A Britannica Newsletter
Byclicking "Add To Your Inbox"tapping "Sign Up" you are agreeing to ourTerms of Use andPrivacy Policy.
Discover the fascinating events that shaped the world, straight from our editors.
Thanks for signing up for Today in History. Your first newsletter will arrive soon!
TODAY IN HISTORY
February 17Featured Event
1996
A human beats a machine
World chess championGarry Kasparov triumphed over IBM'sDeep Blue computer on this day in 1996. The two were competing in a six-round tournament to determine whether a machine could defeat a human inchess. The answer was yes—Kasparov had lost the first game of the tournament, a moment he described as “shattering”—but Kasparov battled back for the overall win, scoring three victories and two draws. “I could figure out its priorities and adjust my play,” he later explained. “It couldn't do the same to me.”Read today's edition of Today in History > >
Adam Nadel/AP Images
Featured Biography
Michael Jordan
American basketball player
- born
- February 17, 1963 (age 63)
New York City,New York
(Born on this day)
© Jerry Coli/Dreamstime.com
1991
Ed Sheeran
British singer-songwriter
1963
Michael Jordan
American basketball player
1942
Huey P. Newton
American activist
1936
Jim Brown
American football player and actor
1934
Barry Humphries
Australian actor
More EventsOn This Day
2021
American radio personality and authorRush Limbaugh, who was known for his ultraconservative and often controversial views, died at age 70.
Ethan Miller/Getty Images
2014
Jimmy Fallon began hostingThe Tonight Show, replacing longtime hostJay Leno.
Mike Coppola/Getty Images
2008
Kosovo declared its independence fromSerbia, though a number of countries refused to recognize the new republic.Test your knowledge of the countries of the world
Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc.
1996
Anearthquake and an accompanyingtsunami inIndonesia left 108 people dead, 423 injured, and 58 missing.Sort fact from fiction in our natural disasters quiz
1992
Jeffrey Dahmer was sentenced to 15 consecutive life terms for a series of gruesome murders; he was later killed by a fellow prison inmate.How much do you know about infamous serial killers?
Allan Y. Scott—AP/Shutterstock.com
1979
China invadedVietnam, following a series of anti-Chinese, pro-Soviet maneuvers by China's southern neighbor. The invasion was a response to Vietnam's ongoing efforts to bolster its ties with theSoviet Union following theVietnam War, and it resulted in a month-long war.
Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc.
1955
British Minister of DefenseHarold Macmillan announced plans to develop and producehydrogen bombs.Take our weapons and warfare quiz
Camera Press/Globe Photos
1913
The influentialArmory Show opened in New York City, introducing the American public to artworks byImpressionists,Symbolists,Post-Impressionists,Fauves, andCubists.Sort fact from fiction in our artists and painters quiz
Bettmann/Getty Images
1904
Giacomo Puccini'sMadama Butterfly premiered atLa Scala in Milan, and it became one the most frequently performedoperas.Test your knowledge of operas
Library of Congress, Washington, D.C.; A. Dupont, NY (dig. id. cph 3a40628)
1897
TheNational Congress of Parents and Teachers, better known as the Parent-Teacher Association (PTA), was founded in Washington, D.C., as the National Congress of Mothers.
1864
During theAmerican Civil War, the ConfederateHunley became the firstsubmarine to sink an enemy ship when it successfully attacked the USS Housatonic in the waters off Charleston, South Carolina.Take our quiz about submarines, ships, and other watercraft
U.S. Navy
1843
The British annexed most of what is nowSindh province inPakistan after winning theBattle of Miani.
Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc.
1801
Following atie in theelectoral college, theU.S. House of Representatives electedThomas Jefferson president.How much do you know about U.S. presidential elections?
© John Parrot—Stocktrek Images/Getty Images
SIGN UP FOR
History's Biggest Headlines
Discover the fascinating events that shaped the world, straight from our editors.
Thanks for signing up for Today in History.
Your first newsletter will arrive soon!
By clicking "Sign Up" you are agreeing to ourTerms of Use andPrivacy Policy.