History for August 17

History for August 17 - On-This-Day.com:
Davy Crockett 1786 - Frontiersman, soldier and politician. He died at the Battle of the Alamo, Samuel Goldwyn (Samuel Goldfish) 1882 - Film producer, Mae West 1893 - Actress, singer, playwrite, screenwriter 


Gary Powers (Francis Gary Powers) 1929 - American pilot shot down while flying a reconnaissance mission over Soviet Union airspace (1960 U-2 incident),  Robert De Niro 1943 - Actor ("Bang Drum Slowly," "Goodfellas," "Cape Fear"), Nelson Piquet 1952 - Formula One driver 


Belinda Carlisle 1958 - Singer (Go-Go's), Sean Penn 1960 - Actor, screenwriter, director, Jim Courier 1970 - Tennis player 


1790 - The capital city of the U.S. moved to Philadelphia from New York City. 


1807 - Robert Fulton's "North River Steam Boat" (known as the "Clermont") began heading up New York's Hudson River on its successful round-trip to Albany. 


1863 - Federal batteries and ships bombarded Fort Sumter in Charleston, SC, harbor during the Civil War. 


1894 - John Wadsworth of Louisville set a major league record when he gave up 28 base hits in a single game. 


1915 - Charles F. Kettering received a patent for the first electric ignition device. 



1945 - The nationalists of Indonesia declared their independence from the Netherlands. 


1961 - The Communist East German government completed the construction of the Berlin Wall. 


1992 - Woody Allen admitted to being romantically involved with Soon-Yi Previn. The girl was the adopted daughter of Mia Farrow, Allen's longtime companion. 


1996 - Ross Perot was announced to be the Reform Party's presidential candidate. It was the party's first-ever candidate. 


1998 - U.S. President Clinton admitted to having an improper relationship with Monica Lewinsky, a White House intern.