17 February in Indian and World History is celebrated, observed, and remembered for various reasons. 17 February is the birth anniversary of Budhu Bhagat, Sardar Puran Singh, Jibanananda Das, and Kalvakuntla Chandrashekar Rao.
17 February is also observed as the death anniversary of Vasudev Balwant Phadke, Perin Ben, Kailash Nath Katju, and Karpoori Thakur.
Birth Anniversary on 17 February
17 February in Indian history is celebrated as the birth anniversary of the following personalities:
Budhu Bhagat (17 February 1792 – 13 February 1832) is known as a famous revolutionary in Indian history. Their fight was against the tyranny and injustice being done by the British, landlords, and moneylenders. He was born on 17 February 1792 in Ranchi, Jharkhand.
Sardar Puran Singh (17 February 1881 – 31 March 1931), was one of the distinguished essayists of India. He was also a patriot, educationist, teacher, scientist, and writer. Along with this, he was also a well-known poet of Punjabi. Purna Singh is counted among the founders of modern Punjabi poetry. He was born on 17 February 1881.
Jibanananda Das (17 February 1899 – 22 October 1954), was a famous Bengali poet and writer. He was such a Bengali poet who introduced the architecture of the narrative style in poetry. His novels and stories hold a special place among the people of the Bengali region. He was posthumously awarded the Sahitya Akademi Award for Best Poetry in 1955. The poetry of Jivanand Das Ji enchanted many generations of Bengali society after Rabindranath. He was born on 17 February 1899 in Bengal.
Kalvakuntla Chandrashekar Rao, the first Chief Minister of the newly formed state of Telangana. He heads the ‘Telangana Rashtra Samiti’. He is known as a prominent activist of the separate Telangana Rashtra movement. Chandrashekhar Ji is a member of the 15th Lok Sabha. He has also adorned the post of Minister of Labor and Planning at the Centre. He was born on 17 February 1954 in Medak district, Andhra Pradesh.
Read More: 16 February in Indian and World History
Death Anniversary on 17 February
17 February in Indian history is observed as the death anniversary of the following personalities:
Vasudev Balwant Phadke (4 November 1845 – 17 February 1883), was the first revolutionary of India to organize an armed rebellion against the British government. Vasudev Balwant Phadke was born in a village named ‘Shirdhone’ in the Raigad district of Maharashtra. Phadke had lit the first spark of the great War of Independence after the failure of the first organized revolution of 1857. He died on 17 February 1883.
Perin Ben (12 October 1888 – 17 February 1958), was at first a revolutionary and later a follower of Mahatma Gandhi. She worked for the independence of the country. Perrin Ben was arrested and imprisoned in 1930. She was the first woman president of the Sangharsh Samiti of the Mumbai Pradesh Congress. Perin Ben worked as the secretary of the ‘Gandhi Sewa Sena’. In the early years of independence, Perin Ben was awarded the ‘Padma Shri’ by the President. She died on 17 February 1958.
Kailash Nath Katju (17 June 1887 – 17 February 1968), a former Chief Minister of the state of Madhya Pradesh. He served as the Chief Minister of Madhya Pradesh from January 1957 to March 1962. He also wrote many books. He also made a special contribution to the freedom struggle of India. He died on 17 February 1968.
Karpoori Thakur (24 January 1924 – 17 February 1988), was an Indian freedom fighter, teacher, politician, and former Chief Minister of Bihar. Because of his popularity, he was called a mass hero. He died on 17 February 1988.
Read More: 15 February in Indian and World History
Notable events on 17 February in Indian and World History
17 February 1370 – Germany defeated Lithuania at the Battle of Rudau.
17 February 1670 – The Sinhagad Fort was conquered by Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj from the Mughals.
17 February 1698 – Aurangzeb captured the fort of Jinji.
17 February 1813 – Prussia declared war against France.
17 February 1867 – The first ship passed through the Suez Canal.
17 February 1878 – The first telephone exchange was opened in the city of San Francisco.
17 February 1882 – The first test match was played at the Sydney Cricket Ground.
17 February 1888 – Otto Stern a German American physicist, and Nobel Prize Laureate, was born.
17 February 1915 – Mahatma Gandhi visited Shantiniketan for the first time.
17 February 1927 – Which Deenanath Mangeshkar played the role of Tejaswini and the play Randundubhi written by Veer Vamanrao Joshi was used in Mumbai.
17 February 1931 – Lord Irwin welcomed Gandhiji at the Viceroy’s residence.
17 February 1933 – America’s weekly magazine ‘Newsweek’ was published.
17 February 1934 – Belgian King Albert I died while mountaineering.
17 February 1947 – The broadcast of ‘Voice of America’ was started in the Soviet Union.
17 February 1955 – Mo Yan, a Chinese novelist and short story writer, was born.
17 February 1970 – Shmuel Yosef Agnon an Israeli writer, and Nobel Prize Laureate, died.
17 February 1972 – The British Parliament passed a resolution to join the European Community.
17 February 1973 –  Pixinguinha – a Brazilian composer, arranger, flutist, and saxophonist – died.
17 February 1979 – The Chinese army invaded Vietnam.
17 February 1983 – The Netherlands adopted the constitution.
17 February 2004 – Shamsher Singh Rana, the main accused in the Phoolandevi murder case, escaped from Tihar Jail.
17 February 2005 – Bangladeshi writer Taslima Nasreen sought Indian citizenship.
17 February 2007 – The then US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton announced the withdrawal of troops from Iraq.
17 February 2008 – The Anil Ambani Group announced to considering offering free bonus shares to all non-promoter shareholders of Reliance Power.
17 February 2014 – the Election Commission banned the broadcast of exit polls till the end of the last phase of polling.
17 February 2014 – Saudi Arabia’s Somaiya Jibarti was made the country’s first female editor-in-chief.
17 February 2016 – Kurdish militants carried out a Kama bombing in the Turkish capital Ankara, in which 28 people were killed.
17 February Historical Significance
February 17 has significant historical importance due to several notable events. On this day in 1867, the first ship passed through the Suez Canal, linking the Mediterranean Sea to the Red Sea and facilitating international maritime trade. Additionally, in 1904, Giacomo Puccini’s opera “Madama Butterfly” premiered at La Scala in Milan, Italy, leaving a lasting impact on the world of opera. Furthermore, on February 17, 1972, Volkswagen Beetle surpassed the Ford Model T as the most-produced car in history, marking a milestone in automotive manufacturing. These events underscore the diverse range of historical milestones associated with February 17.
Important Days of 17 February in History
Random Acts of Kindness Day: This day encourages people to perform acts of kindness for others, whether it’s something small like holding the door open or a larger gesture like volunteering in the community.
World Human Spirit Day: A day dedicated to celebrating the resilience and strength of the human spirit, emphasizing the importance of positivity, compassion, and inner strength in facing life’s challenges.
National Cabbage Day: While not as widely recognized as the other two, National Cabbage Day celebrates the versatile vegetable and its many culinary uses in various cuisines around the world.
