October 17 in history — What Happened Today in History

The 6.9 Mw Loma Prieta earthquake shakes the San Francisco Bay Area and the Central Coast, killing 63.

The East German Politburo votes to remove Erich Honecker from his role as General Secretary.

Uganda Airlines Flight 775 crashes at Rome–Fiumicino International Airport, in Rome, Italy, killing 33 people.

As part of the Holy See–United Kingdom relations a British monarch makes the first state visit to the Vatican.

Mother Teresa is awarded the Nobel Peace Prize.

The Department of Education Organization Act creates the U.S. Department of Education.

The hijacked Lufthansa Flight 181 lands in Mogadishu. The remaining hostages are later rescued.

'Salem's Lot, an American vampire novel by Stephen King, is published.

OPEC imposes an oil embargo against countries they deem to have helped Israel in the Yom Kippur War.

FLQ terrorists murder Quebec Vice-Premier and Minister of Labour Pierre Laporte.

The Caravaggio painting Nativity with St. Francis and St. Lawrence is stolen from the Oratory of Saint Lawrence in Palermo.

The 23rd Street Fire in New York City kills 12 firefighters.

The 1964–65 New York World's Fair closes after two years and more than 51 million attendees.

Directed by their chief Maurice Papon, Paris police massacre scores of Algerian protesters.

The first attempt of the apartheid analogy by Ahmad Shukeiri.

The first commercial nuclear power station is officially opened by Queen Elizabeth II in Sellafield, England.

Indonesian Army elements surrounded the Merdeka Palace demanding President Sukarno disband the Provisional People's Representative Council.

A large demonstration in Buenos Aires, Argentina, demands Juan Perón's release.

The Burma Railway (Burma–Thailand Railway) is completed.

Nazi Holocaust in Poland: Sobibór extermination camp is closed.

World War II: The USS Kearny becomes the first U.S. Navy vessel to be torpedoed by a U-boat.

The body of Communist propagandist Willi Münzenberg is found in South France, starting a never-resolved mystery.

Albert Einstein flees Nazi Germany and moves to the United States.

Al Capone is convicted of income tax evasion.

Leeds United F.C. founded at Salem Chapel, Holbeck after the winding up of Leeds City F.C. for making illegal payments to players during World War I

Bulgaria, Greece and Serbia declare war on the Ottoman Empire, joining Montenegro in the First Balkan War.

Marconi begins the first commercial transatlantic wireless service.

Aboriginal Australians kill nineteen Europeans in the Cullin-la-ringo massacre.

Keerthy Suresh, Indian actress

Brenda Asnicar, Argentine actress

Paolo Campinoti, Italian footballer

Maica García Godoy, Spanish water polo player

Ronald González Tabilo, Chilean footballer

Saki Kumagai, Japanese footballer

Patrick Lambie, South African rugby player

Débora García, Spanish footballer

Oleksandr Isakov, Ukrainian swimmer

Sophie Luck, Australian actress

Charles Oliveira, Brazilian mixed martial artist

David Timor, Spanish footballer

Sergiy Gladyr, Ukrainian basketball player

Berndt von Staden, German diplomat, German Ambassador to the United States (born 1919)

Mother Antonia, American-Mexican nun and activist (born 1926)

Terry Fogerty, English rugby player and coach (born 1944)

Arthur Maxwell House, Canadian neurologist and politician, 10th Lieutenant Governor of Newfoundland and Labrador (born 1926)

Lou Scheimer, American animator, producer, and voice actor, co-founded the Filmation Company (born 1928)

Rene Simpson, Canadian-American tennis player (born 1966)

Milija Aleksic, English-South African footballer (born 1951)

Émile Allais, French skier (born 1912)

Henry Friedlander, German-American historian and author (born 1930)

Stanford R. Ovshinsky, American scientist and businessman, co-founded Energy Conversion Devices (born 1922)

Kōji Wakamatsu, Japanese director, producer, and screenwriter (born 1936)

Carl Lindner, Jr., American businessman (born 1919)

Norma Fox Mazer, American author and educator (born 1931)