In History, Today on March 17

Edward, the Black Prince, was made Duke of Cornwall, becoming the first English duke.

St. Patrick's Day was celebrated in New York City for the first time at the Crown and Thistle Tavern.

The first Saint Patrick's Day parade is held in New York City by Irish soldiers serving in the British army.

British forces evacuated Boston during the American Revolutionary War, marking a significant victory for the Continental Army.

The Italian Republic, with Napoleon Bonaparte as President, becomes the Kingdom of Italy, with Napoleon as King.

The Kingdom of Italy was proclaimed, with Victor Emmanuel II as its first king, marking the unification of Italy.

A showing of 71 Vincent van Gogh paintings in Paris, 11 years after his death, created a sensation and established his reputation as a great artist.

The first deportation train left Paris for Auschwitz concentration camp during World War II.

The Benelux Economic Union was established, a precursor to the European Union, promoting economic cooperation between Belgium, the Netherlands, and Luxembourg.

The United States launched the Vanguard 1 satellite, the first solar-powered satellite, which remains the oldest human-made object still in orbit.

Tenzin Gyatso, the 14th Dalai Lama, fled Tibet for India amid the Tibetan uprising against Chinese rule.

Golda Meir became the first female Prime Minister of Israel.

A referendum in South Africa approved the ending of apartheid, with a majority of white voters supporting the reform process.

U.S. President George W. Bush delivered a televised address giving Saddam Hussein and his sons 48 hours to leave Iraq, or face military action.

Unrest in Kosovo escalated into widespread violence between ethnic Albanians and Serbs, resulting in numerous deaths and injuries. This marked one of the worst outbreaks of violence in the region since the end of the Kosovo War in 1999.

The United Nations Security Council adopted Resolution 1973, authorizing a no-fly zone over Libya and military intervention to protect civilians during the Libyan Civil War.

Russia formally annexed Crimea following a disputed referendum, escalating tensions with Ukraine and leading to international condemnation.

The European Central Bank launched a new series of euro banknotes, starting with the €50 note, as part of efforts to enhance security features.

The Cambridge Analytica scandal breaks, revealing that the data of millions of Facebook users was harvested without consent and used for political advertising, sparking widespread concern over data privacy.

The European Union announced a 30-day ban on non-essential travel to its member countries in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, aiming to curb the spread of the virus.