What Happened on April 17?

April 17 is World Hemophilia Day — raising awareness about a blood-clotting condition — on the same date the Ford Mustang debuted, Daffy Duck quacked onto screens, and the Bay of Pigs invasion began in 1961.

• 1524 — Giovanni da Verrazzano enters New York Harbor

  Italian explorer Giovanni da Verrazzano sailed into the harbor on April 17, 1524 — the first European known to document the entrance to what is now New York Bay. Read the full story →

• 1937 — Daffy Duck makes his first appearance in Porky's Duck Hunt

  The zany black duck audiences know as Daffy Duck waddled onto movie screens on April 17, 1937, in the Warner Bros. cartoon Porky's Duck Hunt. Read the full story →

• 1961 — The Bay of Pigs invasion begins in Cuba

  On April 17, 1961, about 1,400 Cuban exiles trained by the CIA landed on Cuba's southern coast hoping to overthrow Fidel Castro — the operation collapsed within days. Read the full story →

• 1964 — Ford unveils the Mustang at the New York World's Fair

  On April 17, 1964, Ford introduced the Mustang — an affordable sporty coupe that sold over 400,000 units in its first year and became an American icon. Read the full story →

• 1970 — Apollo 13 astronauts splash down safely after a near-disaster in space

  On April 17, 1970, Jim Lovell, Jack Swigert, and Fred Haise landed in the Pacific Ocean — alive after an oxygen tank explosion forced NASA to abort their Moon landing. Read the full story →

Famous birthdays

Victoria Beckham (1974) · Thornton Wilder (1897–1975) · Rooney Mara (1985) · Sean Bean (1959)

Days & observances

World Hemophilia Day · National Cheeseball Day · National Bat Appreciation Day · International Ford Mustang Day