17 November in Indian and World History is celebrated, observed, and remembered for various reasons. 17 November is the birth anniversary of Yusuf Pathan, Ramasamy Ganesan and Shobhana Samarth.
17 November is also observed as the death anniversary of Lala Lajpat Rai, Mirra Alfassa, Balasaheb Keshav Thackeray, and Srinivas Kumar Sinha.
Birth Anniversary on 17 November
17 November in Indian history is celebrated as the birth anniversary of the following personalities:
Shobhana Samarth (17 November 1916 – 9 February 2000), was an Indian film actress, director, and producer who began her career in talkie movies in the Hindi film industry and continued in lead roles into the 1950s. She was born on 17 November 1916 in Bombay, Bombay Presidency, British India.
Ramasamy Ganesan (17 November 1920 – 22 March 2005), better known by his stage name Gemini Ganesan, was an Indian actor who worked mainly in Tamil cinema. He was referred to as the Kaadhal Mannan (King of Romance) for his romantic roles in films. Ganesan was one of the “three biggest names of Tamil cinema”, the other two being M. G. Ramachandran and Sivaji Ganesan. While Sivaji Ganesan excelled in dramatic films and M. G. Ramachandran was popular as an action hero, Gemini Ganesan was known for his romantic films. A recipient of the Padma Shri in 1971, he had also won several other awards including the Kalaimamani, the MGR Gold Medal, and the Screen Lifetime Achievement Award. He was one of the few college graduates to enter the film industry then.
Yusuf Pathan is an Indian former cricketer. Pathan made his debut in first-class cricket in 2001/02. He was a right-handed batsman and a right-arm off-break bowler. His younger brother, Irfan Pathan was also an Indian cricketer. He retired from all forms of cricket in February 2021. Pathan was born on 17 November 1982 in Vadodara, Gujarat, India.
Read More: 16 November in Indian and World History
Death Anniversary on 17 November
17 November in Indian history is observed as the death anniversary of the following personalities:
Lala Lajpat Rai (28 January 1865 – 17 November 1928), is counted among the great revolutionaries of India. He is also known as ‘Punjab Kesari’, who did not care for his life while facing British Raj power for life. Lalaji was a prominent leader of the Garam Dal of the Indian National Congress and representative of the whole of Punjab. He also got the title of ‘Lion of Punjab’. He started advocacy in Hisar after getting an education in law, but later due to coming in contact with Swami Dayanand, he became a strong supporter of Arya Samaj. It was from here that the feeling of fierce nationalism was awakened in him. Lalaji has got the same place in Punjab, as Lokmanya Tilak has got in Maharashtra. He died on 17 November 1928.
Mirra Alfassa (21 February 1878 – 17 November 1973), known to her followers as The Mother or La Mère, was a French-Indian spiritual guru, occultist, and yoga teacher, and a collaborator of Sri Aurobindo, who considered her to be of equal yogic stature to him and called her by the name “The Mother”. She died on 17 November 1973.
Balasaheb Keshav Thackeray (23 January 1926 – 17 November 2012), is a well-known politician from the state of Maharashtra, India. He formed a Hindu nationalist party called Shiv Sena. Balasaheb died on 17 November 2012.
Srinivas Kumar Sinha (1926 – 17 November 2016), is an Indian military officer. He was the Lieutenant-General awarded the ‘Param Vishisht Seva Medal’. After his retirement, he served as the Governor of Assam, Jammu and Kashmir, and Arunachal Pradesh. He died on 17 November 2016 in Delhi.
Read More: 15 November in Indian and World History
Notable events on 17 November in Indian and World History
17 November 1831 – Ecuador and Venezuela separated from Greater Colombia.
17 November 1869 – James Moore of England won the first 13,000 km long cycle race.
17 November 1869 – The Suez Canal was opened to traffic after ten years of construction work. This canal connects Europe with Asia.
17 November 1902 – Eugene Wigner, a German dramatist, and Nobel Prize Laureate, was born.
17 November 1922 – The former Ottoman sultan Mahmud VI was released to live in exile in Italy.
17 November 1922 – Stanley Cohen, a German dramatist, and Nobel Prize Laureate, was born.
17 November 1932 – The Third Round Table Conference started.
17 November 1933 – The US agreed to trade, recognizing the Soviet Union.
17 November 1939 – The Nazis killed students at Prague University. International Student Day is celebrated on 17 November in memory of those children.
17 November 1960 – Alka Saraogi, an Indian author, was born.
17 November 1966 – India’s Rita Faria won the Miss World title. She was the first Asian woman to become Miss World.
17 November 1970 – The Soviet spacecraft ‘Lunakhod-1’ landed on the lunar surface.
17 November 1993 – The US House of Representatives approved the North America Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA).
17 November 1999 – UNESCO approved International Mother Language Day.
17 November 2004 – Rameshwar Thakur became the Governor of Orissa.
17 November 2005 – Presidential elections in Sri Lanka were held.
17 November 2006 – The US Senate approved the Indo-US nuclear treaty.
17 November 2009 – T.S. Thakur was appointed a judge of the Supreme Court.
17 November 2012 – At least 50 school students were killed in a train accident near Egypt’s main fault zone.
17 November Historical Significance
November 17 holds historical significance for several reasons. In 1558, Queen Elizabeth I ascended to the English throne, marking the beginning of her long and influential reign. The Velvet Revolution began in Czechoslovakia on November 17, 1989, leading to the overthrow of the communist regime and the eventual transition to democracy. Additionally, on November 17, 1973, students and civilians protested against the military junta in Greece, sparking a series of events that eventually led to the restoration of democracy in the country. These events demonstrate the diverse historical milestones that occurred on November 17, shaping the course of politics, governance, and society in various parts of the world.
Important Days of 17 November in History
International Students’ Day: This day commemorates the anniversary of the 1939 Nazi storming of the University of Prague, which led to the killing and mass arrest of students. It’s a day to promote solidarity among students worldwide and advocate for their rights and freedoms.
World Prematurity Day: This day raises awareness about the global issue of premature birth and the challenges faced by premature babies and their families. It aims to prevent preterm births and improve the care and outcomes for preterm infants.
National Baklava Day (United States): Baklava is a delicious pastry made with layers of filo dough, nuts, and syrup or honey. This day celebrates the sweet and flaky dessert that has its origins in the Middle East and Mediterranean region.
