What Happened on June 17?

June 17 is Eat Your Vegetables Day — and the date the Statue of Liberty arrived in New York Harbor in 1885, colonial troops fought at Bunker Hill in 1775, Iceland became a republic in 1944, and Amelia Earhart crossed the Atlantic in 1928.

• 1775 — Colonial and British forces clash at the Battle of Bunker Hill

  Near Boston on June 17, 1775, American militia held Breed's Hill through two British assaults before running out of ammunition — proving colonists could stand against professional soldiers. Read the full story →

• 1885 — The Statue of Liberty arrives in New York Harbor

  The French frigate Isère sailed into New York Harbor on June 17, 1885, carrying the Statue of Liberty in 350 crates — a gift from France to the United States. Read the full story →

• 1928 — Amelia Earhart becomes the first woman to fly across the Atlantic

  Amelia Earhart lifted off from Newfoundland on June 17, 1928, as a passenger on the Friendship — becoming the first woman to cross the Atlantic Ocean by airplane. Read the full story →

• 1944 — Iceland becomes an independent republic

  On June 17, 1944, Iceland ended its union with Denmark and declared itself a fully independent republic — a date Iceland still celebrates as National Day. Read the full story →

• 1972 — Burglars break into the Watergate office complex

  On June 17, 1972, police arrested five men breaking into the Democratic National Committee headquarters at the Watergate complex in Washington, D.C. — the scandal that eventually forced President Richard Nixon to resign. Read the full story →

Famous birthdays

Igor Stravinsky (1882–1971) · Venus Williams (1980) · Barry Manilow (1943) · Kendrick Lamar (1987)

Days & observances

Eat Your Vegetables Day · World Day to Combat Desertification and Drought · Bunker Hill Day (Massachusetts) · National Apple Strudel Day