On This Day: May 17

Updated May 16, 2012, 2:28 pm

On May 17, 1954, the Supreme Court issued its landmark Brown vs. Board of Education of Topeka ruling, which declared that racially segregated public schools were inherently unequal.
Go to article »

On May 17, 1911, Maureen O’Sullivan, the American movie actress who played “Jane” in the Tarzan movies, was born. Following her death on June 22, 1998, her obituary appeared in The Times.

Go to obituary » | Other birthdays »

On This Date

By The Associated Press

1792 The New York Stock Exchange was founded by brokers meeting under a tree on what is now Wall Street.

1829 John Jay, American statesman and the first chief justice of the Supreme Court, died at age 83.

1875 The first Kentucky Derby was run; the winner was Aristides.

1940 The Nazis occupied Brussels, Belgium, during World War II.

1946 President Harry S. Truman seized control of the nation’s railroads, delaying a threatened strike by engineers and trainmen.

1971 The musical “Godspell” opened off-Broadway.

1973 The Senate began hearings into the Watergate scandal.

1980 Rioting that claimed 18 lives erupted in Miami’s Liberty City neighborhood after an all-white jury in Tampa acquitted four former Miami police officers of fatally beating a black man.

1987 An Iraqi warplane attacked the U.S. Navy frigate Stark in the Persian Gulf, killing 37 American sailors. Iraq and the United States called the attack a mistake.

1992 Orchestra leader Lawrence Welk died at age 89.

1996 President Bill Clinton signed “Megan’s Law,” a measure requiring neighborhood notification when sex offenders move in.

1998 New York Yankees pitcher David Wells became the 13th player in modern major league baseball history to throw a perfect game in a 4-0 victory over the Minnesota Twins.

1999 Labor Party leader Ehud Barak unseated Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in Israeli elections.

2000 Two former Ku Klux Klansmen were arrested on murder charges in the 1963 church bombing in Birmingham, Ala., that killed four black girls.

2004 Massachusetts became the first state to allow legal same-sex marriages.

2011 Actor and former California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger issued a statement confirming a Los Angeles Times report that he had fathered a child with a woman on his household staff more than a decade earlier.

Current Birthdays

By The Associated Press

Boxing Hall of Famer Sugar Ray Leonard turns 56 years old today.

AP Photo/Alex Brandon

Actress Nikki Reed turns 24 years old today.

AP Photo/Chris Pizzello

1941 Ben Nelson, U.S. senator, D-Neb., turns 71

1942 Taj Mahal, Blues singer, turns 70

1949 Bill Bruford, Rock musician (Yes, King Crimson), turns 63

1953 Kathleen Sullivan, TV personality, turns 59

1955 Bill Paxton, Actor, turns 57

1956 Bob Saget, Actor, comedian (“Full House”), turns 56

1959 Jim Nantz, Sports announcer, turns 53

1961 Enya, Singer, turns 51

1962 Craig Ferguson, TV host (“The Late Late Show”), turns 50

1963 Page McConnell, Rock musician (Phish), turns 49

1965 Trent Reznor, Rock singer, musician (Nine Inch Nails), turns 47

1966 Hill Harper, Actor (“CSI: NY”), turns 46

1969 Thom Filicia, TV personality (“Queer Eye for the Straight Guy”), turns 43

1970 Jordan Knight, Singer (New Kids on the Block), turns 42

1974 Sendhil Ramamurthy, Actor (“Heroes”), turns 38

1982 Matt Cassel, Football player, turns 30

Historic Birthdays

Maureen O’Sullivan 5/17/1911 – 6/22/1998 American movie actress.Go to obituary »

77 Albert 5/17/1490 – 3/20/1568
Prussian duke (1525-68) and last grand master of the Teutonic Knights (1510-1525)

73 Edward Jenner 5/17/1749 – 1/26/1823
English surgeon; helped develop smallpox vaccination

59 Erik Satie 5/17/1866 – 7/1/1925
French composer

52 Horace E. Dodge 5/17/1868 – 12/10/1920
American automobile manufacturer

84 Dorothy Richardson 5/17/1873 – 6/17/1957
English novelist

72 Jean Gabin 5/17/1904 – 11/15/1976
French film actor

66 Karl Schafer 5/17/1909 – 4/26/1976
Austrian ice skater; won Olympic gold medal winner in 1932 and 1936

60 Stewart Alsop 5/17/1914 – 5/26/1974
American journalist

64 Robin Maugham 5/17/1916 – 3/13/1981
English novelist, playwright and travel writer

65 Robin Howard 5/17/1924 – 6/12/1989
English balletomane; promoted modern dance in Britain

1792	The New York Stock Exchange was founded by brokers meeting under a tree on what is now Wall Street.
1829	John Jay, American statesman and the first chief justice of the Supreme Court, died at age 83.
1875	The first Kentucky Derby was run; the winner was Aristides.
1940	The Nazis occupied Brussels, Belgium, during World War II.
1946	President Harry S. Truman seized control of the nation’s railroads, delaying a threatened strike by engineers and trainmen.
1971	The musical “Godspell” opened off-Broadway.
1973	The Senate began hearings into the Watergate scandal.
1980	Rioting that claimed 18 lives erupted in Miami’s Liberty City neighborhood after an all-white jury in Tampa acquitted four former Miami police officers of fatally beating a black man.
1987	An Iraqi warplane attacked the U.S. Navy frigate Stark in the Persian Gulf, killing 37 American sailors. Iraq and the United States called the attack a mistake.
1992	Orchestra leader Lawrence Welk died at age 89.
1996	President Bill Clinton signed “Megan’s Law,” a measure requiring neighborhood notification when sex offenders move in.
1998	New York Yankees pitcher David Wells became the 13th player in modern major league baseball history to throw a perfect game in a 4-0 victory over the Minnesota Twins.
1999	Labor Party leader Ehud Barak unseated Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in Israeli elections.
2000	Two former Ku Klux Klansmen were arrested on murder charges in the 1963 church bombing in Birmingham, Ala., that killed four black girls.
2004	Massachusetts became the first state to allow legal same-sex marriages.
2011	Actor and former California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger issued a statement confirming a Los Angeles Times report that he had fathered a child with a woman on his household staff more than a decade earlier.

1941	Ben Nelson, U.S. senator, D-Neb., turns 71
1942	Taj Mahal, Blues singer, turns 70
1949	Bill Bruford, Rock musician (Yes, King Crimson), turns 63
1953	Kathleen Sullivan, TV personality, turns 59
1955	Bill Paxton, Actor, turns 57
1956	Bob Saget, Actor, comedian (“Full House”), turns 56
1959	Jim Nantz, Sports announcer, turns 53
1961	Enya, Singer, turns 51
1962	Craig Ferguson, TV host (“The Late Late Show”), turns 50
1963	Page McConnell, Rock musician (Phish), turns 49
1965	Trent Reznor, Rock singer, musician (Nine Inch Nails), turns 47
1966	Hill Harper, Actor (“CSI: NY”), turns 46
1969	Thom Filicia, TV personality (“Queer Eye for the Straight Guy”), turns 43
1970	Jordan Knight, Singer (New Kids on the Block), turns 42
1974	Sendhil Ramamurthy, Actor (“Heroes”), turns 38
1982	Matt Cassel, Football player, turns 30

77	Albert 5/17/1490 – 3/20/1568 Prussian duke (1525-68) and last grand master of the Teutonic Knights (1510-1525)
73	Edward Jenner 5/17/1749 – 1/26/1823 English surgeon; helped develop smallpox vaccination
59	Erik Satie 5/17/1866 – 7/1/1925 French composer
52	Horace E. Dodge 5/17/1868 – 12/10/1920 American automobile manufacturer
84	Dorothy Richardson 5/17/1873 – 6/17/1957 English novelist
72	Jean Gabin 5/17/1904 – 11/15/1976 French film actor
66	Karl Schafer 5/17/1909 – 4/26/1976 Austrian ice skater; won Olympic gold medal winner in 1932 and 1936
60	Stewart Alsop 5/17/1914 – 5/26/1974 American journalist
64	Robin Maugham 5/17/1916 – 3/13/1981 English novelist, playwright and travel writer
65	Robin Howard 5/17/1924 – 6/12/1989 English balletomane; promoted modern dance in Britain