May 17

Events

• 1395 - Battle of Rovine: The Wallachians defeat an invading Ottoman army.
• 1536 - George Boleyn, 2nd Viscount Rochford and four other men are executed for treason.
• 1536 - Henry VIII and Anne Boleyn's marriage is annulled.
• 1590 - Anne of Denmark is crowned Queen of Scotland.
• 1642 - Paul de Chomedey, Sieur de Maisonneuve founds the Ville Marie de Montréal.
• 1673 - Louis Jolliet and Jacques Marquette begin exploring the Mississippi River.
• 1792 - The New York Stock Exchange is formed under the Buttonwood Agreement.
• 1805 - Muhammad Ali becomes Wāli of Egypt.
• 1809 - Emperor Napoleon I orders the annexation of the Papal States to the French Empire.
• 1814 - Occupation of Monaco changes from French to Austrian.
• 1814 - The Constitution of Norway is signed and Crown Prince Christian Frederick of Denmark is elected King of Norway by the Norwegian Constituent Assembly.
• 1859 - Members of the Melbourne Football Club codified the first rules of Australian rules football.
• 1863 - Rosalía de Castro publishes Cantares Gallegos, the first book in the Galician language.
• 1865 - The International Telegraph Union is established in Paris.
• 1875 - Aristides wins the first Kentucky Derby with the jockey Oliver Lewis
• 1900 - Second Boer War: British troops relieve Mafeking.
• 1900 - The children's novel The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, by L. Frank Baum, is first published in the United States. The first copy is given to the author's sister.
• 1902 - Greek archaeologist Valerios Stais discovers the Antikythera mechanism, an ancient mechanical analog computer.
• 1914 - The Protocol of Corfu is signed, recognising full autonomy to Northern Epirus under nominal Albanian sovereignty.
• 1915 - The last British Liberal Party government falls.
• 1933 - Vidkun Quisling and Johan Bernhard Hjort form Nasjonal Samling — the national-socialist party of Norway.
• 1939 - The Columbia Lions and the Princeton Tigers play in the United States' first televised sporting event, a collegiate baseball game in New York City.
• 1940 - World War II: Germany occupies Brussels, Belgium.
• 1943 - World War II: Dambuster Raids commence by No. 617 Squadron RAF.
• 1954 - The United States Supreme Court hands down a unanimous decision in Brown v. Board of Education of Topeka, Kansas, outlawing racial segregation in public schools.
• 1967 - Six-Day War: President Gamal Abdel Nasser of Egypt demands dismantling of the peace-keeping UN Emergency Force in Egypt.
• 1969 - Venera program: Soviet Venera 6 begins its descent into the atmosphere of Venus, sending back atmospheric data before being crushed by pressure.
• 1973 - Watergate scandal: Televised hearings begin in the United States Senate.
• 1974 - The Troubles: Thirty-three civilians are killed and 300 injured when the Ulster Volunteer Force detonates four car bombs in Dublin and Monaghan, Republic of Ireland.
• 1974 - Police in Los Angeles raid the Symbionese Liberation Army's headquarters, killing six members, including Camilla Hall.
• 1977 - Nolan Bushnell opened the first Chuck E. Cheese's in San Jose, California.
• 1980 - General Chun Doo-hwan of South Korea seizes control of the government and declares martial law in order to suppress student demonstrations.
• 1980 - On the eve of presidential elections, Maoist guerrilla group Shining Path attacks a polling location in Chuschi, starting the Internal conflict in Peru.
• 1983 - The U.S. Department of Energy declassifies documents showing world's largest mercury pollution event in Oak Ridge, Tennessee, in response to the Appalachian Observer's Freedom of Information Act request.
• 1983 - Lebanon, Israel, and the United States sign an agreement on Israeli withdrawal from Lebanon.
• 1984 - Prince Charles calls a proposed addition to the National Gallery, London, a "monstrous carbuncle on the face of a much-loved and elegant friend", sparking controversies on the proper role of the Royal Family and the course of modern architecture.
• 1987 - Iran–Iraq War: An Iraqi Dassault Mirage F1 fighter jet fires two missiles into the U.S. Navy warship, killing 37 and injuring 21 of her crew.
• 1990 - The General Assembly of the World Health Organization eliminates homosexuality from the list of psychiatric diseases.
• 1992 - Three days of popular protests against the government of Prime Minister of Thailand Suchinda Kraprayoon begin in Bangkok, leading to a military crackdown that results in 52 officially confirmed deaths, hundreds of injuries, many disappearances, and more than 3,500 arrests.
• 1994 - Malawi holds its first multi-party elections.
• 1995 - Shawn Nelson steals an M60 tank from the California Army National Guard Armory in San Diego and proceeds to go on a rampage.
• 1997 - Troops of Laurent Kabila march into Kinshasa. Zaire is officially renamed Democratic Republic of the Congo.
• 2000 - Arsenal and Galatasaray fans clash in the 2000 UEFA Cup Final riots in Copenhagen
• 2004 - The first legal same-sex marriages in the U.S. are performed in the state of Massachusetts.
• 2006 - The aircraft carrier is sunk in the Gulf of Mexico as an artificial reef.
• 2007 - Trains from North and South Korea cross the 38th Parallel in a test-run agreed by both governments. This is the first time that trains have crossed the Demilitarized Zone since 1953.
• 2014 - A plane crash in northern Laos kills 17 people.

  Births

• 1155 - Jien, Japanese monk, poet, and historian
• 1443 - Edmund, Earl of Rutland
• 1451 - Engelbert II of Nassau, Count of Nassau-Vianden and Lord of Breda
• 1490 - Albert, Duke of Prussia, last Grand Master of the Teutonic Knights
• 1500 - Federico II Gonzaga, Duke of Mantua
• 1551 - Martin Delrio, Belgian occultist and theologian
• 1568 - Anna Vasa of Sweden, Swedish princess
• 1610 - Stefano della Bella, Italian engraver and etcher
• 1628 - Ferdinand Charles, Archduke of Austria
• 1636 - Edward Colman, English Catholic courtier under Charles II
• 1682 - Bartholomew Roberts, Welsh pirate
• 1698 - Gio Nicola Buhagiar, Maltese painter
• 1706 - Andreas Felix von Oefele, German historian and librarian
• 1718 - Robert Darcy, 4th Earl of Holderness, English politician and diplomat, Secretary of State for the Southern Department
• 1732 - Francesco Pasquale Ricci, Italian violinist and composer
• 1743 - Seth Warner, American colonel
• 1749 - Edward Jenner, English physician and microbiologist
• 1758 - Sir John St Aubyn, 5th Baronet, English politician
• 1768 - Caroline of Brunswick
• 1768 - Henry Paget, 1st Marquess of Anglesey, English general and politician, Lord Lieutenant of Ireland
• 1794 - Anna Brownell Jameson, Irish-English author
• 1818 - Ezra Otis Kendall, American professor, astronomer and mathematician
• 1821 - Sebastian Kneipp, German priest and therapist
• 1835 - Thomas McIlwraith, Scottish-Australian politician, 8th Premier of Queensland
• 1836 - Virginie Loveling, Belgian author and poet
• 1836 - Wilhelm Steinitz, Austrian-American chess player
• 1845 - Jacint Verdaguer, Catalan priest and poet
• 1860 - Martin Kukučín, Slovak author and playwright
• 1860 - Charlotte Barnum, American mathematician and social activist
• 1863 - Léon Gérin, Canadian lawyer, sociologist, and civil servant
• 1864 - Louis Richardet, Swiss target shooter
• 1864 - Ante Trumbić, Croatian lawyer and politician, 27th Mayor of Split
• 1866 - Erik Satie, French pianist and composer
• 1868 - Horace Elgin Dodge, American businessman, co-founded Dodge
• 1868 - Panagis Tsaldaris, Greek politician, Prime Minister of Greece
• 1870 - Newton Moore, Australian politician, 8th Premier of Western Australia
• 1873 - Henri Barbusse, French author and journalist
• 1873 - Dorothy Richardson, English author and journalist
• 1874 - George Sheldon, American diver
• 1882 - Karl Burman, Estonian architect and painter
• 1886 - Alfonso XIII of Spain, Spanish monarch
• 1888 - Tich Freeman, English cricketer
• 1889 - Dorothy Gibson, American actress and singer
• 1889 - Alfonso Reyes, Mexican author
• 1891 - Napoleon Zervas, Greek general and politician
• 1893 - Frederick McKinley Jones, American inventor and entrepreneur
• 1895 - Saul Adler, Belarusian-English captain and parasitologist
• 1895 - Reinhold Saulmann, Estonian sprinter and bandy player
• 1897 - Odd Hassel, Norwegian chemist and academic, Nobel Prize laureate
• 1898 - A. J. Casson, Canadian painter
• 1899 - Carmen de Icaza, Spanish writer
• 1901 - Werner Egk, German pianist and composer
• 1903 - Cool Papa Bell, American baseball player and manager
• 1904 - Marie-Anne Desmarest, French author
• 1906 - Zinka Milanov, Croatian-American soprano and educator
• 1909 - Julius Sumner Miller, American physicist and academic
• 1911 - Lisa Fonssagrives, Swedish-American model
• 1911 - Maureen O'Sullivan, Irish-American actress
• 1912 - Archibald Cox, American lawyer and politician, 31st United States Solicitor General
• 1912 - Ace Parker, American baseball and football player
• 1912 - Mary Beatrice Davidson Kenner, American inventor
• 1913 - Hans Ruesch, Swiss racing driver and author
• 1914 - Robert N. Thompson, American-Canadian chiropractor and politician
• 1918 - Joan Benham, English actress
• 1918 - Birgit Nilsson, Swedish operatic soprano
• 1919 - Antonio Aguilar, Mexican singer-songwriter, producer, actor, and screenwriter
• 1919 - Merle Miller, American author and screenwriter
• 1919 - Gustav Naan, Russian-Estonian physicist and philosopher
• 1920 - Harry Männil, Estonian-Venezuelan businessman, co-founded ACO Group
• 1921 - Dennis Brain, English composer
• 1921 - Bob Merrill, American composer and screenwriter
• 1922 - Jean Rédélé, French racing driver, founded Alpine
• 1923 - Michael Beetham, English commander and pilot
• 1924 - Roy Bentley, English footballer
• 1924 - Francis Tombs, Baron Tombs, English engineer and politician
• 1926 - David Ogilvy, 13th Earl of Airlie, English-Scottish soldier and politician
• 1926 - Dietmar Schönherr, Austrian-Spanish actor, director, and screenwriter
• 1926 - Franz Sondheimer, German-English chemist and academic
• 1929 - Branko Zebec, Yugoslav football player and coach
• 1931 - Marshall Applewhite, American cult leader, founded Heaven's Gate
• 1931 - Dewey Redman, American saxophonist
• 1932 - Rodric Braithwaite, English soldier and diplomat, British Ambassador to Russia
• 1932 - Peter Burge, Australian cricketer
• 1933 - Yelena Gorchakova, Russian javelin thrower
• 1934 - Friedrich-Wilhelm Kiel, German educator and politician
• 1934 - Earl Morrall, American football player and coach
• 1934 - Ronald Wayne, American computer scientist, co-founded Apple Inc.
• 1935 - Dennis Potter, English voice actor, director, producer, and screenwriter
• 1936 - Dennis Hopper, American actor and director
• 1937 - Hazel R. O'Leary, American lawyer and politician, 7th United States Secretary of Energy
• 1938 - Jason Bernard, American actor
• 1938 - Marcia Freedman, Israeli activist
• 1938 - Pervis Jackson, American R&B bass singer
• 1939 - Hugh Dykes, Baron Dykes, English politician
• 1939 - Gary Paulsen, American author
• 1940 - Alan Kay, American computer scientist and academic
• 1940 - Reynato Puno, Filipino lawyer and jurist, 22nd Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of the Philippines
• 1941 - David Cope, American composer and author
• 1941 - Ben Nelson, American lawyer and politician, 37th Governor of Nebraska
• 1942 - Taj Mahal, American blues singer-songwriter and musician
• 1943 - Sirajuddin of Perlis, Yang di-Pertuan Agong of Malaysia
• 1943 - Johnny Warren, Australian footballer, coach, and sportscaster
• 1944 - Jesse Winchester, American singer-songwriter, guitarist, and producer
• 1945 - B.S. Chandrasekhar, Indian cricketer
• 1945 - Tony Roche, Australian tennis player and coach
• 1946 - Udo Lindenberg, German singer-songwriter and drummer
• 1947 - Stephen Platten, English bishop
• 1948 - Dick Gaughan, Scottish singer-songwriter and guitarist
• 1949 - Bill Bruford, English drummer, songwriter, and producer
• 1949 - Keith, American pop singer
• 1950 - Howard Ashman, American playwright and composer
• 1950 - Keith Bradley, Baron Bradley, English accountant and politician
• 1950 - Janez Drnovšek, Slovenian economist and politician, 2nd President of Slovenia
• 1950 - Alan Johnson, English politician, Shadow Chancellor of the Exchequer
• 1950 - Valeriya Novodvorskaya, Russian journalist and politician
• 1951 - Simon Hughes, English lawyer and politician
• 1952 - Howard Hampton, Canadian lawyer and politician
• 1954 - Michael Roberts, South African-English jockey
• 1955 - Bill Paxton, American actor and director
• 1955 - David Townsend, American singer-songwriter and guitarist
• 1956 - Sugar Ray Leonard, American boxer
• 1956 - Annise Parker, American politician
• 1956 - Bob Saget, American comedian, actor, and television host
• 1956 - Dave Sim, Canadian cartoonist and author
• 1957 - Pascual Pérez, Dominican baseball player
• 1958 - Paul Di'Anno, English rock singer-songwriter
• 1959 - Marcelo Loffreda, Argentine rugby player and coach
• 1960 - Lou DiBella, American boxing promoter, actor, and producer
• 1960 - Simon Fuller, English talent manager and producer, created the Idols series
• 1961 - Enya, Irish singer-songwriter and producer
• 1961 - Jamil Azzaoui, Canadian singer-songwriter and guitarist
• 1961 - Justin King, English businessman
• 1962 - Lise Lyng Falkenberg, Danish journalist and author
• 1962 - Andrew Farrar, Australian rugby league player and coach
• 1962 - Craig Ferguson, Scottish-American comedian, actor, and talk show host
• 1962 - Jane Moore, English journalist and author
• 1962 - Rosalind Picard, American computer scientist and engineer, co-founded Affectiva
• 1963 - Jon Koncak, American basketball player
• 1963 - Page McConnell, American keyboard player and songwriter
• 1964 - Stratos Apostolakis, Greek footballer and coach
• 1964 - Mauro Martini, Italian race car driver
• 1964 - Menno Oosting, Dutch tennis player
• 1965 - Trent Reznor, American singer-songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, and producer
• 1965 - Jeremy Vine, English journalist and author
• 1966 - Qusay Hussein, Iraqi soldier and politician
• 1966 - Mark Kratzmann, Australian tennis player and coach
• 1966 - Danny Manning, American basketball player and coach
• 1966 - Gilles Quénéhervé, French sprinter
• 1967 - Nancy Benoit, American professional wrestling valet and model
• 1967 - Mohamed Nasheed, Maldivian lawyer and politician 4th President of the Maldives
• 1967 - Patrick Ortlieb, Austrian skier
• 1968 - Dave Abbruzzese, American rock drummer and songwriter
• 1969 - Keith Hill, English footballer and manager
• 1970 - Hubert Davis, American basketball player and coach
• 1970 - Jordan Knight, American singer-songwriter and actor
• 1970 - Matt Lindland, American mixed martial artist, wrestler, and politician
• 1970 - Jodie Rogers, Australian diver
• 1970 - René Vilbre, Estonian director and screenwriter
• 1971 - Mark Connors, Australian rugby player
• 1971 - Shaun Hart, Australian footballer, coach, and sportscaster
• 1971 - Stella Jongmans, Dutch athlete
• 1971 - Queen Máxima of the Netherlands, Dutch royal
• 1971 - Gina Raimondo, Governor of Rhode Island
• 1972 - Barry Hayles, English born Jamaican international footballer
• 1973 - Josh Homme, American singer-songwriter, guitarist, and producer
• 1974 - Andrea Corr, Irish singer-songwriter, pianist, and actress
• 1974 - Wiki González, Venezuelan baseball player
• 1974 - Eddie Lewis, American international soccer player
• 1975 - Marcelinho Paraíba, Brazilian footballer
• 1975 - Alex Wright, German wrestler
• 1976 - Kandi Burruss, American singer-songwriter, producer, and actress
• 1976 - Shayne Dunley, Australian rugby league player
• 1976 - José Guillén, Dominican-American baseball player
• 1976 - Daniel Komen, Kenyan runner
• 1976 - Wang Leehom, American-Taiwanese singer-songwriter, producer, actor, and director
• 1976 - Mayte Martínez, Spanish runner
• 1976 - Kirsten Vlieghuis, Dutch freestyle swimmer
• 1978 - John Foster, American baseball player and coach
• 1978 - Paddy Kenny, English footballer
• 1978 - Carlos Peña, Dominican-American baseball player
• 1978 - Magdalena Zděnovcová, Czech tennis player
• 1979 - David Jarolím, Czech footballer
• 1979 - Wayne Thomas, English footballer
• 1980 - Davor Džalto, Bosnian historian and philosopher
• 1980 - Fredrik Kessiakoff, Swedish cyclist
• 1980 - Alistair Overeem, Dutch mixed martial artist and kickboxer
• 1980 - Ariën van Weesenbeek, Dutch drummer
• 1981 - Beñat Albizuri, Spanish cyclist
• 1981 - Leon Osman, English footballer
• 1981 - Lim Jeong-hee, South Korean singer
• 1981 - Chris Skidmore, English historian and politician
• 1981 - Giannis Taralidis, Greek footballer
• 1982 - Matt Cassel, American football player
• 1982 - Dan Hardy, English mixed martial artist
• 1982 - Reiko Nakamura, Japanese swimmer
• 1982 - Tony Parker, French-American basketball player
• 1982 - Chloe Smith, English politician
• 1983 - Channing Frye, American basketball player
• 1983 - Chris Henry, American football player
• 1983 - Nicky Hofs, Dutch footballer
• 1983 - Kevin Kingston, Australian rugby league player
• 1983 - Jeremy Sowers, American baseball player
• 1984 - Christian Bolaños, Costa Rican footballer
• 1984 - Christine Ohuruogu, English runner
• 1984 - Christine Robinson, Canadian water polo player
• 1984 - Passenger, English singer-songwriter and musician
• 1985 - Teófilo Gutiérrez, Colombian footballer
• 1985 - Derek Hough, American actor, singer, and dancer
• 1985 - Christine Nesbitt, Canadian speed skater
• 1985 - Todd Redmond, American baseball player
• 1985 - Matt Ryan, American football player
• 1986 - Marius Činikas, Lithuanian footballer
• 1986 - Timo Simonlatser, Estonian skier
• 1986 - Jodie Taylor, English footballer
• 1987 - Edvald Boasson Hagen, Norwegian cyclist
• 1987 - Aleandro Rosi, Italian footballer
• 1988 - Nikki Reed, American actress, singer, and screenwriter
• 1988 - Jennison Myrie-Williams, English footballer
• 1989 - Mose Masoe, New Zealand rugby league player
• 1989 - Rain Raadik, Estonian basketball player
• 1989 - Tessa Virtue, Canadian ice dancer
• 1990 - Fabian Giefer, German footballer
• 1990 - Charlie Gubb, New Zealand rugby league player
• 1990 - Katrina Hart, English runner
• 1990 - Guido Pella, Argentine tennis player
• 1991 - Johanna Konta, Australian-English tennis player
• 1991 - Adil Omar, Pakistani rapper and music producer
• 1991 - Abigail Raye, Canadian field hockey player

  Deaths

• 528 - Empress Dowager Hu of Northern Wei
• 528 - Yuan Yong, imperial prince of Northern Wei
• 528 - Yuan Zhao, emperor of Northern Wei
• 896 - Liu Jianfeng, Chinese warlord
• 924 - Li Maozhen, Chinese warlord and king
• 946 - Al-Qa'im bi-Amr Allah, Fatimid caliph
• 1299 - Daumantas of Pskov, Lithuanian prince
• 1336 - Go-Fushimi, emperor of Japan
• 1365 - Louis II, Elector of Brandenburg
• 1395 - Konstantin Dejanović/Constantine Dragaš, Serbian ruler
• 1464 - Thomas de Ros, 9th Baron de Ros, English politician
• 1510 - Sandro Botticelli, Italian painter
• 1521 - Edward Stafford, 3rd Duke of Buckingham, Welsh politician, Lord High Constable of England
• 1536 - George Boleyn, 2nd Viscount Rochford, English courtier and diplomat, Lord Warden of the Cinque Ports
• 1536 - William Brereton, English courtier
• 1536 - Henry Norris, English courtier
• 1546 - Philipp von Hutten, German explorer
• 1551 - Shin Saimdang, South Korean poet and calligraphist
• 1558 - Francisco de Sá de Miranda, Portuguese poet
• 1575 - Matthew Parker, English archbishop and academic
• 1606 - False Dmitriy I, pretender to the Russian throne
• 1607 - Anna d'Este, French princess
• 1626 - Joan Pau Pujol, Catalan organist and composer
• 1643 - Giovanni Picchi, Italian organist and composer
• 1727 - Catherine I of Russia
• 1729 - Samuel Clarke, English clergyman and philosopher
• 1765 - Alexis Clairaut, French mathematician, astronomer, and geophysicist
• 1797 - Michel-Jean Sedaine, French playwright and composer
• 1801 - William Heberden, English physician and scholar
• 1807 - John Gunby, American general
• 1809 - Leopold Auenbrugger, Austrian physician
• 1822 - Armand-Emmanuel de Vignerot du Plessis, Duc de Richelieu, French general and politician, 2nd Prime Minister of France
• 1829 - John Jay, American politician and diplomat, 1st Chief Justice of the United States
• 1838 - René Caillié, French explorer and author
• 1838 - Charles Maurice de Talleyrand-Périgord, French bishop and politician, Prime Minister of France
• 1839 - Archibald Alison, Scottish priest and author
• 1868 - Kondō Isami, Japanese commander
• 1875 - John C. Breckinridge, American lawyer and politician, 14th Vice President of the United States, Confederate States general
• 1879 - Asa Packer, American businessman, founded Lehigh University
• 1880 - Ziya Pasha, Greek author and translator
• 1886 - John Deere, American blacksmith and businessman, founded the Deere & Company
• 1888 - Giacomo Zanella, Italian priest and poet
• 1911 - Frederick August Otto Schwarz, German-American businessman, founded FAO Schwarz
• 1916 - Boris Borisovich Golitsyn, Russian physicist and seismologist
• 1917 - Clara Ayres, American nurse
• 1917 - Charles Brooke, Rajah of Sarawak
• 1919 - Guido von List, Austrian-German journalist, author, and poet
• 1921 - Karl Mantzius, Danish actor and director
• 1922 - Dorothy Levitt, English racing driver and journalist
• 1927 - Harold Geiger, American pilot and lieutenant
• 1934 - Cass Gilbert, American architect
• 1935 - Paul Dukas, French composer, critic, and educator
• 1936 - Panagis Tsaldaris, Greek lawyer and politician, 124th Prime Minister of Greece
• 1938 - Jakob Ehrlich, Czech-Austrian academic and politician
• 1943 - Johanna Elberskirchen, German author and activist
• 1947 - George Forbes, New Zealand farmer and politician, 22nd Prime Minister of New Zealand
• 1951 - William Birdwood, Anglo-Indian field marshal
• 1960 - Jules Supervielle, Uruguayan-French poet and author
• 1963 - John Wilce, American football player, coach, and physician
• 1964 - Nandor Fodor, Hungarian-American psychologist and parapsychologist
• 1974 - Ernest Nash, German-American photographer and scholar
• 1977 - Charles E. Rosendahl, American admiral and pilot
• 1980 - Gündüz Kılıç, Turkish football player and coach
• 1985 - Abe Burrows, American director, composer, and author
• 1987 - Gunnar Myrdal, Swedish economist, sociologist, and politician, Nobel Prize laureate
• 1992 - Lawrence Welk, American accordion player and bandleader
• 1995 - Toe Blake, Canadian ice hockey player and coach
• 1996 - Kevin Gilbert, American singer-songwriter and producer
• 1999 - Bruce Fairbairn, Canadian trumpet player and producer
• 1999 - Lembit Oll, Estonian chess Grandmaster
• 2000 - Donald Coggan, English archbishop
• 2001 - Jacques-Louis Lions, French mathematician
• 2001 - Frank G. Slaughter, American physician and author
• 2002 - László Kubala, Hungarian-Spanish footballer, coach, and manager
• 2002 - Aşık Mahzuni Şerif, Turkish poet and composer
• 2004 - Jørgen Nash, Danish poet and painter
• 2004 - Tony Randall, American actor
• 2004 - Ezzedine Salim, Iraqi politician
• 2005 - Frank Gorshin, American actor
• 2006 - Cy Feuer, American director, producer, and composer
• 2007 - Lloyd Alexander, American soldier and author
• 2007 - T. K. Doraiswamy, Indian poet and author
• 2009 - Mario Benedetti, Uruguayan journalist, author, and poet
• 2009 - Jung Seung-hye, South Korean journalist and producer
• 2010 - Yvonne Loriod, French pianist, composer, and educator
• 2010 - Walasse Ting, Chinese-American painter and poet
• 2011 - Harmon Killebrew, American baseball player and sportscaster
• 2012 - Gideon Ezra, Israeli geographer and politician, Israeli Minister in the Prime Minister's Office
• 2012 - Patrick Mafisango, Congolese-Rwandan footballer
• 2012 - Donna Summer, American singer-songwriter
• 2013 - Philippe Gaumont, French cyclist
• 2013 - Peter Schulz, German politician, Mayor of Hamburg
• 2013 - Ken Venturi, American golfer and sportscaster
• 2013 - Jorge Rafael Videla, Argentine general and politician, 42nd President of Argentina
• 2014 - Gerald Edelman, American biologist and immunologist, Nobel Prize laureate
• 2014 - C. P. Krishnan Nair, Indian businessman, founded The Leela Palaces, Hotels and Resorts
• 2014 - Douangchay Phichit, Laotian politician
• 2014 - Thongbanh Sengaphone, Laotian politician
• 2017 - Todor Veselinović, Serbian football player and manager
• 2019 - Herman Wouk, American author
• 2020 - Lucky Peterson, American blues singer, keyboardist and guitarist

  Holidays and observances

• Birthday of the Raja
• Christian feast day:
• *Giulia Salzano
• *Paschal Baylon
• *William Hobart Hare
• *Restituta
• *May 17
• Children's Day
• Constitution Day
• Norwegian Constitution Day
• Earliest date on which Trinity Sunday can fall, while June 20 is the latest; celebrated on the first Sunday after Pentecost.
• Feast of ‘Aẓamat
• Galician Literature Day or Día das Letras Galegas
• National Day Against Homophobia
• International Day Against Homophobia, Transphobia and Biphobia also known as IDAHOT
• Liberation Day
• Navy Day
• World Hypertension Day
• World Information Society Day