History for August 17

History for August 17 - On-This-Day.com:
Davy Crockett 1786 - Frontiersman, soldier and politician. He died at the Battle of the Alamo, Mae West 1893 - Actress, singer, playwrite, screenwriter, Gary Powers (Francis Gary Powers) 1929 - American pilot shot down while flying a reconnaissance mission over Soviet Union airspace (1960 U-2 incident)


Robert De Niro 1943 - Actor ("Bang Drum Slowly," "Goodfellas," "Cape Fear"), Belinda Carlisle 1958 - Singer (Go-Go's), Sean Penn 1960 - Actor, screenwriter, director


1863 - Federal batteries and ships bombarded Fort Sumter in Charleston, SC, harbor during the Civil War.


1896 - The Klondike gold rush was set off by George Carmack discovering gold on Rabbit Creek in Alaska.


1903 - Joseph Pulitzer donated a million dollars to Columbia University. This started the Pulitzer Prizes in his name.


1943 - The Allied conquest of Sicily was completed as U.S. and British forces entered Messina.


1982 - The U.S. Senate approved an immigration bill that granted permanent resident status to illegal aliens who had arrived in the United States before 1977.


1992 - Woody Allen admitted to being romantically involved with Soon-Yi Previn. The girl was the adopted daughter of Mia Farrow, Allen's longtime companion.


1996 - A military cargo plane crashed in Wyoming killing eight crewmembers and a Secret Service employee. The plane was carrying gear for U.S. President Clinton.


1998 - U.S. President Clinton admitted to having an improper relationship with Monica Lewinsky, a White House intern.