🗞️Today’s Headlines

Everything important that’s ever happened on April 17:

2011 — The TV series Game of Thrones premiered on HBO, adapting George R. R. Martin’s A Song of Ice and Fire novels.

2003 — Anneli Jäätteenmäki became Finland’s first female prime minister after a historic parliamentary election victory.

1970 — The Apollo 13 crew safely returned to Earth after surviving a catastrophic explosion that crippled their spacecraft.

1961 — Cuban forces led by Fidel Castro defeated a US-backed invasion at the Bay of Pigs, strengthening his revolutionary regime.

1521 — Martin Luther defended his theological reforms before the Diet of Worms, refusing to recant his criticisms of the Catholic Church.

1194 — Richard I, known as the Lionheart, was crowned King of England for a second time after reclaiming his throne from rebel forces.

🎂 Today’s Birthdays

On April 17, we’re singing to:

Nikita Khrushchev (1894) — Premier of the Soviet Union known for leading the USSR during the height of the Cold War as well as initiating de-Stalinization.

Victoria Beckham (1974) — English singer, fashion designer, and former Spice Girls member who became an influential figure in the fashion industry.

Adam McKay (1968) — American director, producer, and writer acclaimed for films like The Big Short and Don’t Look Up, which blend satire with social commentary.

Jennifer Garner (1972) — American actress recognized for her roles in Alias and 13 Going on 30, as well as her philanthropic work.

 🪦Who Died Today?

On April 17, we’re saying goodbye to:

Benjamin Franklin (1790) — American author, scientist, and statesman celebrated for his role in drafting the Declaration of Independence as well as his experiments with electricity.

Gabriel García Márquez (2014) — Colombian author and Nobel laureate, famed for One Hundred Years of Solitude and his contributions to magical realism.

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