17 May in Indian and World History is celebrated, observed, and remembered for various reasons. 17 May is the birth anniversary of Govind Sakharam Sardesai, Santhakumari, Hansraj Bhardwaj, Pankaj Udhas, Shyam Ramsay, and Harshad Chopda.
17 May is also observed as the death anniversary of Gururaj Ananda Yogi, T. K. Doraiswamy, and Prakash Mehra.
Birth Anniversary on 17 May
17 May in Indian history is celebrated as the birth anniversary of the following personalities:
Govind Sakharam Sardesai (17 May 1865 – 29 November 1959), a historian from Maharashtra, India. Sardesai wrote eight volumes of Marathi Riyasat, three volumes of Musalmani Riyasat, and two volumes of British Riyasat. Sardesai was awarded a Padma Bhushan from the Government of India in 1957 for his work. He was born on 17 May 1865 in Govil, Ratnagiri District, Maharashtra.
Santhakumari (17 May 1920 – 16 January 2006), an Indian musical artist and film actress. She debuted in Telugu Cinema with Mayabazar in 1936. She also got awarded with Raghupathi Venkaiah Award in 1998 for her contributions to Telugu Cinema. Santhakumari was born on 17 May 1920 in Proddatur, Kadapa District, Andhra Pradesh, India.
Hansraj Bhardwaj (17 May 1937 – 8 March 2020), an Indian politician who became the Governor of Karnataka between 2009 to 2014; he also served as Governor of Kerala from 2012 until 2013. He belongs to the Indian National Congress Political party He was born on 17 May 1937 in Gahri Sampla Kiloi, Rohtak, Punjab, India.
Pankaj Udhas, a ghazal singer belongs to Gujarat in India. He started his career with a release of a ghazal album titled Aahat in 1980 and subsequently recorded many hits like Mukarar in 1981, Tarrannum in 1982, Mehfil in 1983, Nayaab in 1985, and Aafreen in 1986. Udhas has also did playback singing for many Hindi films and got instant fame by singing the song “Chitthi Aayee Hai” in the film Naam (1986). He also got Padmashree for his contribution to the art of ghazal singing in 2006. He was born on 17 May 1951 in Jetpur, Gujrat, India.
Shyam Ramsay, (17 May 1952 – 18 September 2019), a Bollywood film director. He is famous for his produced horror movies such as Darwaza, Purana Mandir, and Veerana. He was one of the seven Ramsay Brothers who were active in Indian cinema throughout the 1970s and the 1980s. Ramsay also implemented his creative ideas on television programming which was in demand because of the multiple private channels such as Zee TV, Star Plus, etc. at that time. He started India’s first horror TV series for Zee TV – Zee Horror Show which is a huge hit in television shows. He was born on 17 May 1952 in Bombay, India.
Harshad Chopda, an Indian actor known for his acting of Cadet Ali Baig in Left Right Left, Prem Juneja in Kis Desh Mein Hai Meraa Dil, Anurag Ganguly in Tere Liye, and Aditya Hooda in Bepannah. He also won Asian Viewers Television Awards for Male Actor of The Year for the television show Bepannah. Chopda was listed 16th in Times of India’s Top 20 Most Desirable Men on Indian Television 2017. He was born on 17 May 1983.
Read More: 16 May in Indian and World History
Death Anniversary on 17 May
17 May in Indian history is observed as the death anniversary of the following personalities:
Gururaj Ananda Yogi (3 March 1932 – 17 May 1988), the founder of the International Foundation of Spiritual Unfoldment and Foundation for International Spiritual Unfoldment (FISU). He died on 17 May 1988 in Cape Town, South Africa.
K. Doraiswamy (21 August 1921 – 17 May 2007), an Indian poet, professor of English, novelist, translator, and short fiction writer who wrote both in Tamil and English. He was also known by his pen name Nakulan. He was noticed for his work in Ninaivup Patai Nilakal (1972) and Words of the Wind (1973). Nakulan died on 17 May 2007 at the age of 85 in Thiruvananthapuram.
Prakash Mehra (13 July 1939 – 17 May 2009), a legendary Indian film director and producer known for his blockbuster Hindi films. He was considered among the ‘Golden Directors’ of his time. Mehra was known for his blockbuster such as Hera Pheri, Khoon Pasina, Muqaddar Ka Sikandar, Lawaaris, Namak Halaal and Sharaabi. He died on 17 May 2009 at the age of 69 in Mumbai, Maharashtra, India.
Read More: 15 May in Indian and World History
Notable events on 17 May in Indian and World History
Some of the Notable events on 17 May in World History are mentioned below:
17 May 1756 – Britain declares war against France.
17 May 1769 – The East India Company imposed several restrictions on the weavers to ruin Bengal’s textile industry.
17 May 1897 – Odd Hassel, a Norwegian chemist, and Nobel Prize Laureate, was born.
17 May 1970 – Thor Heyerdahl started the journey from Morocco on this day and crossed the Atlantic Ocean in 57 days.
17 May 1978 – The stolen coffin of famous comedian Charlie Chaplin is discovered. Charlie died in Switzerland in 1977. He was buried near Lake Geneva after his death. But two thieves dug up his coffin from there and in lieu of four lakh pounds from his family.
17 May 1987 – Gunnar Myrdal, a Swedish economist, sociologist, politician, and Nobel Prize Laureate, died.
17 May 2014 – Gerald Edelman, a renowned American biologist, and Nobel Prize Laureate, died.
17 May 2018 – On this day, BS Yeddyurappa took the oath of office of the Chief Minister of Karnataka for the third time.
17 May Historical Significance
May 17th is a date marked by a multitude of significant historical events that have shaped various aspects of global history. On this day in 1536, Anne Boleyn, the second wife of King Henry VIII, was executed, an event that had profound implications for English politics and the Reformation. In 1792, the New York Stock Exchange was founded, which would grow to become a central hub for the global economy. The year 1814 saw Norway’s declaration of independence and the signing of its constitution, which is celebrated as the National Day in Norway. Additionally, in 1902, the Antikythera mechanism, an ancient Greek analog computer, was discovered, highlighting the advanced engineering of past civilizations. Each of these events, among others that occurred on May 17th, contributes to the rich tapestry of human history, reflecting the dynamic changes in politics, economy, and culture.
Important Days of 17 May in History
Some of the Notable events on 17 May in History are mentioned below:
- World Telecommunication Day is observed every year on 17 May. It is celebrated to memorize the founding of ITU when the first International Telegraph Convention was signed in Paris on 17 May 1865, and to raise awareness about the use of the Internet and other information and communication technologies. It is also known as World Telecommunication and International Society Day.
- World Hypertension Day (International): Aims to promote public awareness of hypertension and to encourage citizens around the world to prevent and control this silent cardiovascular epidemic.
- National Endangered Species Day (United States): Observed to recognize the national conservation efforts to protect our nation’s endangered species and their habitats.
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