantan from 1960, and the sixth Yang di-Pertuan Agong, the constitutional monarch of Malaysia, from 1975, until his death in 1979. E ...
, Malaysian state leader, 6th
Yang di-Pertuan Agong The King of Malaysia, officially ''Yang di-Pertuan Agong'' ( Jawi alphabet, Jawi: ), is the constitutional monarch and Figurehead, ceremonial head of state of Malaysia. The office was established in 1957, when the Federation of Malaya gained ...
(state monarch of
Malaysia Malaysia is a country in Southeast Asia. Featuring the Tanjung Piai, southernmost point of continental Eurasia, it is a federation, federal constitutional monarchy consisting of States and federal territories of Malaysia, 13 states and thre ...
); in
Kota Bharu Kota Bharu ( Kelantanese: ''Koto Baghu''), colloquially referred to as KB, is a town in Malaysia that serves as the state capital and royal seat of Kelantan. It is situated in the northeastern part of Peninsular Malaysia and lies near the mout ...
,
Unfederated Malay States The "Unfederated Malay States" (; Jawi: ) was the collective name given to five British protected states in the Malay Peninsula during the first half of the 20th century. These states were Johor, Kedah, Kelantan, Perlis, and Terengganu. In ...
(present-day
Malaysia Malaysia is a country in Southeast Asia. Featuring the Tanjung Piai, southernmost point of continental Eurasia, it is a federation, federal constitutional monarchy consisting of States and federal territories of Malaysia, 13 states and thre ...
) (d.
1979 Events January * January 1 ** United Nations Secretary-General Kurt Waldheim heralds the start of the ''International Year of the Child''. Many musicians donate to the ''Music for UNICEF Concert'' fund, among them ABBA, who write the song ...
) * Died:
Mackenzie Bowell Sir Mackenzie Bowell (; December 27, 1823 – December 10, 1917) was a Canadian newspaper publisher and politician, who served as the fifth prime minister of Canada, in office from 1894 to 1896. Bowell was born in Rickinghall, Suffolk, E ...
, 93, Canadian state leader, 5th
Prime Minister of Canada The prime minister of Canada () is the head of government of Canada. Under the Westminster system, the prime minister governs with the Confidence and supply, confidence of a majority of the elected House of Commons of Canada, House of Commons ...
(b.
1823 Events January–March * January 22 – By secret treaty signed at the Congress of Verona, the Quintuple Alliance gives France a mandate to invade Spain for the purpose of restoring Ferdinand VII (who has been captured by armed revoluti ...
)


December 11 Events Pre-1600 * 220 – Emperor Xian of Han is forced to abdicate the throne by Cao Cao's son Cao Pi, ending the Han dynasty. * 361 – Julian enters Constantinople as sole Roman Emperor. * 861 – Assassination of the Abba ...
, 1917 (Tuesday)

*
Battle of Jerusalem The Battle of Jerusalem also known as the Fall of Jerusalem occurred during the British Empire's "Jerusalem Operations" against the Ottoman Empire, in World War I, when fighting for the city developed from 17 November, continuing after the s ...
British General
Edmund Allenby Field marshal (United Kingdom), Field Marshal Edmund Henry Hynman Allenby, 1st Viscount Allenby, (23 April 1861 – 14 May 1936) was a senior British Army Officer (armed forces), officer and imperial governor. He fought in the Second Boer ...
led units of the
Egyptian Expeditionary Force The Egyptian Expeditionary Force (EEF) was a military formation of the British Empire, formed on 10 March 1916 under the command of General Archibald Murray from the Mediterranean Expeditionary Force and the Force in Egypt (1914–1915), at the ...
into
Jerusalem Jerusalem is a city in the Southern Levant, on a plateau in the Judaean Mountains between the Mediterranean Sea, Mediterranean and the Dead Sea. It is one of the List of oldest continuously inhabited cities, oldest cities in the world, and ...
on foot through the
Jaffa Gate Jaffa Gate (; , "Hebron Gate") is one of the seven main open gates of the Old City of Jerusalem. The name Jaffa Gate is currently used for both the historical Ottoman gate from 1538, and for the wide gap in the city wall adjacent to it to the ...
, instead of a traditional entrance on horse or by vehicle, as a show of respect for the holy city. * Bernardino Machado, President of Portugal, was forced from power and replaced by
Sidónio Pais Sidónio Bernardino Cardoso da Silva Pais (1 May 1872 – 14 December 1918) nicknamed "the President-King" (), was the 4th president of Portugal, serving in 1918. A Portuguese people, Portuguese politician, Officer (armed forces), militar ...
, giving him complete control of the country. * The ''
Luftstreitkräfte The ''Deutsche Luftstreitkräfte'' (, German Air Combat Forces)known before October 1916 as (The Imperial German Air Service, lit. "The flying troops of the German Kaiser’s Reich")was the air arm of the Imperial German Army. In English-langu ...
'' established air squadrons ''Jagdstaffel 44'', ''Jagdstaffel 45, 45'', and ''Jagdstaffel 46, 46''. * Born: Max-Hellmuth Ostermann, German air force officer, commander of ''Jagdgeschwader 54'' for the Luftwaffe during World War II, recipient of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross; in Hamburg, German Empire (present-day
Germany Germany, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It lies between the Baltic Sea and the North Sea to the north and the Alps to the south. Its sixteen States of Germany, constituent states have a total popu ...
) (d. 1942, killed in action)


December 12, 1917 (Wednesday)

* At least 543 people were killed and hundreds more injured after an overloaded troop train Saint-Michel-de-Maurienne derailment, derailed on the Culoz–Modane railway near Saint-Michel-de-Maurienne in the France, French Alps, making it the single worst train disaster in French history. * The Idel-Ural State was established in Kazan within the dissolving
Russian Empire The Russian Empire was an empire that spanned most of northern Eurasia from its establishment in November 1721 until the proclamation of the Russian Republic in September 1917. At its height in the late 19th century, it covered about , roughl ...
. * The Royal Australian Navy battlecruiser HMAS Australia (1911), HMAS ''Australia'' was damaged in a collision with the British cruiser HMS Repulse (1916), HMS ''Repulse''. * The motorboat collided with the steamship ''Northland'' in Norfolk, Virginia, Norfolk Harbor and sank, killing 2 crewmembers. * A fire aboard the ocean-going tug killed 3 sailors. * Father Edward J. Flanagan, a Catholic priest, founded Boys Town (organization), Boys Town orphanage in the village of the same name near Omaha, Nebraska. * The first prototype of the Beardmore W.B.IV, Beardmore aircraft was flown. * Born: Alan Deere, New Zealand air force officer, commander of the 403 Helicopter Operational Training Squadron, No. 403 Squadron among his commands during World War II, recipient of the Order of the British Empire, Distinguished Service Order and Distinguished Flying Cross (United Kingdom), Distinguished Flying Cross from both the
United Kingdom The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom (UK) or Britain, is a country in Northwestern Europe, off the coast of European mainland, the continental mainland. It comprises England, Scotlan ...
and
United States The United States of America (USA), also known as the United States (U.S.) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It is a federal republic of 50 U.S. state, states and a federal capital district, Washington, D.C. The 48 ...
, author of ''Nine Lives''; in
Auckland Auckland ( ; ) is a large metropolitan city in the North Island of New Zealand. It has an urban population of about It is located in the greater Auckland Region, the area governed by Auckland Council, which includes outlying rural areas and ...
, New Zealand (d. 1995) * Died: ** Andrew Taylor Still, 89, American physician, credited as the "father of osteopathy" in the
United States The United States of America (USA), also known as the United States (U.S.) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It is a federal republic of 50 U.S. state, states and a federal capital district, Washington, D.C. The 48 ...
(b. 1828) ** Charles Bowen (New Zealand politician), Charles Bowen, 87, Irish-New Zealand politician, 13th List of speakers of the New Zealand Legislative Council, Speaker of the New Zealand Legislative Council (b. 1830)


December 13, 1917 (Thursday)

* The Crimean People's Republic was established. As the area in 1917 was predominantly Muslim, it became the world's first secular Muslim state to declare sovereignty. * The Kazakhs declared independence from
Russia Russia, or the Russian Federation, is a country spanning Eastern Europe and North Asia. It is the list of countries and dependencies by area, largest country in the world, and extends across Time in Russia, eleven time zones, sharing Borders ...
and established the Alash Autonomy in what is now present-day Kazakhstan. The nation-state would last until 1920 when it was absorbed into the Soviet Union. *
Royal Navy The Royal Navy (RN) is the naval warfare force of the United Kingdom. It is a component of His Majesty's Naval Service, and its officers hold their commissions from the King of the United Kingdom, King. Although warships were used by Kingdom ...
armed steamship HMS ''Stephen Furness'' was sunk in the Irish Sea west of the Isle of Man by German Submarine with the loss of 101 lives. * A judicial inquiry into the
Halifax Explosion On the morning of 6 December 1917, the French cargo ship collided with the Norwegian vessel in the harbour of Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada. ''Mont-Blanc'', laden with Explosive material, high explosives, caught fire and exploded, devastat ...
was held at the Halifax Court House. It released a report the following February concluding the captain and crew of the were responsible for causing the collision that eventually started the explosion. * German submarine , which sank British cruiser which had been carrying Secretary of State for War Herbert Kitchener, 1st Earl Kitchener, Herbert Kitchener in 1915, struck a mine and sank in the
North Sea The North Sea lies between Great Britain, Denmark, Norway, Germany, the Netherlands, Belgium, and France. A sea on the European continental shelf, it connects to the Atlantic Ocean through the English Channel in the south and the Norwegian Se ...
with the loss of 23 of her crew. * The first edition of ''The Capital Times'' daily newspaper was released in Madison, Wisconsin. * Born: ** John Hart (actor), John Hart, American actor, best known as the second Ranger in the 1950s television Western (genre), Western ''The Lone Ranger (TV series), The Lone Ranger''; in Los Angeles, United States (d. 2009) ** Miron Constantinescu, Romanian politician, leading member of the Romanian Communist Party; in Chișinău, Kingdom of Romania (present-day Moldova) (d. 1974)


December 14, 1917 (Friday)

* French cruiser was torpedoed and sunk in the Mediterranean Sea by German submarine before itself was sunk by French destroyer . Some 1,162 survivors from the ''Châteaurenault'' and 20 survivors from the ''UC-38'' were rescued by ''Lansquenet'' and fellow destroyers ''French destroyer Mameluk (1909), Mameluk'' and ''Rouen''. * The United States Marine Corps, U.S. Marines established the 3rd Marine Expeditionary Brigade (United States), 3rd Marine Expeditionary Brigade. * The
U.S. Navy The United States Navy (USN) is the maritime service branch of the United States Department of Defense. It is the world's most powerful navy with the largest displacement, at 4.5 million tons in 2021. It has the world's largest aircraft ...
destroyer In naval terminology, a destroyer is a fast, maneuverable, long-endurance warship intended to escort larger vessels in a fleet, convoy, or carrier battle group and defend them against a wide range of general threats. They were conceived i ...
' was launched by the Fore River Shipyard in Quincy, Massachusetts. The ship primarily protected Allies of World War I, Allied shipping around the
United Kingdom The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom (UK) or Britain, is a country in Northwestern Europe, off the coast of European mainland, the continental mainland. It comprises England, Scotlan ...
and Europe during
World War I World War I or the First World War (28 July 1914 – 11 November 1918), also known as the Great War, was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War I, Allies (or Entente) and the Central Powers. Fighting to ...
. * The village of Robbins, Illinois was incorporated. * A Solar eclipse of December 14, 1917, solar eclipse occurred over part of Antarctic and Pacific Ocean, South Pacific. * Died: George Wilson (New Zealand cricketer), George Wilson, 30, New Zealand cricketer, bowler for the New Zealand national cricket team and Canterbury cricket team from 1913 to 1914; killed in action at the Ypres Salient (b. 1887)


December 15, 1917 (Saturday)

*
Russia Russia, or the Russian Federation, is a country spanning Eastern Europe and North Asia. It is the list of countries and dependencies by area, largest country in the world, and extends across Time in Russia, eleven time zones, sharing Borders ...
and the
Central Powers The Central Powers, also known as the Central Empires,; ; , ; were one of the two main coalitions that fought in World War I (1914–1918). It consisted of the German Empire, Austria-Hungary, the Ottoman Empire, and the Kingdom of Bulga ...
agreed to an Armistice between Russia and the Central Powers, armistice, ending the fighting on the Eastern Front (World War I), Eastern Front. * The Moldavian Democratic Republic was established with Ion Inculeț as president. * Cargo ship SS ''Formby'' bound for Waterford from Liverpool was torpedoed and sunk in the Irish Sea by German submarine with the loss of all 35 crew. * The ''
Luftstreitkräfte The ''Deutsche Luftstreitkräfte'' (, German Air Combat Forces)known before October 1916 as (The Imperial German Air Service, lit. "The flying troops of the German Kaiser’s Reich")was the air arm of the Imperial German Army. In English-langu ...
'' established air squadron ''Jagdstaffel 78''. * The United States Army, U.S. Army established the 93rd Infantry Division (United States), 93rd Infantry Division. * The German army command Armee-Abteilung Woyrsch was dissolved after the
Imperial German Army The Imperial German Army (1871–1919), officially referred to as the German Army (), was the unified ground and air force of the German Empire. It was established in 1871 with the political unification of Germany under the leadership of Kingdom o ...
achieved victory on the Eastern Front (World War I), Eastern Front. *
U.S. Navy The United States Navy (USN) is the maritime service branch of the United States Department of Defense. It is the world's most powerful navy with the largest displacement, at 4.5 million tons in 2021. It has the world's largest aircraft ...
destroyer In naval terminology, a destroyer is a fast, maneuverable, long-endurance warship intended to escort larger vessels in a fleet, convoy, or carrier battle group and defend them against a wide range of general threats. They were conceived i ...
' was launched by the Mare Island Naval Shipyard in Vallejo, California. The ship was eventually sold to the
Royal Navy The Royal Navy (RN) is the naval warfare force of the United Kingdom. It is a component of His Majesty's Naval Service, and its officers hold their commissions from the King of the United Kingdom, King. Although warships were used by Kingdom ...
after
World War I World War I or the First World War (28 July 1914 – 11 November 1918), also known as the Great War, was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War I, Allies (or Entente) and the Central Powers. Fighting to ...
. * Born: ** Gregers Gram, Norwegian resistance fighter, officer with Norwegian Independent Company 1 during German occupation of
Norway Norway, officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic countries, Nordic country located on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. The remote Arctic island of Jan Mayen and the archipelago of Svalbard also form part of the Kingdom of ...
in World War II; in Kristiania,
Norway Norway, officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic countries, Nordic country located on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. The remote Arctic island of Jan Mayen and the archipelago of Svalbard also form part of the Kingdom of ...
(present-day
Oslo Oslo ( or ; ) is the capital and most populous city of Norway. It constitutes both a county and a municipality. The municipality of Oslo had a population of in 2022, while the city's greater urban area had a population of 1,064,235 in 2022 ...
, Norway) (d.
1944 Events Below, the events of World War II have the "WWII" prefix. January * January 2 – WWII: ** Free France, Free French General Jean de Lattre de Tassigny is appointed to command First Army (France), French Army B, part of the Sixt ...
, killed in action) ** Owen Snedden, New Zealand clergy, Archbishop of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Wellington from 1962 to 1981; in
Auckland Auckland ( ; ) is a large metropolitan city in the North Island of New Zealand. It has an urban population of about It is located in the greater Auckland Region, the area governed by Auckland Council, which includes outlying rural areas and ...
, New Zealand (d. 1981) * Died: Bernard J. D. Irwin, 87, American army medical officer, first recipient of the Medal of Honor for action during the Apache Wars (b. 1830)


December 16, 1917 (Sunday)

* Bolshevik forces captured Sevastopol in an attempt to regain control of Crimea three days after the region declared independence. * The ''
Luftstreitkräfte The ''Deutsche Luftstreitkräfte'' (, German Air Combat Forces)known before October 1916 as (The Imperial German Air Service, lit. "The flying troops of the German Kaiser’s Reich")was the air arm of the Imperial German Army. In English-langu ...
'' established air squadron ''Jagdstaffel 47''. *
U.S. Navy The United States Navy (USN) is the maritime service branch of the United States Department of Defense. It is the world's most powerful navy with the largest displacement, at 4.5 million tons in 2021. It has the world's largest aircraft ...
destroyer In naval terminology, a destroyer is a fast, maneuverable, long-endurance warship intended to escort larger vessels in a fleet, convoy, or carrier battle group and defend them against a wide range of general threats. They were conceived i ...
' was launched by the Fore River Shipyard in Quincy, Massachusetts. The ship was eventually sold to the
Royal Navy The Royal Navy (RN) is the naval warfare force of the United Kingdom. It is a component of His Majesty's Naval Service, and its officers hold their commissions from the King of the United Kingdom, King. Although warships were used by Kingdom ...
after
World War I World War I or the First World War (28 July 1914 – 11 November 1918), also known as the Great War, was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War I, Allies (or Entente) and the Central Powers. Fighting to ...
. * Cecil B. DeMille released ''The Devil-Stone'', the second romantic film of the year starring Geraldine Farrar. It became the sixth top-grossing film of the year. Two copies of the film survive with the American Film Institute and the
Library of Congress The Library of Congress (LOC) is a research library in Washington, D.C., serving as the library and research service for the United States Congress and the ''de facto'' national library of the United States. It also administers Copyright law o ...
. * Born: ** Arthur C. Clarke, British science-fiction writer and inventor, author of ''Childhood's End'', ''Rendezvous with Rama'' and the screenplay for ''2001: A Space Odyssey (film), 2001: A Space Odyssey'', leading proponent in the development of the geosynchronous satellite; in Minehead, England (d.
2008 2008 was designated as: *International Year of Languages *International Year of Planet Earth *International Year of the Potato *International Year of Sanitation The Great Recession, a worldwide recession which began in 2007, continued throu ...
) ** Nabi Bakhsh Baloch, Pakistani literary scholar, leading researcher and critic on Sindh poetry and other literary writing; in Sanghar District, British Raj, British India (present-day Pakistan) (d.
2011 The year marked the start of a Arab Spring, series of protests and revolutions throughout the Arab world advocating for democracy, reform, and economic recovery, later leading to the depositions of world leaders in Tunisia, Egypt, and Yemen ...
) ** Pete Cenarrusa, American politician, Secretary of State of Idaho from 1967 to 2003; in Carey, Idaho, United States (d. 2013) * Died: Yosef Lishansky, 26-27, Russian-Jewish spy, member of the Nili espionage ring in the
Ottoman Empire The Ottoman Empire (), also called the Turkish Empire, was an empire, imperial realm that controlled much of Southeast Europe, West Asia, and North Africa from the 14th to early 20th centuries; it also controlled parts of southeastern Centr ...
; executed (b. 1890)


December 17, 1917 (Monday)

* Robert Borden won a second consecutive majority in the 1917 Canadian federal election, Canadian federal election, defeating opposition leader and former prime minister Wilfrid Laurier with 57 per cent of the vote. * The All-Ukrainian Congress of Soviets was established as the governing body of the Ukrainian Soviet Socialist Republic. * The ''Raad van Vlaanderen'' (Council of Flanders), a quasi-governmental body of the Flemish Movement in German-occupied Belgium, proclaimed the independence of Flanders. * U.S. Navy submarines and collided off the coast of California, killing 19 of the 22 crew on ''F-1''. * A 1917 Sacramento Governor's Mansion bombing, bomb was set off behind the Governor's Mansion State Historic Park, Governor's Mansion in Sacramento, California while Governor of California, Governor William Stephens (American politician), William Stephens was home. No one was injured though the mansion had extensive damage. The subsequent investigation led to a crackdown against the trade union Industrial Workers of the World, which had been protesting the conviction trial and conviction of Thomas Mooney for the 1916 Preparedness Day Bombing in San Francisco. * Born: Kriangsak Chamanan, Thai state leader, 15th Prime Minister of Thailand; as Somchit Chamanan, in Nakhon Chai Si, Tawantok, Siam (present-day Mueang Samut Sakhon, Samut Sakhon province, Thailand) (d. 2003) * Died: ** Elizabeth Garrett Anderson, 81, British physician, politician and suffragist, first woman in the
United Kingdom The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom (UK) or Britain, is a country in Northwestern Europe, off the coast of European mainland, the continental mainland. It comprises England, Scotlan ...
to qualify as physician and a surgeon, as well as first to be elected to a school board or to hold the title of mayor in the country (b.
1836 Events January–March * January 1 — Hill Street Academy is named Colombo Academy and acquired by the Government, establishing the first public school in Sri Lanka. * January 1 – Queen Maria II of Portugal marries Prince Ferdinand ...
) ** Ber Borochov, 36, Russian linguist and activist, founding member of Labor Zionism; died of pneumonia (b. 1881) ** Charles P. Rogers, 88, American industrialist, founder of bed manufacturer Charles P Rogers & Co. (b. 1829) ** Frank Gotch, 39, American wrestler, World Heavyweight Wrestling Championship (original version), World Heavyweight Wrestling Champion from 1908 to 1913 (b. 1877)


December 18, 1917 (Tuesday)

* The Armistice of Erzincan was signed between the
Ottoman Empire The Ottoman Empire (), also called the Turkish Empire, was an empire, imperial realm that controlled much of Southeast Europe, West Asia, and North Africa from the 14th to early 20th centuries; it also controlled parts of southeastern Centr ...
and states under Transcaucasian Commissariat (a government body created following the October Revolution) which temporarily ended fighting on the Caucasus campaign, Caucasian and Persian campaign (World War I), Persian Fronts until February 12, 1918. * The
United States Army The United States Army (USA) is the primary Land warfare, land service branch of the United States Department of Defense. It is designated as the Army of the United States in the United States Constitution.Article II, section 2, clause 1 of th ...
established the 163d Aero Squadron, 163d, 166th Aero Squadron, 166th, and 168th Aero Squadrons. * German film company ''Universum-Film'' was established in
Berlin Berlin ( ; ) is the Capital of Germany, capital and largest city of Germany, by both area and List of cities in Germany by population, population. With 3.7 million inhabitants, it has the List of cities in the European Union by population withi ...
, and later evolved into the media company UFA GmbH, UFA. * Auto manufacturer Palmer-Moore Company was officially put for sale at public auction in Syracuse, New York and sold the following March. * Born: Ossie Davis, American actor, best known for his collaborations with directors Melvin Van Peebles, Gordon Parks, and Spike Lee, including ''Do the Right Thing'' and ''Jungle Fever'', recipient with wife Ruby Dee of the National Medal of Arts; as Raiford Chatman Davis, in Clinch County, Georgia, United States (d. 2005)


December 19, 1917 (Wednesday)

* German submarine struck a mine and sank in the Strait of Dover with the loss of all 37 crew. * British flying ace Richard Maybery died after his airplane went down near Haynecourt, France. He had 21 confirmed kills and five shared victories at the time of his death. * The actual first National Hockey League game was played between the Montreal Wanderers and the Toronto Arenas, with Montreal winning 10-9. Wanderers defenceman Dave Ritchie (ice hockey), Dave Ritchie scored the league's first goal and goalie Bert Lindsay earned the first win. The game started fifteen minutes before the "official first game" of the league between the Montreal Canadiens and Ottawa Senators (original), Ottawa Senators, with Montreal beating Ottawa 7-4 in part to five goals scored by Canadiens Centre (ice hockey), centre Joe Malone (ice hockey), Joe Malone. * Born: Paul Brinegar, American actor, best known for his character roles in the television Western (genre), Westerns ''The Life and Legend of Wyatt Earp'', ''Rawhide (TV series), Rawhide'', and ''Lancer (TV series), Lancer''; in Tucumcari, New Mexico, United States (d. 1995)


December 20, 1917 (Thursday)

* Battle of Jaffa (1917), Battle of Jaffa – The British XXI Corps (United Kingdom), 21st Corps attacked the
Yildirim Army Group The Yıldırım Army Group or Thunderbolt Army Group of the Ottoman Empire or Army Group F (German: ''Heeresgruppe F'') was an Army Group of the Ottoman Army during World War I. While being an Ottoman unit, it also contained the German Asia Cor ...
of the
Ottoman Empire The Ottoman Empire (), also called the Turkish Empire, was an empire, imperial realm that controlled much of Southeast Europe, West Asia, and North Africa from the 14th to early 20th centuries; it also controlled parts of southeastern Centr ...
threatening the British-held port of Jaffa,
Palestine Palestine, officially the State of Palestine, is a country in West Asia. Recognized by International recognition of Palestine, 147 of the UN's 193 member states, it encompasses the Israeli-occupied West Bank, including East Jerusalem, and th ...
. * A Shepherdsville train wreck, train wreck in Shepherdsville, Kentucky killed 49 people and left an equal number injured, making it the deadliest train accident in the state's history. * The 1917 Australian conscription referendum, second referendum on the issue of Conscription in Australia#World War I, military conscription was held in Australia, ending with it being defeated as was in the case of the first. * The Cheka, a predecessor to the KGB, was established in
Russia Russia, or the Russian Federation, is a country spanning Eastern Europe and North Asia. It is the list of countries and dependencies by area, largest country in the world, and extends across Time in Russia, eleven time zones, sharing Borders ...
after a decree issued by Vladimir Lenin. * The
Royal Flying Corps The Royal Flying Corps (RFC) was the air arm of the British Army before and during the First World War until it merged with the Royal Naval Air Service on 1 April 1918 to form the Royal Air Force. During the early part of the war, the RFC sup ...
established air squadrons No. 188 Squadron RAF, No. 188 and No. 189 Squadron RAF, No. 189. * The city of Assisi was established when it separated from Platina in Brazil. * Catholic clergy Daniel Mannix became a Catholic archbishop of Melbourne, after which he publicly came out in support of Sinn Féin. * The Chequers Estate Act 1917, Chequers Estate Act received royal assent, designating the Chequers manor near Ellesborough, England as the official country residence of the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom. * The
United States Army The United States Army (USA) is the primary Land warfare, land service branch of the United States Department of Defense. It is designated as the Army of the United States in the United States Constitution.Article II, section 2, clause 1 of th ...
established Camp Merritt, New Jersey to handle 42,000 enlisted men. * Born: ** David Bohm, American physiologist, known for theories applying quantum mechanics, quantum theory to psychology; in Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania, United States (d. 1992) ** Audrey Totter, American actress, best known for her film noir roles in ''Main Street After Dark'' and ''The Postman Always Rings Twice (1946 film), The Postman Always Rings Twice''; in Joliet, Illinois, United States (d. 2013) ** Billy Drake, British air force pilot, commander of the No. 128 Squadron RAF, No. 128 and No. 112 Squadron RAF, No. 112 Squadrons during World War II, recipient of the Distinguished Service Order and the Distinguished Flying Cross (United Kingdom), Distinguished Flying Cross from both the
United Kingdom The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom (UK) or Britain, is a country in Northwestern Europe, off the coast of European mainland, the continental mainland. It comprises England, Scotlan ...
and the
United States The United States of America (USA), also known as the United States (U.S.) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It is a federal republic of 50 U.S. state, states and a federal capital district, Washington, D.C. The 48 ...
; in
London London is the Capital city, capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of both England and the United Kingdom, with a population of in . London metropolitan area, Its wider metropolitan area is the largest in Wester ...
, England (d.
2011 The year marked the start of a Arab Spring, series of protests and revolutions throughout the Arab world advocating for democracy, reform, and economic recovery, later leading to the depositions of world leaders in Tunisia, Egypt, and Yemen ...
) ** Petrus Hugo, South African air force officer, commander of the No. 41 Squadron RAF, No. 41 and No. 615 Squadron RAF, No. 615 Squadrons during World War II, recipient of the Distinguished Flying Cross (United Kingdom), Distinguished Flying Cross from both the
United Kingdom The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom (UK) or Britain, is a country in Northwestern Europe, off the coast of European mainland, the continental mainland. It comprises England, Scotlan ...
and
United States The United States of America (USA), also known as the United States (U.S.) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It is a federal republic of 50 U.S. state, states and a federal capital district, Washington, D.C. The 48 ...
; in Pampoenpoort, Union of South Africa (present-day South Africa) (d.
1986 The year 1986 was designated as the International Year of Peace by the United Nations. Events January * January 1 ** Aruba gains increased autonomy from the Netherlands by separating from the Netherlands Antilles. ** Spain and Portugal en ...
) * Died: ** Eric Campbell (actor), Eric Campbell, 38, Scottish actor, best known for co-starring with Charlie Chaplin in several comedies including ''The Floorwalker'', ''Easy Street (1917 film), Easy Street'' and ''The Immigrant (1917 film), The Immigrant''; killed in a car accident (b. 1879) ** Frederick McCubbin, 62, Australian painter, member of the Heidelberg School (b. 1855) ** Lucien Petit-Breton, 35, French cyclist, winner of the Tour de France in 1907 and 1908; killed in action (b. 1882)


December 21, 1917 (Friday)

* Battle of Jaffa (1917), Battle of Jaffa – The British XXI Corps (United Kingdom), 21st Corps successfully drove off Ottoman units with a bayonet attack, securing Jaffa with the capture of the village of Rantiya, Rantieh just east of the Palestinian port. * Born: ** Heinrich Böll, German writer, recipient of the
Nobel Prize in Literature The Nobel Prize in Literature, here meaning ''for'' Literature (), is a Swedish literature prize that is awarded annually, since 1901, to an author from any country who has, in the words of the will of Swedish industrialist Alfred Nobel, "in ...
; in Cologne, German Empire (present-day
Germany Germany, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It lies between the Baltic Sea and the North Sea to the north and the Alps to the south. Its sixteen States of Germany, constituent states have a total popu ...
) (d. 1985) ** Noah Adamia, Soviet sniper, recipient of the Hero of the Soviet Union for action at the Siege of Sevastopol (1941–1942), Siege of Sevastopol during World War II; in Mathondhzi, Transcaucasian Commissariat (present-day Georgia (country), Georgia) (d. 1942, killed in action) * Died: Wilhelm Trübner, 66, German painter, known of realist paintings including ''The Death of Pope Alexander VI'' (b. 1851 in art, 1851)


December 22, 1917 (Saturday)

* The United States Guards were formed by the National Guard Bureau, Militia Bureau for domestic security. * Deutsches Institut für Normung, or German Institute for Standardization, was established in
Berlin Berlin ( ; ) is the Capital of Germany, capital and largest city of Germany, by both area and List of cities in Germany by population, population. With 3.7 million inhabitants, it has the List of cities in the European Union by population withi ...
. * The Ise Electric Railway extended the Nagoya Line (Kintetsu), Nagoya Line in the Mie Prefecture, Japan, with stations Kusu Station, Kusu, Mida Station, Mida, and Ise-Wakamatsu Station, Ise-Wakamatsu serving the line. * Born: ** Frankie Darro, American voice actor and stunt artist, best known as the voice of Lampwick in the The Walt Disney Company, Disney film ''Pinocchio (1940 film), Pinocchio''; as Frank Johnson, Jr., in Chicago, United States (d. 1976) ** Freddie Francis, British cinematographer and film director, recipient of two Academy Awards in cinematography for ''Sons and Lovers (film), Sons and Lovers'' and ''Glory (1989 film), Glory''; as Frederick William Francis, in
London London is the Capital city, capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of both England and the United Kingdom, with a population of in . London metropolitan area, Its wider metropolitan area is the largest in Wester ...
, England (d. 2007) ** Gene Rayburn, American game show host, better known as the host for ''Match Game''; as Eugene Peter Jeljenic, in Christopher, Illinois, United States (d.
1999 1999 was designated as the International Year of Older Persons. Events January * January 1 – The euro currency is established and the European Central Bank assumes its full powers. * January 3 – The Mars Polar Lander is launc ...
) * Died: Frances Xavier Cabrini, 67, American nun, founder of the Missionary Sisters of the Sacred Heart, first American canonized as a saint by Pope Pius XII in 1946 (b. 1850)


December 23, 1917 (Sunday)

* A local plebiscite supported transferring the communities of Narva and Ivangorod (''Jaanilinn'') from Saint Petersburg Governorate, Petrograd Governorate to the Autonomous Governorate of Estonia. * Three
Royal Navy The Royal Navy (RN) is the naval warfare force of the United Kingdom. It is a component of His Majesty's Naval Service, and its officers hold their commissions from the King of the United Kingdom, King. Although warships were used by Kingdom ...
destroyer In naval terminology, a destroyer is a fast, maneuverable, long-endurance warship intended to escort larger vessels in a fleet, convoy, or carrier battle group and defend them against a wide range of general threats. They were conceived i ...
s - , , and - were destroyed when their squadron ran into a minefield in the
North Sea The North Sea lies between Great Britain, Denmark, Norway, Germany, the Netherlands, Belgium, and France. A sea on the European continental shelf, it connects to the Atlantic Ocean through the English Channel in the south and the Norwegian Se ...
off the coast of the Netherlands. In total, 12 officers and 240 crewmen were killed from the three ships. Only British destroyer survived to pick up the remaining survivors. * New Zealand flying ace Clive Franklyn Collett was killed in a plane crash following a test flight of a captured German Albatros Flugzeugwerke, Albatros. He had 11 victories to his credit. * The ''
Luftstreitkräfte The ''Deutsche Luftstreitkräfte'' (, German Air Combat Forces)known before October 1916 as (The Imperial German Air Service, lit. "The flying troops of the German Kaiser’s Reich")was the air arm of the Imperial German Army. In English-langu ...
'' established air squadrons ''Jagdstaffel 49'' and ''Jagdstaffel 50, 50''. * American actress Marion Davies made her screen debut in the comedy adventure ''Runaway, Romany'', directed by George Lederer. * Born: ** Sophie Masloff, American politician, 56th List of mayors of Pittsburgh, Mayor of Pittsburgh, first woman and Jew to hold the mayoral seat; as Sophie Friedman, in Pittsburgh, United States (d. 2014) ** Eberle Schultz, American football player, guard (gridiron football), guard for Oregon State University and Philadelphia Eagles, Pittsburgh Steelers and History of the Cleveland Rams, Cleveland Rams from 1939 to 1947; in Eugene, Oregon, United States (d. 2002)


December 24, 1917 (Monday)

* The first First All-Ukrainian Congress of Soviets (Kharkiv), All-Ukrainian Congress of Soviets took place in Kharkiv, with initially 964 participants which later grew to 1250. It approved the Treaty of Brest-Litovsk between
Russia Russia, or the Russian Federation, is a country spanning Eastern Europe and North Asia. It is the list of countries and dependencies by area, largest country in the world, and extends across Time in Russia, eleven time zones, sharing Borders ...
and
Central Powers The Central Powers, also known as the Central Empires,; ; , ; were one of the two main coalitions that fought in World War I (1914–1918). It consisted of the German Empire, Austria-Hungary, the Ottoman Empire, and the Kingdom of Bulga ...
and declared the nation state of the Ukrainian Soviet Socialist Republic. The All-Ukrainian Central Executive Committee was also established with 41 members and Yukhym Medvedev as chair. *
Royal Navy The Royal Navy (RN) is the naval warfare force of the United Kingdom. It is a component of His Majesty's Naval Service, and its officers hold their commissions from the King of the United Kingdom, King. Although warships were used by Kingdom ...
vessel was torpedoed and sunk in the Bristol Channel by German submarine with the loss of two crew. * The British Army established the 18th Indian Division to serve in the Mesopotamian campaign. * The Western (genre), Western ''Bucking Broadway'', the sixth feature film directed by John Ford, was released by Universal Pictures, Universal Film. The film was found and restored by the Centre national du cinéma et de l'image animée, National Center of Cinematography in Paris in 2002. * Died: ** Ivan Goremykin, 78, Russian state leader, 2nd and 5th Prime Minister of Russia (b.
1839 Events January–March * January 2 – The first photograph of the Moon is taken, by French photographer Louis Daguerre. * January 6 – Night of the Big Wind: Ireland is struck by the most damaging cyclone in 300 years. * January 9 – ...
) ** Francis G. Newlands, 71, American politician, U.S. Representative of Nevada from 1893 to 1903, U.S. Senator from Nevada from 1903 to 1917 (b.
1846 Events January–March * January 5 – The United States House of Representatives votes to stop sharing the Oregon Country with the United Kingdom. * January 13 – The Milan–Venice railway's bridge, over the Venetian Lagoon betwee ...
)


December 25, 1917 (Tuesday)

* Soviet–Ukrainian War – A Aleksandrovsk Bolshevik Uprising, Bolshevik uprising against the Central Council of Ukraine occurred in Zaporizhzhia, Aleksandrovsk, Ukraine. It was put down three days later. * German submarine was rammed and then sunk with depth charges by
Royal Navy The Royal Navy (RN) is the naval warfare force of the United Kingdom. It is a component of His Majesty's Naval Service, and its officers hold their commissions from the King of the United Kingdom, King. Although warships were used by Kingdom ...
patrol ships in the Irish Sea with the loss of all 44 crew. * Brite Ranch raid – Mexican raiders attacked a ranch in Presidio County, Texas, resulting in four deaths. It is still debated whether the raiders were loyal to Pancho Villa or Venustiano Carranza. * Jesse Lynch Williams' ''Why Marry?'', the first dramatic play to win a Pulitzer Prize, opened at the Astor Theatre (New York City), Astor Theatre in
New York City New York, often called New York City (NYC), is the most populous city in the United States, located at the southern tip of New York State on one of the world's largest natural harbors. The city comprises five boroughs, each coextensive w ...
, with Estelle Winwood leading the cast. * Born: ** Yusuf al-Khal, Syrian-Lebanese poet, known for his poems including "The Deserted Well", co-founder of the poetry magazine ''Shi'r''; in Amar al-Husn, Syria (d.
1987 Events January * January 1 – Bolivia reintroduces the Boliviano currency. * January 2 – Chadian–Libyan conflict – Battle of Fada: The Military of Chad, Chadian army destroys a Libyan armoured brigade. * January 3 – Afghan leader ...
) ** Klavdia Fomicheva, Russian air force officer, noted female bomber commander for the Soviet Air Forces during World War II, recipient of the Hero of the Soviet Union; in Moscow, Russian Republic (present-day
Russia Russia, or the Russian Federation, is a country spanning Eastern Europe and North Asia. It is the list of countries and dependencies by area, largest country in the world, and extends across Time in Russia, eleven time zones, sharing Borders ...
) (d. 1958) ** Lincoln Verduga Loor, Ecuadorian journalist and politician, member of the Senate of Ecuador from 1967 to 1968; in Chone, Ecuador (d. 2009) ** John Minton (artist), John Minton, English painter, best known for his popular book cover illustrations for publisher John Lehmann; as Francis John Minton, in Great Shelford, England (d. 1957 in art, 1957)


December 26, 1917 (Wednesday)

* An 1917 Guatemala earthquake, earthquake measuring 6.0 in magnitude struck Guatemala and destroyed thousands of homes and public buildings in Guatemala City, as well as wrecking the historic ruins of Antigua Guatemala. It was the worst earthquake of the year in terms of death toll, with 2,650 people reported killed. * Brite Ranch raid – An American cavalry force of 200 men pursued the Mexican raiders that besieged a Texas ranch the day before, killing 10 raiders and recovering some of the stolen horses and supplies. * U.S. President
Woodrow Wilson Thomas Woodrow Wilson (December 28, 1856February 3, 1924) was the 28th president of the United States, serving from 1913 to 1921. He was the only History of the Democratic Party (United States), Democrat to serve as president during the Prog ...
used the Federal Possession and Control Act to place most U.S. railroads under the United States Railroad Administration, hoping to transport troops and materials for the war effort more efficiently. * Born: Rose Mary Woods, American administrator, Secretary to the President of the United States, Secretary for U.S. President Richard Nixon; in Sebring, Ohio, United States (d. 2005)


December 27, 1917 (Thursday)

* The
Imperial German Army The Imperial German Army (1871–1919), officially referred to as the German Army (), was the unified ground and air force of the German Empire. It was established in 1871 with the political unification of Germany under the leadership of Kingdom o ...
established the 18th Army (German Empire), 18th Army to serve on the Western Front (World War I), Western Front. It was dissolved in 1919. * The ''
Luftstreitkräfte The ''Deutsche Luftstreitkräfte'' (, German Air Combat Forces)known before October 1916 as (The Imperial German Air Service, lit. "The flying troops of the German Kaiser’s Reich")was the air arm of the Imperial German Army. In English-langu ...
'' established air squadrons ''Jagdstaffel 51'', ''Jagdstaffel 52, 52'', and ''Jagdstaffel 53, 53''. *
U.S. Navy The United States Navy (USN) is the maritime service branch of the United States Department of Defense. It is the world's most powerful navy with the largest displacement, at 4.5 million tons in 2021. It has the world's largest aircraft ...
destroyer In naval terminology, a destroyer is a fast, maneuverable, long-endurance warship intended to escort larger vessels in a fleet, convoy, or carrier battle group and defend them against a wide range of general threats. They were conceived i ...
' was launched by William Cramp & Sons in Philadelphia. * The village of Hughenden, Alberta was incorporated. * Born: ** Jimmy McAlinden, Irish football player and coach, played forward for numerous clubs including Southend United F.C., Southend and the Ireland national football team (1882–1950), Ireland national football team from 1934 to 1955, coached for Glenavon F.C., Glenavon, Lisburn Distillery F.C., Lisburn and Drogheda United F.C., Drogheda from 1954 to 1978; as James McAlinden, in Belfast, Ireland (present-day Northern Ireland) (d. 1993) ** Buddy Boudreaux, American jazz musician, known for his collaborations with Jimmy Dorsey, Bob Crosby, Warren Covington and others; as John Landry Boudreaux, in Donaldsonville, Louisiana, United States (d. 2015)


December 28, 1917 (Friday)

* Canadian fighter ace Alfred Edwin McKay was shot down by German ace Carl Menckhoff during a dogfight over Belgium. Listed as deceased, he had earned 10 confirmed victories one month prior to his death. * The VIII Brigade RAF, 8th Brigade of the
Royal Flying Corps The Royal Flying Corps (RFC) was the air arm of the British Army before and during the First World War until it merged with the Royal Naval Air Service on 1 April 1918 to form the Royal Air Force. During the early part of the war, the RFC sup ...
was created by raising the No. 41 Wing RAF, 41st Wing to brigade status, with brigadier general, Brigadier-General Cyril Newall, 1st Baron Newall, C. L. N. Newall as commander. * American journalist H. L. Mencken published a bathtub hoax, fictitious historical account of the bathtub in the ''New York Evening Mail'', including accounts of the White House installing a bathtub in 1842. Although a complete hoax, parts of the historical account have been presented as fact as recently as 2008. Mencken later wrote: "The success of this idle hoax, done in time of war, when more serious writing was impossible, vastly astonished me." * The city of Lanco, Chile was incorporated. * Born: Ellis Clarke, Trinidadian state leader, first President of Trinidad and Tobago; in Port of Spain, Belmont, Trinidad and Tobago (d. 2010)


December 29, 1917 (Saturday)

* The American Association of Teachers of Spanish and Portuguese, American Association of Teachers of Spanish was established in
New York City New York, often called New York City (NYC), is the most populous city in the United States, located at the southern tip of New York State on one of the world's largest natural harbors. The city comprises five boroughs, each coextensive w ...
for assist teachers who used Spanish in their classrooms. The name was changed to include Portuguese in its title when the language was added to the organization's mission statement in 1944. * Born: ** Ramanand Sagar, Indian film and television director, best known for the Indian television series ''Ramayan (1987 TV series), Ramayan'', recipient of the Padma Shri; as Chandramauli Chopra, in Lahore, British Raj, British India (present-day Pakistan) (d. 2005) ** Tom Bradley (American politician), Tom Bradley, American politician, 38th Mayor of Los Angeles; in Calvert, Texas, United States (d.
1998 1998 was designated as the ''International Year of the Ocean''. Events January * January 6 – The ''Lunar Prospector'' spacecraft is launched into orbit around the Moon, and later finds evidence for Lunar water, frozen water, in soil i ...
)


December 30, 1917 (Sunday)

*
Battle of Jerusalem The Battle of Jerusalem also known as the Fall of Jerusalem occurred during the British Empire's "Jerusalem Operations" against the Ottoman Empire, in World War I, when fighting for the city developed from 17 November, continuing after the s ...
– The
Egyptian Expeditionary Force The Egyptian Expeditionary Force (EEF) was a military formation of the British Empire, formed on 10 March 1916 under the command of General Archibald Murray from the Mediterranean Expeditionary Force and the Force in Egypt (1914–1915), at the ...
secured their victory by successfully defending Jerusalem from numerous
Yildirim Army Group The Yıldırım Army Group or Thunderbolt Army Group of the Ottoman Empire or Army Group F (German: ''Heeresgruppe F'') was an Army Group of the Ottoman Army during World War I. While being an Ottoman unit, it also contained the German Asia Cor ...
counterattacks, inflicting 1,000 Ottoman casualties and capturing 750 prisoners. * German submarine torpedoed and sank
Royal Navy The Royal Navy (RN) is the naval warfare force of the United Kingdom. It is a component of His Majesty's Naval Service, and its officers hold their commissions from the King of the United Kingdom, King. Although warships were used by Kingdom ...
troopship in the Mediterranean Sea off Alexandria, Egypt, killing 610 people. The sub then struck and sank
Royal Navy The Royal Navy (RN) is the naval warfare force of the United Kingdom. It is a component of His Majesty's Naval Service, and its officers hold their commissions from the King of the United Kingdom, King. Although warships were used by Kingdom ...
destroyer In naval terminology, a destroyer is a fast, maneuverable, long-endurance warship intended to escort larger vessels in a fleet, convoy, or carrier battle group and defend them against a wide range of general threats. They were conceived i ...
while it was rescuing survivors, killing 10 more sailors out of the crew of 70. * British opera singer Mary Garden made her screen debut in historical drama ''Thais (1917 American film), Thais''. Based on the Thaïs (novel), novel by Anatole France, it was directed by Hugo Ballin and Frank Hall Crane, and released through Goldwyn Pictures. Although Garden was a major star, the film became one the biggest box office flops of the decade. * Born: ** Yun Dong-ju, Korean poet, known for his protest poetry, including ''Sky, Wind, Star and Poem'', during Japanese occupation in World War II; in Longjing, Jilin, Republic of China (1912-1949), Republic of China (present-day China) (d. 1945, died in prison) ** Lachhiman Gurung, Nepalese soldier, recipient of the Victoria Cross for action during the Burma campaign in World War II; in Tanahun District, Kingdom of Nepal (present-day Nepal) (d. 2010) ** Seymour Melman, American engineer and economist, author of ''The Permanent War Economy and Pentagon Capitalism''; in
New York City New York, often called New York City (NYC), is the most populous city in the United States, located at the southern tip of New York State on one of the world's largest natural harbors. The city comprises five boroughs, each coextensive w ...
, United States (d.
2004 2004 was designated as an International Year of Rice by the United Nations, and the International Year to Commemorate the Struggle Against Slavery and Its Abolition (by UNESCO). Events January * January 3 – Flash Airlines Flight 60 ...
) * Died: Gustaf Nyström, 61, Finnish architect, best known for his ground-breaking urban planning of the Kallio and Töölö neighborhoods in Helsinki (b. 1856 in architecture, 1856)


December 31, 1917 (Monday)

* The British government imposed rationing of sugar to eight ounces per person per week. * Born: ** Joan McCracken, American actress and dancer, best known for her Broadway hits including original cast member of ''Oklahoma!'', ''Bloomer Girl'', and ''Billion Dollar Baby''; in Philadelphia, United States (d. 1961) ** Wilfrid Noyce, English mountaineer, member of the 1953 British Mount Everest expedition; as Cuthbert Wilfrid Francis Noyce, in Simla, British Raj, British India (present-day Shimla, India) (d. 1962, killed in a mountaineering accident)


References

{{Events by month links December 1917, December by year, 1917 Months in the 1910s, *1917-12