In History, Today on February 17

Philosopher Giordano Bruno was executed for heresy in Rome.

The British Museum is established by an Act of Parliament.

An electoral tie between Thomas Jefferson and Aaron Burr was resolved when Jefferson was elected President of the United States by the House of Representatives.

The H.L. Hunley became the first submarine to sink an enemy warship during the American Civil War.

Madama Butterfly, an opera by Giacomo Puccini, premieres at La Scala in Milan.

The Blaine Act, which repealed the Eighteenth Amendment and ended Prohibition in the United States, was passed by the U.S. Senate.

The Volkswagen Beetle becomes the world's best-selling car, surpassing the previous record held by the Ford Model T.

China launched a brief, but bloody, invasion of Vietnam, known as the Sino-Vietnamese War.

A NASA spacecraft, NEAR Shoemaker, is launched on a mission to study the asteroid 433 Eros.

Kosovo declared its independence from Serbia, a move that was recognized by the United States and several European Union countries, but opposed by Serbia and Russia.

The Libyan Civil War began with protests in Benghazi against Muammar Gaddafi's government, leading to a full-scale conflict and international intervention.

The Ukrainian parliament passed a law granting amnesty to protesters involved in the Euromaidan demonstrations, which were part of a larger movement against President Yanukovych's government.