What Happened on November 17?
November 17 is International Students' Day — honoring student courage worldwide — on the same date Elizabeth I took England's throne in 1558, the Suez Canal opened in 1869, Lunokhod 1 rolled on the Moon in 1970, and Czechoslovakia's Velvet Revolution began in 1989.
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1558 — Elizabeth I becomes Queen of England
On November 17, 1558, Elizabeth I succeeded her half-sister Mary I — beginning a reign remembered as a golden age of English culture and power. Read the full story →
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1800 — U.S. Congress holds its first session in Washington, D.C.
On November 17, 1800, Congress met for the first time in the unfinished Capitol in the new federal city of Washington. Read the full story →
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1869 — The Suez Canal opens in Egypt
On November 17, 1869, Egypt inaugurated the Suez Canal — a 100-mile shortcut linking the Mediterranean Sea to the Red Sea. Read the full story →
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1969 — U.S. and Soviet negotiators begin SALT I arms talks
On November 17, 1969, American and Soviet teams met in Helsinki to start SALT I — negotiations to limit strategic nuclear weapons. Read the full story →
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1970 — Lunokhod 1 becomes the first rover to explore another world
On November 17, 1970, the Soviet Union's Lunokhod 1 rolled onto the Moon — the first remote-controlled rover to explore another world. Read the full story →
Famous birthdays
Martin Scorsese (1942) · Danny DeVito (1944) · Lorne Michaels (1944) · Rachel McAdams (1978)
Days & observances
International Students' Day · National Homemade Bread Day · National Take a Hike Day · National Baklava Day