February 17
Overview
Holidays & Observances
Christianfeast day:
Seven Founders of the Servite OrderAlexis Falconieri, Constabilis, Donatus, Romulus, Secundian, and Companions, Fintan of Clonenagh, Janani Luwum(Anglican Communion), Lommán of Trim, February 17 (Eastern Orthodox liturgics)
A day in the Christian liturgical calendar honoring multiple saints, including the founders of the Servite Order, St. Fintan, and Archbishop Janani Luwum.
Independence Day, celebrates the independence declaration ofKosovoin 2008, stillpartially recognized.
Celebrates Kosovo's declaration of independence from Serbia on February 17, 2008.
Revolution Day (Libya)
Marks the anniversary of the 1969 coup in Libya led by Muammar Gaddafi that overthrew King Idris I.
Seven Founders of the Servite Order
Alexis Falconieri
Honors the founding group of the Servite Order, a Catholic mendicant community devoted to Mary.
Constabilis
Commemorates Blessed Constabilis, one of the Seven Founders of the Servite Order, noted for his humility and devotion.
Donatus, Romulus, Secundian, and Companions
Remembers Donatus, Romulus, Secundian, and their companions, early martyrs of the Christian faith.
Fintan of Clonenagh
Celebrates Saint Fintan of Clonenagh, a 6th-century Irish monk renowned for his austere asceticism.
Janani Luwum(Anglican Communion)
Commemorates Archbishop Janani Luwum, a Ugandan martyr who stood against oppression under Idi Amin.
Lommán of Trim
Honors Saint Lommán of Trim, an early Irish bishop credited with establishing Christian foundations in Trim.
Events
Northern Crusades: Grand Duchy of Lithuania and the Teutonic Knights meet in the Battle of Rudau.
In 1370, the Grand Duchy of Lithuania clashed with the Teutonic Knights at the Battle of Rudau, a key confrontation in the Northern Crusades.
Following the successful campaigns during the Ottoman Interregnum, Musa Çelebi, one of the sons of Bayezid I, becomes Sultan of the Ottoman Empire with the support of Mircea I of Wallachia.
In 1411, Musa Çelebi ascended to the Ottoman throne with support from Mircea I of Wallachia after the Interregnum struggle.
Duke Friedrich and Duke Johann attempt to subdue the peasantry of Dithmarschen, Denmark, in the Battle of Hemmingstedt.
In 1500, Dukes Friedrich and Johann of Saxe-Lauenburg attacked the peasant republic of Dithmarschen at the Battle of Hemmingstedt.
On his way to be burned at the stake for heresy, at Campo de' Fiori in Rome, the philosopher Giordano Bruno has a wooden vise put on his tongue to prevent him continuing to speak.
In 1600, philosopher Giordano Bruno was forcibly silenced with a wooden gag on his way to execution for heresy in Rome.
Nurhaci proclaims himself Khan of the Later Jin, precursor to the Qing Dynasty.
In 1616, Jurchen leader Nurhaci declared himself Khan of the Later Jin, initiating the rise of the Qing Dynasty.
Myles Standish is appointed as first military commander of the English Plymouth Colony in North America.
In 1621, English colonists in Plymouth appointed Myles Standish as their first military commander to defend the settlement.
An earthquake strikes the Indonesian island of Ambon. It triggers a 100 m (330 ft) megatsunami which drowns over 2,300 people.
In 1674, a massive earthquake struck Ambon Island in Indonesia, triggering a 100 m megatsunami that claimed over 2,300 lives.
Sixteen men of Pascual de Iriate's expedition are lost at Evangelistas Islets at the western end of the Strait of Magellan.
In 1676, sixteen members of Pascual de Iriate's expedition perished after disappearing at the Evangelistas Islets near the Strait of Magellan.
The Battle of Vasai commences as the Marathas move to invade Portuguese-occupied territory.
In 1739, Maratha forces launched the Battle of Vasai to wrest control of Portuguese territories near Bombay.
Births
Wu Zetian
The only female emperor in Chinese history, Wu Zetian rose from concubine to sovereign, founding the Zhou dynasty and revitalizing government.
Al-Juwayni
A leading 11th-century Persian Shafi'i jurist and theologian, Al-Juwayni profoundly shaped Islamic legal thought and taught future scholars like Al-Ghazali.
Charles III
Charles III, Duke of Bourbon, was a French noble and military commander whose defection to Emperor Charles V led to the infamous Sack of Rome in 1527.
Francis
Francis (1519-1563) served as Grand Chamberlain of France, holding one of the highest offices in the royal court during the Renaissance.
Charles de Lorraine
Charles de Lorraine was a 16th-century French cardinal and a leading figure of the powerful Guise family during the Wars of Religion.
Pierre Le Pesant
Pierre Le Pesant, sieur de Boisguilbert, was a pioneering French economist who challenged mercantilist policies and advocated for free trade and tax reform.
Arcangelo Corelli
Arcangelo Corelli was a celebrated Italian Baroque violinist and composer, instrumental in developing the concerto grosso and modern violin technique.
Tobias Mayer
Tobias Mayer was a German astronomer and academic famed for his accurate lunar tables, which were crucial for determining longitude at sea.
Horace-Bénédict de Saussure
Horace-Bénédict de Saussure was a Swiss physicist, meteorologist, and Alpine explorer who conducted pioneering studies of mountains and weather.
Deaths
Jovian
Roman emperor who reigned briefly after Julian the Apostate's death, securing peace with the Sassanid Empire and stabilizing the empire.
Mesrop Mashtots
Armenian monk and theologian who invented the Armenian alphabet and laid the foundations of Armenian literature.
Al-Tabari
Persian scholar whose monumental histories and Quranic exegesis influenced generations of Islamic scholarship.
Evermode of Ratzeburg
Cistercian monk who became bishop of Ratzeburg and led missionary efforts among the Slavic Wends.
Theobald I
Duke of Lorraine remembered for his participation in the Crusades and efforts to strengthen his duchy's institutions.
Otto
Habsburg duke who governed Austria in the early 14th century amid regional power struggles.
Emperor of Bulgaria from 1331 to 1371 who presided over a cultural renaissance and fortified the realm.
Adolph
German nobleman who ruled Oldenburg-Delmenhorst and influenced regional politics at the dawn of the 16th century.
Giordano Bruno
Italian philosopher and cosmologist who championed the idea of an infinite universe and was martyred for his radical ideas.