This Day In History, May 17th.
Five Historical Events That Happened on May 17th.
1792 - On May 17, 1792, a group of 24 stockbrokers signed the Buttonwood Agreement, which was called for the location of their conference under a buttonwood tree on Wall Street in New York City.
On May 17, 1875, the inaugural running of the Kentucky Derby, the famed American horse race, took place in Louisville, Kentucky. Since 1946, the event has been conducted on the first Saturday in May.
On May 17, 1954, the United States Supreme Court announced its historic decision in Brown v. Board of Education of Topeka, Kansas, concluding that racial segregation in public schools was unconstitutional and violated the 14th Amendment's Equal Protection Clause.
1793 - The New York City-based Society for the Manumission of Slaves, the first American abolitionist organization, was founded on May 17, 1793. The society was dedicated to promoting the gradual abolition of slavery in the United States, and it was one of the first organizations of its kind in the world.
2004 - On May 17, 2004, the state of Massachusetts made same-sex marriage legal after the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court ruled that the state's prohibition on same-sex marriage was unconstitutional. This was the first time that same-sex couples in the United States may legally marry.
The New York Stock Exchange was formed on May 17, 1792, by a group of 24 stockbrokers who signed the Buttonwood Agreement, named after the location of their meeting under a buttonwood tree on Wall Street in New York City.
The Buttonwood Agreement was signed by 24 brokers and merchants who promised to trade securities solely among themselves and to levy a fee of 0.25% on all deals. This marked the start of organized securities trading in the United States, and the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) evolved to become the world's biggest stock exchange, trading billions of dollars in securities every day.
The first running of the Kentucky Derby, the famous American horse race, took place on May 17, 1875, in Louisville, Kentucky. The race has been held annually on the first Saturday in May since 1946.
The Kentucky Derby is a Grade I stakes race for three-year-old Thoroughbred horses, and it is one of the world's oldest and most renowned horse events. The race is recognized as "The Most Exciting Two Minutes in Sports" because it lasts around two minutes and is noted for its tremendous intensity and celebratory atmosphere. The event is contested annually at Churchill Downs in Louisville, Kentucky, and is the first leg of the Thoroughbred Triple Crown, which also includes the Preakness Stakes and the Belmont Stakes.
The US Supreme Court issued its landmark ruling in Brown v. Board of Education of Topeka, Kansas, on May 17, 1954, declaring that racial segregation in public schools was unconstitutional and violated the Equal Protection Clause of the 14th Amendment.
Brown v. Board of Education of Topeka, Kansas was a historic decision in the United States that challenged racial segregation in public schools. The Supreme Court ruled in this case that segregation in public schools was unconstitutional and violated the 14th Amendment's Equal Protection Clause. This decision cleared the path for the integration of public schools throughout the United States and aided the Civil Rights Movement.
On May 17, 1793, the Society for the Manumission of Slaves, located in New York City, became the first American abolitionist organization.
A group of white Quakers and other activists determined to eliminating slavery in the United States created the Society for the Manumission of Slaves in New York City. Initially, the association was focused on advocating the gradual abolition of slavery, which entailed progressively phasing away the system of slavery through time.
Members of the group thought that slavery was a moral evil and a breach of the newly founded United States' values of liberty and equality. They contended that slavery was irreconcilable with the goals of the American Revolution, which intended to build a free and democratic society.
Members of the group promoted their cause by holding public lectures and gatherings, producing anti-slavery literature, and pressing politicians and other officials to take action to eliminate slavery.
Despite their efforts, the abolition of slavery in the United States was a lengthy and arduous process that would take several decades and a Civil War to complete. The Society for the Manumission of Slaves, on the other hand, played a crucial part in the early phases of the abolitionist movement, laying the framework for the eventual abolition of slavery in the United States.
2004 - Same-sex marriage became legal in the state of Massachusetts on May 17, 2004, following a ruling by the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court that the state's ban on same-sex marriage was unconstitutional.
Following a judgement by the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court that the state's prohibition on same-sex marriage was unconstitutional, Massachusetts became the first state in the United States to allow same-sex marriage on May 17, 2004. The verdict was based on the state constitution's provision of equality and fair process under the law, and it was a significant step forward for the LGBTQ+ rights movement. Many other states and nations have followed suit and legalized same-sex marriage since then.