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Historical events & facts — April 17
What happened on April 17?
On April 17, 1961, about 1,400 Cuban exiles trained by the CIA landed at Playa Girón (Bay of Pigs), Cuba, attempting to overthrow Fidel Castro's government. The invasion, approved by President Kennedy, was a total failure: the invaders were captured within 72 hours. The disaster strengthened Castro's position, pushed Cuba towards the USSR and was one of the greatest fiascos of the CIA.
On April 17, 1975, the Communist Party of Kampuchea (the Khmer Rouge) under Pol Pot completed their takeover of Cambodia, following the fall of Phnom Penh. What followed was one of the most brutal genocides of the twentieth century: between 1.5 and 2 million people — between 25% and 33% of the Cambodian population — died of starvation, disease, forced labour and executions in the "Killing Fields".
On April 17, 1946, the last French troops left Syria, which proclaimed its full independence. France had held the mandate over Syria since 1920, following the dismemberment of the Ottoman Empire. Syrian independence, achieved under the leadership of Shukri al-Quwatli, was the end of French colonialism in the Levant. April 17 is today Syria's national holiday.
Notable birthdays — April 17
Famous people born on April 17
Demetrios Petrokokkinos
Demetrios Stephen Petrokokkinos was a Greek tennis player. He competed at the 1896 Summer Olympics in Athens.
Helenio Herrera
Helenio Herrera Gavilán was an Argentine and naturalised French football player and manager. He is best remembered for his success with the Inter Milan team known as Grande Inter in the 1960s.
Solly Hemus
Solomon Joseph Hemus was an American professional baseball infielder, manager, and coach, who played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the St. Louis Cardinals and Philadelphia Phillies. Hemus is one of a select group of big league players to have held a dual role as a player-manager.
Heinz Putzl
Heinz Putzl is an Austrian former fencer. He competed at the 1948 and 1952 Summer Olympics.
Ronald H. Miller
Ronald H. Miller was professor of the Religion Department at Lake Forest College in Illinois. Miller earned a Ph.D. in Comparative Religions from Northwestern University, and a B.S and M.A from St. Louis University. He was a co-founder and co-director of Common Ground, an active adult education group for interfaith study and dialogue founded in 1975.
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