Today in History: Notable events and figures of August 17

(Representative Image: Canva)

August 17 marks a day of historical achievements and significant milestones. From groundbreaking Olympic victories to pivotal moments in space exploration, this date has seen remarkable events that have shaped our world.

On this day, American swimmer Michael Phelps secured his eighth gold medal at the 2008 Beijing Summer Olympics. Winning the 4×100-meter medley relay, Phelps broke the record for the most gold medals won by an individual in a single Olympic Games, surpassing the previous record held by fellow American swimmer Mark Spitz.

Ben Abruzzo, Maxie Anderson, and Larry Newman became the first people to successfully complete a transatlantic balloon flight. The trio achieved this remarkable feat aboard the Double Eagle II, flying from Preque Isle, Maine, to a barley field near Paris in just six days.

The Soviet spacecraft Venera 7 was launched from Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan. It became the first probe to land on another planet, Venus, and successfully transmit data back to Earth in December 1970.

Gabon, a country in Central Africa, gained its independence from French colonial rule. Initially part of French Equatorial Africa, Gabon became an independent nation after decades of French occupation, which began in the late 1800s.

• 1960: Sean Penn, Versatile American actor and director.
• 1949: Norm Coleman, Influential American politician.
• 1943: Robert De Niro, Iconic American actor.
• 1911: Mikhail Botvinnik, Renowned Russian chess player.
• 1786: Davy Crockett, Legendary American soldier and politician.

• 1988: Muhammad Zia-ul-Haq, Controversial Pakistani politician, 6th President of Pakistan.
• 1935: Charlotte Perkins Gilman, Pioneering American sociologist and novelist.
• 1880: Ole Bull, Celebrated Norwegian violinist and composer.
• 1850: José de San Martín, Revered Argentinian general and politician, 1st President of Peru.
• 1786: Frederick the Great,  Influential Prussian king.