April 17th is officially Blah Blah Blah Day and Haiku Day.
We are now on day 107 out of 365, and have 258 days left of the year.
Conspiracy, slavery, exiles, and assassinations… are you intrigued yet? Well, you should be as you’re about to dig up the details right here as we discover what events happened on this day in history.
Did you know that on this day in 2011, Game of Thrones was aired for the first time on HBO? This was also lead actor Sean Bean’s birthday.
Keep reading for more interesting facts about April 17th in history!
What Events Happened On April 17 In History?
2021 Johns Hopkins University announced that the number of people who died worldwide due to the Covid-19 pandemic had reached three million.
2019 Using gene therapy, eight babies suffering from “bubble boy disease” were cured in Memphis, Tennessee.

2011 Game of Thrones premiered on HBO.
2011 The movie “Thor” premiered in cinemas in Sydney, Australia.
2007 Jazz composer and musician John Coltrane received the Special Citation Pulitzer Prize after his death.
1973 FedEx officially began its operations and flew 186 packages to 25 cities on the US’s East Coast.

1969 Sirhan Sirhan was convicted of killing US Senator Robert F. Kennedy.
1961 1,400 Cuban exiles failed to overthrow Fidel Castro after landing in the Bay of Pigs on the south coast of Cuba.
1951 The United Kingdom officially created its first National Park, the Peak District National Park.
1932 Slavery in Ethiopia came to an end thanks to Emperor Haile Selassie.
1865 American boarding house owner Mary Surratt was arrested for taking part in President Lincoln’s assassination.
1492 Explorer Christopher Columbus was given funding for his first journey.

Famous Quotes Said On April 17
Of all of the quotes said on this day, these are the most well-known ones spoken on Apr 17 throughout history.
1787
“Only a virtuous people are capable of freedom. As nations become corrupt and vicious, they have more need of masters.”
– Benjamin Franklin
Famous People Born On April 17
If you were born on this day, did you know that you share the same birthday with Sean Bean? See who else was born on April 17th below!
1972 Jennifer Garner
American Actress

- Age:
- 50 years old
- Born In:
- Texas, USA
1959 Sean Bean
English Actor

- Age:
- 63 years old
- Born In:
- England, UK
1950 L. Scott Caldwell
American Actress

- Age:
- 72 years old
- Born In:
- Illinois, USA
1967 Henry Ian Cusick
Peruvian-Scottish Actor

- Age:
- 55 years old
- Born In:
- Trujillo, Peru
Special Holidays On April 17
Are you looking for something to do today? Then why not find time today to celebrate the following special holidays.

Blah Blah Blah Day
How often have you caught yourself ignoring someone who is constantly talking to you about something boring? Today is Blah Blah Blah Day, so make an effort to actively listen to those chatting your head off and pretend to be interested.

International Haiku Poetry Day
Haikus are a beautiful poetic art form from Japan, which have three lines with 5, 7, and 5 syllables, respectively, and a seasonal reference in the last line. Haiku Poetry Day is a great day to learn more about this artform, memorize some moving haikus or even try and write one by yourself.
April 17 Birthday Facts, Zodiac & Birthstone
Those of you who were born on April 17 share the Aries star sign.
Aries is the first sign in the zodiac and marks the beginning of something energetic and turbulent. Arians continuously look for competition and like to be first for everything.
Anyone born in April has the Diamond birthstone. Diamond comes from the Greek word “adamas,” which means “invincible” or “unbreakable.” Before engaging in battle, warriors wore diamonds to give them strength, courage, and “invincible” protection.
People born on April 17 were likely conceived on or around July 25 in the previous year.