This Day in History is DUE’s daily dose of trivia for all the history buffs out there. So sit back and take a ride of all the fascinating things that happened today!
People are trapped in history and history is trapped in people, and hence, every day has been a significant one in the foibles of history. Now, let’s take a tour of “This Day in History – 17th June”.
1631: Death of Mumtaz Mahal
Arjumand Banu Begum also known as Mumtaz Mahal died on this day after giving birth to her 14th child. She was the second wife of the Mughal Emperor, Shahjahan. She was buried in Burhanpur temporarily but later her body was shifted to Agra. Her site of burial, the Taj Mahal became one of the seven wonders.
1882: Igor Stravinsky is born
Igor Fyodorovich Stravinsky, Russian born composer whose work became the face of revolution in musical thought and sensibility in the 20th century. ‘The Firebird’ and ‘The Rite of Spring’ are some of his most famous compositions.
1885: Dismantled Statue of Liberty reaches America
It was on this day when the commemoration of the American Revolution and the century-long friendship between the U.S. and France reached America. The Statue of Liberty was shipped in 350 individual pieces and packed in more than 200 cases.
1944: Iceland gains independence and becomes a Republic.
With the occupation of Denmark in 1940, Iceland gained control over its foreign affairs. On this day, Iceland became independent after a formal plebiscite. Iceland freed itself from the 25 year Union Agreement with Sveinn Björnsson as its first President.
1973: Leander Peas is born
Indian tennis player, Leander Peas was born on this day in Goa. He holds 8 career Grand Slam doubles titles and 10 career Grand Slam mixed doubles championships to his name. His journey as a tennis player began at the age of five. He won the 1990 Wimbledon Junior Title and also held the record of being the first Indian athlete since 1952 to win an individual Olympic medal.
1980: Birth of Venus Williams
Venus Ebony Starr Williams was born on this day in California. She holds various accolades to her name. In the year 2000 and 2001, Williams won both the Wimbledon and the U.S. Open. She has five Wimbledon championships to her name along with four Olympic gold medals.
