What Happened on May 17?

May 17 is the International Day Against Homophobia — on the same date the Supreme Court ruled in Brown v. Board, the first Kentucky Derby thundered at Churchill Downs in 1875, and the WHO removed homosexuality from its disease list in 1990.

• 1875 — The first Kentucky Derby is run at Churchill Downs

  Fifteen three-year-old thoroughbreds raced 1.5 miles before 10,000 fans on May 17, 1875 — launching America's longest-running continuously held sporting event. Read the full story →

• 1954 — Supreme Court decides Brown v. Board of Education

  On May 17, 1954, the U.S. Supreme Court unanimously ruled that racial segregation in public schools was unconstitutional — a landmark victory for the civil rights movement. Read the full story →

• 1954 — NAACP celebrates Brown decision as 'Separate Is Not Equal'

  Civil rights organizations marked May 17, 1954, as a turning point — the day America's highest court rejected the idea that segregated schools could ever be truly equal. Read the full story →

• 1973 — Senate Watergate hearings open on live television

  The Senate Select Committee on Presidential Campaign Activities began public hearings on May 17, 1973, investigating the break-in at Democratic headquarters and a cover-up that would force President Nixon to resign. Read the full story →

• 1990 — WHO removes homosexuality from its International Classification of Diseases

  On May 17, 1990, the World Health Organization deleted homosexuality from its list of mental disorders — a medical milestone now commemorated as IDAHOBIT. Read the full story →

Famous birthdays

Tammy Wynette (1942–1998) · Enya (1961) · Trent Reznor (1965) · Derek Hough (1985)

Days & observances

International Day Against Homophobia, Biphobia and Transphobia (IDAHOBIT) · National Walnut Day · World Telecommunication and Information Society Day · National Cherry Cobbler Day