| Date | Name | Location / Topic | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Flag Day |  | ||
| Slovenians in Prekmurje Incorporated into the Mother Nation Day |  | ||
| San MartÃn Day |  | ||
| Assumption of Mary |  | ||
| Discovery Day |  | ||
| National Nonprofit Day |  | ||
| National I LOVE My Feet Day! |  | ||
| National Thrift Shop Day |  | ||
| Black Cat Appreciation Day |  | ||
| Indonesian Independence Day | |||
| Nauroz | |||
| Assumption Day observed | |||
| Ride Sober Or Get Pulled Over |  | ||
| National Vanilla Custard Day |  | ||
Historical Events on August 17
- 1862: Major General J. E. B. Stuart is given command of all the cavalry of the Confederate Army of Northern Virginia during the American Civil War on this day.
- 1862: During the American Indian Wars, the Dakota War of 1862 begins on this day in Minnesota. It begins when Lakota warrior strike out at white settlements along the Minnesota River.
- 1863: Union ships bombard Fort Sumter in Charleston, South Carolina during the American Civil War.
- 1908: The first animated cartoon, Fantasmagorie by Émile Cohl, is given a showing in Paris, France.
- 1914: During the Battle of Stallupönen during WWI, General Hermann von François leads German forces against a Russian force commanded by Paul von Rennenkampf.
- 1915: When a 13-year old girl is murdered in Marietta, Georgia, a Jewish-American named Leo Frank is blamed for it and lynched by a mob.
- 1942: During World War II, United States Marines attack the Pacific island that is held by Japanese forces called Makin.
- 1943: 60 American bombers are lost by the U.S 8th Air Force during their raid on the Schweinfurt–Regensburg mission.
- 1943: The Royal Air Force undertakes Operation Hydra – the first air raid against Germany’s V-rocket program.
- 1943: Franklin D. Roosevelt, Winston Churchill and William Lyon Mackenzie King attend the First Québec Conference during World War II.
- 1970: Venera 7 is launched by the Soviet Union from Baikonur Cosmodrome. This spacecraft will eventually become the first craft to transmit from another planet when it transmits from Venus.
- 1977: The first surface ship to reach the North Pole is the Soviet vessel Arktika.
- 1998: United States President Bill Clinton admits that he had an improper sexual relationship with then White House intern Monica Lewinsky.
Famous Birthdays on August 17
- American actress and screenwriter Mae West is born in 1893.
- American general and engineer Leslie Groves is born in 1896.
- American journalist and politician Mary Cain is born in 1904.
- American actor and director Robert De Niro is born in 1943.
- French Pianist and conductor Jean-Bernard Pommier is born in 1944.
- American author, poet and teacher Rachel Pollak is born in 1945.
- American screenwriter, director and producer Martha Coolidge is born in 1946.