This Day In History, December 17th.
Five Historical Events That Happened on December 17th
On December 16, 1773, a gang of American colonists dressed as Native Americans seized three British ships in Boston Harbor and dumped 342 chests of tea 1777: France acknowledges American independence - Following the American triumph at the Battle of Saratoga, France formally acknowledged the United States as an independent nation on December 17, 1777. During the Revolutionary War, this recognition was critical to the American cause.
The Wright brothers' first flight takes place in 1903. Orville Wright flew the first successful powered flight in history on December 17, 1903, with his brother Wilbur as his ground crew. The flight lasted only 12 seconds, yet it was a watershed moment in aviation history.
1969: Installation of the first permanent ATM - On December 17, 1969, the first permanent automated teller machine (ATM) was installed at a Chemical Bank branch in Rockville Center, New York. Docutel's machine transformed the banking business by allowing consumers to withdraw cash 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
Tunisia's Revolution Begins in 2010 - On December 17, 2010, Mohamed Bouazizi, a young Tunisian street seller, set himself on fire in protest against government corruption and harassment. His killing caused huge protests and rallies across Tunisia, eventually contributing to the collapse of President Zine El Abidine Ben Ali's dictatorial dictatorship.
2019: Impeachment of President Trump – On December 17, 2019, the United States House of Representatives voted to impeach President Donald Trump on allegations of abuse of authority and obstruction of Congress. He was impeached for the third time in US history, but was ultimately acquitted by the Senate.
On December 17, 1777, France officially recognized the United States as an independent nation, after the American victory at the Battle of Saratoga. This recognition provided critical support to the American cause during the Revolutionary War.
The French acceptance of American independence was a watershed moment in the American Revolution. It provided much-needed diplomatic and military support to the Americans, including loans, supplies, and men, which helped shift the tide of the war in their favor. The alliance between France and the United States was also critical in achieving the American colonies' eventual triumph over Great Britain in 1783.
On December 17, 1903, Orville Wright piloted the first successful powered flight in history, with his brother Wilbur as his ground crew. The flight lasted just 12 seconds, but it marked a major milestone in the development of aviation.
The Wright brothers' first powered flight on December 17, 1903, in Kitty Hawk, North Carolina, is widely regarded as a watershed moment in aviation history. Although the flight only lasted 12 seconds and covered only 120 feet, it demonstrated the feasibility of powered, controlled flight and paved the way for the development of modern aircraft. Years of hard effort, experimentation, and creativity culminated in the Wright brothers' feat, which had a tremendous influence on the path of human history.
On December 17, 1969, the first permanent automated teller machine (ATM) was installed at a branch of Chemical Bank in Rockville Center, New York. The machine, developed by Docutel, revolutionized the banking industry by allowing customers to withdraw cash 24 hours a day.
On December 17, 1969, the first permanent ATM was installed in a Chemical Bank branch in Rockville Center, New York, marking a key milestone in banking history. The Docutel-developed system allowed consumers to withdraw cash 24 hours a day, seven days a week, without the need for human help. This breakthrough transformed the banking sector and set the door for broad use of electronic banking and financial services. ATMs are already a common sight in the financial scene, and they have changed the way we access and manage our money.
On December 17, 2010, a young Tunisian street vendor named Mohamed Bouazizi set himself on fire in protest of government corruption and harassment. His death sparked widespread protests and demonstrations across Tunisia, ultimately leading to the overthrow of the authoritarian regime of President Zine El Abidine Ben Ali.
The self-immolation of Mohamed Bouazizi, a young Tunisian street seller, on December 17, 2010, sparked the Tunisian Revolution, which eventually led to the collapse of President Zine El Abidine Ben Ali's authoritarian administration. Many Tunisians were dissatisfied with excessive unemployment, economic inequality, and political persecution, and Bouazizi's act of protest against government corruption and harassment resonated with them. Following Bouazizi's death, widespread protests and demonstrations erupted into a popular uprising, forcing Ben Ali to flee the country on January 14, 2011. The Tunisian Revolution had a tremendous influence on the Middle East and North Africa's political landscape, sparking similar upheavals and protests in other nations in the area.
On December 17, 2019, the United States House of Representatives voted to impeach President Donald Trump on charges of abuse of power and obstruction of Congress. He became the third President in U.S. history to be impeached, but was later acquitted by the Senate.
On December 17, 2019, the United States House of Representatives voted to impeach President Donald Trump for abuse of authority and obstruction of Congress. The impeachment was the result of an inquiry into charges that Trump pressed the Ukrainian government to probe his political foe Joe Biden and his son, and used military assistance withholding as leverage. Trump is the third president in American history to be impeached, after Andrew Johnson in 1868 and Bill Clinton in 1998. The Senate, however, voted in February 2020 to acquit Trump on both grounds of impeachment, and he stayed in office until the end of his term in January 2021.