Today in History: Wright Brothers’ first airplane flight

The following are some of the major events that occurred on December 17 throughout history:

546 – Ostrogoths capture Rome: After a year-long siege, King Totila’s Ostrogoths entered the city of Rome on December 17, 546, ending the first Gothic War and seizing the “Eternal City”. This marked one of the last times Rome fell to an invading army until the Middle Ages, underscoring the collapse of Byzantine control in Italy.

1777 – France recognizes American independence: On December 17, 1777, French Foreign Minister Charles Gravier (Count of Vergennes) formally acknowledged the United States as an independent nation. This diplomatic recognition, coming after the American victory at Saratoga, gave the Revolutionary War a crucial international ally and paved the way for the Franco-American alliance against Britain.

1862 – Grant expels Jews in Civil War: Union General Ulysses S. Grant issued General Order No. 11 on December 17, 1862, expelling all Jewish people from his military district (parts of Tennessee, Mississippi and Kentucky). This blatant act of anti-Semitism shocked many and later drew public rebuke; it is now viewed as a notorious abuse of military authority and an early American civil-rights issue.

1892 – First issue of Vogue magazine published: On December 17, 1892, Arthur Baldwin Turnure published the inaugural issue of Vogue in New York. Originally subtitled “The Ceremonial Side of Life” and aimed at high society, Vogue became a leading chronicle of fashion and culture. Its launch on this date marks a milestone in publishing, as Vogue has since influenced global style and popular culture for well over a century.

1903 – Wright Brothers’ first airplane flight: In the early morning of December 17, 1903, near Kitty Hawk, North Carolina, Orville and Wilbur Wright achieved the first controlled, sustained powered flight of a heavier-than-air aircraft. The Wright Flyer lifted off at 10:35 a.m. and flew about 120 feet in 12 seconds before crashing, but that first flight and three subsequent ones that day proved that powered flight was possible. This breakthrough inaugurated the age of aviation and changed global transportation forever.

1963 – U.S. Clean Air Act signed into law: On December 17, 1963, President Lyndon B. Johnson signed the Clean Air Act, one of the first major U.S. environmental protection laws. The act empowered federal and state agencies to research and regulate air pollution, marking “a major expansion of government efforts” to combat environmental damage. It laid the foundation for cleaner air standards and inspired later global efforts to curb pollution.

1972 – Apollo 17 launched (last crewed Moon mission): In the predawn hours of December 17, 1972, NASA’s Saturn V rocket carrying Apollo 17 lifted off from Florida, sending astronauts Gene Cernan, Harrison Schmitt and Ron Evans toward the Moon. This launch marked the beginning of the final Apollo lunar landing mission. Apollo 17’s crew became the last humans to walk on the Moon (in December 1972) and returned crucial scientific data and samples, closing the Apollo chapter in human space exploration.

1991 – Dissolution of the Soviet Union announced: On December 17, 1991, after a meeting with Mikhail Gorbachev, Russian President Boris Yeltsin’s spokesman announced that “the Soviet Union will cease to exist by the end of the year”. This blunt declaration signaled the imminent end of the USSR (formally dissolved December 26) and the emergence of post-Soviet independent states. It marked a decisive turning point in world politics, effectively ending the Cold War era.

2010 – Tunisian vendor Bouazizi sparks Arab Spring: On December 17, 2010, 26-year-old street vendor Mohamed Bouazizi self-immolated in Sidi Bouzid, Tunisia, in protest of police harassment and economic hardship. His act of public protest became “the start of the Arab Spring,” igniting widespread pro-democracy uprisings across North Africa and the Middle East. Bouazizi’s martyrdom on this date symbolized the pent-up frustrations of many and led to the overthrow of governments in Tunisia, Egypt and beyond.

2011 – Death of North Korean leader Kim Jong Il: On December 17, 2011, Kim Jong Il – the secretive ruler of North Korea since 1994 – died of a reported heart attack while traveling by train. Kim’s death ended the era of the “Dear Leader” and initiated a dynastic succession to his son Kim Jong Un. This event was significant for East Asian geopolitics: the stability of North Korea’s isolated regime and the future of its nuclear program became a major international concern following this sudden leadership change.