November 17
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1894
The murders of H.H. Holmes
On this day in 1894, authorities arrested H.H. Holmes in Boston on suspicion of fraud. Only later did they unearth evidence linking him to murders that would earn him notoriety as one of America’s first serial killers. Who were Holmes’s victims, and where was his “Murder Castle”?
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Featured Event
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Arnold Schwarzenegger inaugurated as governor of California
Republican Arnold Schwarzenegger, an Austrian-born American bodybuilder and film actor, was inaugurated on this day in 2003 as the governor of California following a recall election that ousted the sitting governor.
Featured Biography
Featured Biography
© iStockphoto/Thinkstock
There is a continual exchange of ideas between all minds of a generation. Journalists, popular novelists, illustrators, and cartoonists adapt the truths discovered by the powerful intellects for the multitude.
French sculptor Auguste Rodin, known for his bronze and marble figures, including The Thinker (1880) and The Kiss (1886), and considered one of the best portraitists in the history of sculpture, died this day in 1917.
Famous Birthdays
More on November 17
Evan Schneider/UN Photo
2025
Bangladesh’s International Crimes Tribunal convicted Sheikh Hasina Wazed of crimes against humanity for her administration’s actions during nationwide mass protests that began in July 2024 and left more than 1,400 people dead.
Karen Shell
2008
The first film adaptation of Stephenie Meyer’s popular Twilight Saga, a vampire-themed series of novels for teenagers, premiered in Los Angeles. [Test your knowledge of famous vampires.]
© Marcin Kadziolka/Dreamstime.com
1989
Massive antigovernment demonstrations in Czechoslovakia were set off by police brutality at a demonstration commemorating the 50th anniversary of the suppression of a student demonstration in German-occupied Prague, and, under the leadership of Václav Havel, they continued until the communist government resigned. [How much do you know about European history?]
© Gianni Ferrari—Cover/Getty Images
1973
During the Watergate scandal, U.S. President Richard Nixon held a press conference in which he declared, “I am not a crook.” [Read about nine American political scandals, including Watergate.]
UPI/Corbis-Bettmann
1950
German athlete Roland Matthes, one of the greatest backstrokers in the history of swimming, was born in East Germany. [Sort fact from fiction in our swimming quiz.]
Warner Brothers, Inc.
1942
American filmmaker Martin Scorsese, who was known for his harsh, often violent depictions of American culture, was born. [Take our film buff quiz.]
National Archives, Washington, D.C.
1887
British Field Marshal Bernard Law Montgomery, one of the outstanding Allied commanders in World War II, was born in London. [Sort fact from fiction in our quiz about World War II.]
© Jim Lo Scalzo—EPA-EFE/Shutterstock.com
1871
The National Rifle Association was granted a charter by New York state; the NRA’s initial goal was to “promote and encourage rifle shooting on a scientific basis,” and it later became a leading advocate of gun rights.
Hubertus Kauns/SuperStock
1869
After 10 years of construction, the Suez Canal opened in Egypt. [Test your knowledge of canals, straits, and more.]
© MedioImages/Getty Images
1800
The U.S. Congress held its first session in Washington, D.C. [Take our quiz about American history and politics.]
Photos.com/Thinkstock
1558
At the death of Mary I this day, Elizabeth Tudor came to the English throne as Elizabeth I. [Take our queens in England quiz.]
Alinari/Art Resource, New York
284
Diocletian was acclaimed Roman emperor by his soldiers. [Test your knowledge of kings and emperors.]