17 Jan 1885

Germany
17 Jan 1915

Philippines
  • Henry Arnold's daughter Lois Elizabeth Arnold was born at Fort William McKinley in Manila, Philippine Islands.
    » In-depth article
17 Jan 1917

Germany
17 Jan 1923

France
  • The keel of light cruiser La Motte-Picquet was laid down by the Arsenal de Lorient in France.
    » In-depth article
17 Jan 1925

United States
  • Douglas MacArthur was promoted to the rank of major general, making him the youngest at that rank in the US Army.
    » In-depth article
17 Jan 1933

United States
  • US Congress approved the plan for the independence of the Philippine Islands.
17 Jan 1937

Spain
  • With the arrival in Spain of the Italian volunteers the Spanish Nationalists now felt confident to mount an offensive on the southern provinces of Republican Spain. Three Nationalist columns converged on Málaga; The Army of the South (General Gonzalo) advanced from the west, whilst from Grenada, to the north of the city, advanced Colonel Antonio Muńoz Jiménez. The third column, attacking from the north, consisted of the Italians of General Mario Roatta. Although large numbers of Republican troops were available to defend Málaga, they were badly organised and were steadily forced back over the course of the following two weeks.
    » In-depth article
17 Jan 1938

Japan
  • Japanese Navy revealed requirements for the next generation of carrier fighters to representatives from Nakajima and Mitsubishi; Nakajima thought the requirements were impossible and dropped out of the race, while Mitsubishi was able to meet the requirements with its prototype A6M Type 0 fighter in 1939.
    » In-depth article
United States
  • Franklin Roosevelt began the March of Dimes campaign to fight poliomyelitis.
    » In-depth article
  • Japanese Foreign Minister Koki Hirota's message to a diplomat stationed in the United States was intercepted by the Americans. In this message, he made note of the atrocities happening in Nanjing, China and compared the Japanese Army in Nanjing to those serving under Attila the Hun.
    » In-depth article
Photo(s) dated 17 Jan 1938
USS Yorktown anchored in the Caribbean Sea during her shakedown cruise, 17 Jan 1938
17 Jan 1939

France
  • The French battleship Richelieu was launched at Brest, France.
    » In-depth article
17 Jan 1940

Atlantic Ocean
  • German submarine U-25 torpedoed and sank British steamer Polzella near the Shetland Islands, Scotland, United Kingdom. When the Norwegian ship Enid came to rescue any potential survivors, U-25 shelled, torpedoed, and sank her. Polzella's entire crew was killed, while Enid's crew of 16 were later rescued by British trawler Granada and Danish merchant ship Kina.
Belgium
  • Belgium revealed to the German ambassador that Belgium had learned German plans and not-yet-executed orders for the invasion of Belgium.
    » In-depth article
Finland
  • Finland registered temperatures as low as -45 degrees Celsius (-45 Degrees Fahrenheit). The cold weather posed problems for both Finnish and Soviet troops fighting in Finland.
France
  • Polish cryptographers in Paris, France cracked the German air force's Enigma codes, making it possible to intercept and read all the Luftwaffe's secret transmissions.
    » In-depth article
Photo(s) dated 17 Jan 1940
Finnish troops inspecting destroyed Soviet vehicles, Finland, 17 Jan 1940
17 Jan 1941

Atlantic Ocean
  • German submarine U-96 attacked British liner Almeda Star 200 miles west of Isle of Lewis, Outer Hebrides, Scotland, United Kingdom at 0745 hours, firing four torpedoes and her deck gun. Four lifeboats were launched before Almeda Star sank, but when seven British destroyers arrived, none of them were found, thus all aboard were lost (137 crew, 29 gunners, and 194 passengers).
  • Italian submarine Marcello approached an Allied convoy off the Outer Hebrides, Scotland, United Kingdom, but was detected by an escort destroyer, which attacked the submarine with five depth charges. Marcello suffered damage in her forward trim tank, forcing her end her war patrol to return to base.
  • German submarine U-106 sank British ship Zealandic off the Outer Hebrides, Scotland, United Kingdom with three torpedoes. 73 survivors took to three lifeboats, but none were ever found.
Malta Thailand
  • A French naval squadron attacked the Thai anchorage at Ko Chang island near the Thai-Cambodian border, sinking two gunboats, damaging a coastal defense ship, and killing 36 men.
    » In-depth article
United Kingdom
  • British corvette HMS Rhododendron hit a mine in Liverpool Harbor, England, United Kingdom. She was to remain out of action for three months for repairs.
17 Jan 1942

Anglo-Egyptian Sudan
  • HMS Indomitable departed Port Sudan in British East Africa with 48 RAF Hurricane fighters for Singapore in Operation Opposition.
    » In-depth article
Atlantic Ocean
  • German submarine U-87 sank Norwegian tanker Nyholt at 0359 hours with 8 torpedoes and 120 rounds from the deck gun; all 41 aboard survived in two lifeboats, but only one lifeboat would eventually be rescued; of the 23 originally aboard this boat, 2 would die of exposure prior to rescue. Later in the day, at 1121 hours, German submarine U-203 sank Norwegian ship Octavian, killing all 17 aboard.
    » In-depth article
Caroline Islands Egypt
  • 5,000 Axis troops at the Halfaya Pass, Egypt surrendered to the South African 6th Infantry Brigade.
    » In-depth article
France
  • German armed merchant cruiser Thor departed La Rochelle, France, for her second raiding cruise.
Hawaii Indian Ocean
  • British destroyer HMS Jupiter forced Japanese submarine I-60 to surface 65 miles west of Krakatoa, Dutch East Indies. I-60 returned fire with her deck gun, killing 3 and wounding 9. I-60 was ultimately sunk by Jupiter; 85 were killed, 2 survived.
Japan Malaya, Singapore, and Borneo
  • Indian 45th Brigade withdrew from Bukit Bakri, British Malaya.
    » In-depth article
Mediterranean Sea
  • HMS Gurkha (Commander C. N. Lentaigne), escorting Allied convoy MW-8B, was torpedoed and sunk by the German submarine U-133 off Sollum, Egypt at 0735 hours; 9 were killed, 240 survived. Gurkha, formerly HMS Larne, was an L-class destroyer which had been paid for by every officer and man of the Gurkha Brigade subscribing a days pay to provide a new ship after the loss of the Tribal-Class HMS Gurkha in Apr 1940.
Russia
  • German submarine U-454 attacked Allied convoy PQ-8 20 miles off the Kola Inlet in northern Russia at 2221 hours, sinking British Tribal-class destroyer HMS Matabele (under Commander A. C. Stafford; 236 were killed, 2 survived), sinking Soviet trawler RT-68 Enisej, and damaging British merchant ship Harmatris (civilian convoy commodore's flagship). Later in the day, surviving ships of PQ-8 arrived in Murmansk, Russia.
    » In-depth article
Ukraine
  • Walther von Reichenau passed away from either a cerebral hemorrhage or a heartattack near Poltava, Ukraine.
    » In-depth article
United Kingdom
  • The Boeing 314 Clipper Flying Boat "Berwick" with Winston Churchill aboard suffered a navigational error and would have flown into France had not been a last minute course correction. When the aircraft approached Britain from the south, the aircraft was initially treated as hostile and six Hurricane fighters were scrambled to intercept; the fighters failed to locate Churchill's transport.
    » In-depth article
17 Jan 1943

Caroline Islands
  • A Japanese convoy carrying Japanese Army troops transferred from China departed Truk, Caroline Islands for Shortland Islands, Solomon Islands.
    » In-depth article
  • Repair ship Akashi began repairing seaplane tender Sanyo Maru and destroyers Kagero and Oyashio at Truk, Caroline Islands.
    » In-depth article
    » Tabular Record of Movement
Germany
  • Journalist Richard Dimbleby flew in a British No. 106 Squadron Lancaster bomber over Berlin, Germany during a raid to record a live report, which was broadcast by the BBC on the following day.
    » In-depth article
Pacific Ocean
  • USS Finback sank a Japanese patrol boat south of Japan with her deck gun.
    » In-depth article
United Kingdom
  • Allied convoy JW-52 departed Liverpool, England, United Kingdom.
    » In-depth article
17 Jan 1944

Italy
  • British X Corps attacked the western end of the German Gustav Line in Italy.
    » In-depth article
Japan Photo(s) dated 17 Jan 1944
San Jacinto off the Philadelphia Navy Yard, Pennsylvania, 17 Jan 1944
17 Jan 1945

Atlantic Ocean
  • US Navy intelligence estimated that the German submarine sailing for New York City waters off the east coast of the United States, U-869, would arrive in early Feb 1945.
    » In-depth article
Burma
  • Japanese forces in Burma began organizing counterattacks against the latest Anglo-Indian offensive.
    » In-depth article
Dutch East Indies
  • USS Guitarro arrvied at Mios Woendi, Biak Islands, Dutch East Indies and received repairs.
    » In-depth article
Greece
  • Salonika in Greece was occupied by British troops.
Guam
  • USS Puffer arrived at Guam, Mariana Islands, ending her sixth war patrol.
    » In-depth article
Hungary
  • The encircled Axis garrison in Budapest, Hungary withdrew across the Danube River to Buda.
    » In-depth article
  • Raoul Wallenberg was transferred out of Budapest, Hungary for Moscow, Russia by the order of Joseph Stalin's deputy Nikolai Bulganin.
    » In-depth article
Pacific Ocean Poland
  • After crossing the Warthe River, Soviet troops expanded their bridgehead to 160 miles wide and 100 miles deep, causing the Germans to evacuate Warsaw, Poland (which would soon be occupied by Soviet forces) and Chelmno Extermination Camp; on the same day, Soviet forces also captured Kielce. Angry at the abandonment of Warsaw, Adolf Hitler sacked General Smilo von Lüttwitz and General Walter Fries. Meanwhile, Soviet Marshal Ivan Konev received orders to move toward the Upper Silesia region.
    » In-depth article
  • 67,012 prisoners were present at Auschwitz Concentration Camp's last evening roll call; they would soon embark on the Death March. Meanwhile, Nazi doctor Josef Mengele began to destroy his laboratories at sector BIIf of Birkenau camp; he would soon evacuate the camp with records of his experiments on twins, dwarfs, and disabled people.
    » In-depth article
United States
  • Submarine Mero was launched at Manitowoc, Wisconsin, United States, sponsored by the wife of Henry G. Taylor.
    » In-depth article
  • Henry Arnold suffered his fourth heart attack.
    » In-depth article
Photo(s) dated 17 Jan 1945
F4U-1 Corsair fighters of Royal New Zealand Air Force in flight near Bougainville, Solomon Islands, 17 Jan 1945
17 Jan 1946

South Africa
  • HMS Colossus was drydocked at the Selborne drydock at Simonstown, South Africa for repairs and refitting.
    » In-depth article
17 Jan 1947

China
  • Chinese Nationalist forces captured Xiaoyi, Shanxi, China, defeating the Communists forces garrisoned there.
17 Jan 1950

United States
  • USS Missouri accidentally grounded off Hampton Roads, Virginia, United States.
    » In-depth article
17 Jan 1961

Photo(s) dated 17 Jan 1961
Canadian Prime Minister John Diefenbaker and US President Dwight Eisenhower at the signing of the Columbia River Treaty, 17 Jan 1961
17 Jan 1991

Iraq
  • USS Missouri began firing Tomahawk missles at Iraqi targets over the next five days.
    » In-depth article
17 Jan 1993

Korea
  • Japanese Prime Minister Kiichi Miyazawa presented formal apologies for the suffering of the comfort women during a trip to South Korea.

Timeline Section Founder: Thomas Houlihan
Contributors: Alan Chanter, C. Peter Chen, Thomas Houlihan, David Stubblebine
Special Thanks: Rory Curtis




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USS Augusta displaying large US flags on top of her turrets during the Second Battle of Shanghai, China, 1937
USS Augusta displaying large US flags on top of her turrets during the Second Battle of Shanghai, China, 1937



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"With Germany arming at breakneck speed, England lost in a pacifist dream, France corrupt and torn by dissension, America remote and indifferent... do you not tremble for your children?"

Winston Churchill, 1935