WHAT HAPPENED ON 17. AUGUST
Want to find out what all happened on 17. August

Addiction: First meeting of Narcotics Anonymous in Southern California. (17. August 1953)

Pioneer 0, America's first attempt at lunar orbit, is launched using the first Thor-Able rocket and fails. Notable as one of the first attempted launches beyond Earth orbit by any country. (17. August 1958)

Quake Lake is formed by the magnitude 7.5 1959 Yellowstone earthquake near Hebgen Lake in Montana. (17. August 1959)

Kind of Blue by Miles Davis, the much acclaimed and highly influential best selling jazz recording of all time, is released. (17. August 1959)

Decolonization: Gabon gains independence from France. (17. August 1960)

East German border guards kill Peter Fechter, 18, as he attempts to cross the Berlin Wall into West Berlin becoming one of the first victims of the wall. (17. August 1962)

Category 5 Hurricane Camille hits the U.S. Gulf Coast, killing 256 and causing $1.42 billion in damage. (17. August 1969)

Venera program: Venera 7 launched. It will later become the first spacecraft to successfully transmit data from the surface of another planet (Venus). (17. August 1970)

The Soviet icebreaker Arktika becomes the first surface ship to reach the North Pole. (17. August 1977)

Double Eagle II becomes first balloon to cross the Atlantic Ocean when it lands in Miserey, France near Paris, 137 hours after leaving Presque Isle, Maine. (17. August 1978)

Azaria Chamberlain disappears, at Ayers Rock, Northern Territory, probably taken by a dingo, leading to what was then the most publicized trial in Australian history. (17. August 1980)

The first Compact Discs (CDs) are released to the public in Germany. (17. August 1982)

President of Pakistan Muhammad Zia-ul-Haq and U.S. Ambassador Arnold Raphel are killed in a plane crash. (17. August 1988)

Lewinsky scandal: US President Bill Clinton admits in taped testimony that he had an "improper physical relationship" with White House intern Monica Lewinsky. On the same day he admits before the nation that he "misled people" about the relationship. (17. August 1998)

A 7.4-magnitude earthquake strikes İzmit, Turkey, killing more than 17,000 and injuring 44,000. (17. August 1999)

The National Assembly of Serbia unanimously adopts new state symbols for Serbia: Bože pravde becomes the new anthem and the coat of arms is adopted for the whole country. (17. August 2004)

The first forced evacuation of settlers, as part of Israel's unilateral disengagement plan, starts. (17. August 2005)

Over 500 bombs are set off by terrorists at 300 locations in 63 out of the 64 districts of Bangladesh (17. August 2005)

American swimmer Michael Phelps becomes the first person to win eight gold medals in one Olympic Games. (17. August 2008)

An accident at the Sayano–Shushenskaya Dam in Khakassia, Russia, kills 75 and shuts down the hydroelectric power station, leading to widespread power failure in the local area. (17. August 2009)