On This Day for May 17 - School segregation outlawed by U.S. Supreme Court, Edward Jenner is featured, and more

Created: 2020-05-17 10:03 Updated: 2020-05-17 10:03 Notebook: On this Day in History

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May 17

FEATURED BIOGRAPHY

Edward Jenner

FEATURED EVENT

1954

School segregation outlawed by U.S. Supreme Court

MORE EVENTS ON THIS DAY

2004: Massachusetts became the first U.S. state to legalize same-sex marriage as it began issuing marriage licenses to gay couples.

1996: U.S. President Bill Clinton signed Megan's Law , which required that law-enforcement officials notify local schools, day-care centres, and residents of the presence of registered sex offenders in their communities.

1918: Swedish operatic soprano Birgit Nilsson, who was celebrated as a Wagnerian interpreter and known for her powerful, rich voice, was born in Västra Karup. [Test your knowledge of opera.]

1900: L. Frank Baum 's The Wonderful Wizard of Oz was first published, and it became a classic of children's literature; the 1939 film adaption is among the most beloved movies in American cinema. [Take our quiz about children's authors.]

1875: The first Kentucky Derby was run at Churchill Downs in Louisville, Kentucky, and the winning horse was Aristides. [Test your knowledge of famous horses.]

1866: French composer Erik Satie, whose spare, unconventional, often witty style exerted a major influence on 20th-century music, was born in Honfleur. [How much do you know about music composers? ]

SEE ALL EVENTS ON THIS DAY

ALSO BORN ON THIS DAY

1936

Dennis Hopper
American actor, director, and writer

1956

Sugar Ray Leonard
American boxer and television commentator

1866

Erik Satie
French composer

1749

Edward Jenner
English surgeon

1886

Alfonso XIII
king of Spain