May 17
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1954
1954: Racial segregation outlawed in U.S. public schools
On this day in 1954, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled unanimously in Brown v. Board of Education of Topeka that racial segregation in public schools was unconstitutional. The author of the opinion, Chief Justice Earl Warren, used plain language so ordinary Americans could understand its weight: “It is doubtful that any child may reasonably be expected to succeed in life if he is denied the opportunity of an education.”
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© Carl Iwasaki—The Chronicle Collection/Getty Images; Photo Illustration Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc.
Featured Event
Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc.
Same-sex marriage legalized in Massachusetts
On this day in 2004 Massachusetts became the first U.S. state to legalize same-sex marriage as it began issuing marriage licenses to gay couples. [Sort fact from fiction in our quiz about U.S. states.]
Featured Biography
Featured Biography
Wellcome Library, London (CC BY 4.0)
British surgeon Edward Jenner, born this day in 1749, was the first to formally develop a vaccine against smallpox—smallpox was a leading cause of death—and his work was credited with laying the foundation for immunology.
Famous Birthdays
More on May 17
Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc.
1996
U.S. President Bill Clinton signed Megan’s Law, which required that law-enforcement officials notify local schools, day-care centers, and residents of the presence of registered sex offenders in their communities.
© 2006 Index Open
1939
The first televised sporting event in the United States—a collegiate baseball game between Princeton and Columbia—aired on NBC. [Take our sports quiz.]
Steve Wood—Hulton Archive/Getty Images
1918
Operatic soprano Birgit Nilsson, who was celebrated as a Wagnerian interpreter and known for her powerful, rich voice, was born in Västra Karup, Sweden. [Test your knowledge of opera.]
© Everett Historical/Shutterstock.com
1900
The Wonderful Wizard of Oz by L. Frank Baum was first published. It became a classic of children’s literature, and the 1939 film adaption is among the most beloved movies in American cinema. [Take our quiz about children’s authors.]
From Famous Horses of America published by Porter and Coates, 1877
1875
The first Kentucky Derby was run at Churchill Downs in Louisville, Kentucky. Oliver Lewis rode Aristides to victory. [What’s the history of African Americans in horse racing?]
Artepics/Alamy
1866
Composer Erik Satie, whose spare, unconventional, often witty style exerted a major influence on 20th-century music, was born in Honfleur, France. [How much do you know about music composers?]
Library of Congress, Washington, D.C.
1792
Meeting on what is now Wall Street in New York City, 24 businessmen took the initial steps to forming the New York Stock Exchange.
World History Archive/Alamy
1510
Italian artist Sandro Botticelli, one of the greatest painters of the Florentine Renaissance, died. [Take our quiz about Renaissance artists.]