February 17
February 17 is the 48th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar; 318 days remain until the year's end. It falls in winter (northern hemisphere) and under the astrological sign of Aquarius.
External references
Curated jump-off points to the major almanacs, encyclopaedias and primary sources for this date.
Astronomy
On February 17 the Sun's declination is approximately -12.6°. At this latitude the Sun is south of the celestial equator, giving the Northern Hemisphere shorter days than nights.
For specific rise/set times at your location, see the U.S. Naval Observatory, or the NASA APOD archive for any imagery published on a February 17.
Position in the year
Holidays & observances
No widely-observed holidays catalogued for this day in our base set. See the external almanacs above for region-specific observances.
Events
A selection of widely-documented historical events that took place on this date. Years marked BCE follow standard astronomical convention.
- 1801 — The U.S. House of Representatives broke a tie in the Electoral College and elected Thomas Jefferson President. ↗(225 years ago)
- 1864 — The Confederate submarine H. L. Hunley sank the USS Housatonic — the first sinking of a warship by a submarine. ↗(162 years ago)
- 1904 — Giacomo Puccini's opera Madama Butterfly premiered at La Scala, Milan. ↗(122 years ago)
- 2008 — Kosovo unilaterally declared independence from Serbia. ↗(18 years ago)
Notable births
Notable deaths
- 1909 — Geronimo, Apache leader. ↗(117 years ago)
Numerical & calendrical curiosities
| Day-of-year (48) | 2^4 × 3 · composite (no) |
|---|---|
| Days remaining (318) | 2 × 3 × 53 |
| Date code DDMMYYYY | 17022026 · next palindrome year: 2071 |
| Sun declination | -12.61° (Cooper approximation) |
| Distance from solstice | 59 days |