December 17: Day of the Week
December 17, 2023 is the 351st day of the year 2023 in the Gregorian calendar. There are 14 days remaining until the end of the year. The day of the week is Sunday.
If you are trying to learn Japanese then this day of the week in Japanese is Nichiyōbi.
Holy Toledo! Did you know that coffee and word games are an excellent combination to sharpen your vocabulary? Let’s give it a quick spin. Within 30 seconds, how many words can you think of from these letters VILAXQLNIM? Check your answers here: Word scramble VILAXQLNIM. (Sponsored by WordFinder.Cafe)
Here’s the December calendar. You can also browse the full year monthly calendar.
Are you not curious to discover some fun facts about your birthday? Find out ‘what happened on my birthday’ and what was the number one song on your day of birth. Know the meaning of your special day and who shares your birthday! (Sponsored link)
Zodiac & Birthstone
Sagittarius is the zodiac sign of a person born on this day. Turquoise is the modern birthstone for this month. Onyx is the mystical birthstone from Tibetan origin that dates back over a thousand years.
December 17 Historical Event(s)
- 1538Pope Paul III excommunicates Henry VIII of England.
- 1718Great Britain declares war on Spain.
- 1777France formally recognizes the United States of America.
- 1790Discovery of the Aztec calendar stone.
- 1939World War II: Battle of the River Plate – The Admiral Graf Spee is scuttled by Captain Hans Langsdorff outside Montevideo.
- 1957The United States successfully launches the first Atlas intercontinental ballistic missile at Cape Canaveral, Florida.
- 1973Terrorism: 30 passengers are killed in an attack by Palestinian terrorists on Rome’s Leonardo da Vinci Airport.
- 1989Fernando Collor de Mello defeats Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva in the second round of the Brazilian presidential election, becoming the first democratically elected President in almost 30 years.
- 2003The Soham murder trial ends at the Old Bailey in London, with Ian Huntley found guilty of two counts of murder. His girlfriend Maxine Carr is found guilty of perverting the course of justice.
- 2005Jigme Singye Wangchuck abdicate the throne as King of Bhutan.
Who were born on December 17?
- 1734Maria I of Portugal, Portuguese queen (d. 1816)
- 1842Sophus Lie, Norwegian mathematician; (d. 1899)
- 1887Empress Hermine Reuss of Germany (d. 1947)
- 1905Simo Häyhä, Finnish sniper (d. 2002)
- 1926Ray Jablonski, American baseball player (d. 1985)
- 1935George Lindsey, American actor
- 1943Ron Geesin, Scottish musician and composer
- 1971Alan Khan, South African radio & TV presenter
- 1979Jaimee Foxworth, American actress
- 1982Craig Kielburger, Canadian anti-child-labor activist
Now try another date like anniversaries, birthdays of someone you know or any other date that is special to you. Don’t forget to share the info to your friends, loved ones or social media followers. Who knows, they might appreciate and thank you for it.