In History, Today on April 17

The World Health Organization warned that there was no evidence that people who have recovered from COVID-19 and have antibodies are protected from a second infection, impacting global public health policies.

The Indonesian general election took place, marking the largest single-day election in the world with over 190 million eligible voters.

NASA's Kepler space telescope confirmed the discovery of the first Earth-size planet in the habitable zone of another star, named Kepler-186f.

An explosion at a fertilizer plant in West, Texas, killed 15 people and injured over 160, causing widespread damage to the surrounding area.

The Deepwater Horizon oil rig, which had been drilling an exploratory well in the Macondo Prospect, experiences a blowout, leading to one of the largest environmental disasters in history, affecting the Gulf of Mexico.

The United States Supreme Court upheld the Solomon Amendment, which allows the federal government to withhold funding from universities that ban military recruiters from their campuses.

The first same-sex marriage license in the United States was issued in Multnomah County, Oregon, marking a significant moment in the fight for marriage equality.

The United States and North Korea held talks in Beijing to address nuclear tensions on the Korean Peninsula.

The Treaty of Nice, which amended the Maastricht Treaty and the Treaty of Rome, came into force, reforming the institutional structure of the European Union to accommodate eastward expansion.

An Antonov An-32 aircraft crashes in Kinshasa, Zaire, killing more than 300 people, mostly on the ground.

A Provisional Irish Republican Army (IRA) bomb is detonated in Bishopsgate, London, causing extensive damage in the City of London and killing one person.

The Three Hundred and Thirty Five Years' War between the Netherlands and the Isles of Scilly is officially ended by a peace treaty signed in London.

Advance Australia Fair is proclaimed as Australia's national anthem, replacing God Save the Queen.

The Khmer Rouge forces capture Phnom Penh, Cambodia, effectively gaining control of the country and leading to the establishment of the Democratic Kampuchea regime.

The crew of Apollo 13 safely returned to Earth after an oxygen tank explosion aborted their mission to the Moon.

Sirhan Sirhan was convicted of assassinating United States Senator Robert F. Kennedy.

The Ford Mustang was officially unveiled by the Ford Motor Company at the New York World's Fair.

The Bay of Pigs Invasion began as a failed military invasion of Cuba undertaken by the CIA-sponsored paramilitary group Brigade 2506.

Syria gained full independence from the French mandate as the last French soldiers left the country.

Yugoslav forces surrendered to Germany, marking the end of the Axis invasion of Yugoslavia during World War II.

The Supreme Court of the United States decided the case of Frank v. Mangum which involved the unfair trial of Leo Frank, a Jewish factory superintendent, convicted of murder.

The Treaty of Shimonoseki was signed, formally ending the First Sino-Japanese War. The treaty ceded Taiwan and the Pescadores Islands to Japan, recognized Korea's independence, and imposed severe reparations on China.

Virginia became the eighth state to secede from the Union, aligning itself with the Confederate States of America during the American Civil War.

The Treaty of London is signed, recognizing Belgium as an independent and neutral state.

The British Parliament passes the Vagrancy Act, criminalizing begging and homelessness.

Sir Ralph Abercromby led British forces in the capture of the island of Trinidad from Spain during the French Revolutionary Wars.

Benjamin Franklin, one of the Founding Fathers of the United States, passed away at the age of 84 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. A leading figure in the American Enlightenment, he was instrumental in the American Revolution and was a renowned polymath known for his contributions to science, politics, and literature.

Martin Luther appeared before the Diet of Worms to respond to charges of heresy.

The Capitulations of Santa Fe were signed by King Ferdinand II of Aragon and Queen Isabella I of Castile, granting Christopher Columbus the authority to seek a westward maritime route to Asia.

The Serbian Empire reaches its greatest territorial extent under Emperor Stefan Uroš V.

The Umayyad Caliphate is overthrown by the Abbasid Caliphate in the Battle of the Zab, leading to the establishment of the Abbasid dynasty and a significant shift in Islamic history.

The Battle of Dorestad takes place, where the Frisians, led by King Radbod, defeat the Frankish forces, temporarily halting Frankish expansion.

Khosrow II, the last great king of the Sasanian Empire, is overthrown by his son Kavadh II, leading to a significant shift in Persian power dynamics.

Vitellius is proclaimed Roman Emperor by the legions in Germania Superior, marking a significant event in the Year of the Four Emperors.