March 17
Overview
Holidays & Observances
Birthday of Sheikh Mujibur Rahman(Bangladesh)
Commemorates the birth anniversary of Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, the founding father of Bangladesh and its first president. Observed as a national holiday, it celebrates his leadership in the country's independence.
Children's Day(Bangladesh)
Celebrates children's rights and welfare in Bangladesh on the birthday of Sheikh Mujibur Rahman.
Christianfeast day:
Alexius of Rome(Eastern Church), Gertrude of Nivelles, John Sarkander, Joseph of Arimathea(Western Church), Patrick of Ireland, March 17 (Eastern Orthodox liturgics)
Observes feast days for several Christian saints, including St. Patrick, St. Alexius of Rome, and others in Eastern and Western traditions.
Evacuation Day(Suffolk County, Massachusetts)
A local holiday in Suffolk County, Massachusetts, commemorating the 1776 British evacuation of Boston during the American Revolutionary War.
Saint Patrick's Day, a public holiday in Ireland,Montserratand theCanadian provinceofNewfoundland and Labrador, widely celebrated in the English-speaking world and to a lesser degree in other parts of the world.
Honors Saint Patrick, the patron saint of Ireland, with parades, cultural festivals, and widespread celebrations.
Alexius of Rome(Eastern Church)
Commemorates Saint Alexius of Rome, a hermit and ascetic revered in the Eastern Orthodox tradition.
Gertrude of Nivelles
Honors Saint Gertrude of Nivelles, patroness of travelers, gardeners, and the mentally ill.
John Sarkander
Celebrates Saint John Sarkander, a Bohemian priest and martyr known for his steadfast faith.
Joseph of Arimathea(Western Church)
Marks the feast of Joseph of Arimathea, the disciple who provided the tomb for Jesus after the Crucifixion.
Events
In his last victory, Julius Caesar defeats the Pompeian forces of Titus Labienus and Pompey the Younger in the Battle of Munda.
Julius Caesar secures his last victory at the Battle of Munda, crushing the remaining Pompeian resistance in Spain.
Commodus becomes sole emperor of the Roman Empire at the age of eighteen, following the death of his father, Marcus Aurelius.
At eighteen, Commodus ascends as sole emperor of the Roman Empire after the death of his father, Marcus Aurelius.
Petronius Maximus becomes, with support of the Roman Senate, emperor of the Western Roman Empire; he forces Licinia Eudoxia, the widow of his predecessor, Valentinian III, to marry him.
Petronius Maximus is proclaimed Western Roman Emperor with Senate backing and compels Licinia Eudoxia to wed him.
Edward, the Black Prince is made Duke of Cornwall, the first Duchy in England.
Edward, the Black Prince, is granted the title Duke of Cornwall, creating England's first royal duchy.
Turko-Mongol emperor Timur sacks Damascus.
Timur, the Turko-Mongol conqueror, captures and sacks Damascus during his 1400 Middle Eastern campaign.
American Revolution: The British Army evacuates Boston, ending the Siege of Boston, after George Washington and Henry Knox place artillery in positions overlooking the city.
British forces evacuate Boston, concluding the Siege of Boston after colonial artillery is positioned on Dorchester Heights.
The Italian Republic, with Napoleon as president, becomes the Kingdom of Italy, with Napoleon as King of Italy.
Napoleon elevates the Italian Republic to the Kingdom of Italy and crowns himself as its king.
The Anglo-Dutch Treaty is signed in London, dividing the Malay archipelago. As a result, the Malay Peninsula is dominated by the British, while Sumatra and Java and surrounding areas are dominated by the Dutch.
The Anglo-Dutch Treaty divides the Malay archipelago, assigning the Malay Peninsula to Britain and Java and Sumatra to the Netherlands.
The Female Relief Society of Nauvoo is formally organized with Emma Smith as president.
The Female Relief Society of Nauvoo is established with Emma Smith as its first president, pioneering women’s charitable work in the Latter-day Saint movement.
Births
Harun al-Rashid
Fifth Abbasid caliph who presided over the Islamic Golden Age, known for his patronage of arts, science, and culture in Baghdad.
The 87th emperor of Japan, ascending the throne as a child during the Kamakura period.
King of Scotland from 1488 to 1513, known for strengthening the monarchy and fostering the Renaissance.
Giovanni Francesco Commendone
Italian Catholic cardinal and papal diplomat active during the early Counter-Reformation.
Toyotomi Hideyoshi
Japanese daimyo and warrior who rose from humble origins to unify Japan in the late 16th century.
Robert Douglas
Scottish-born soldier who became a Swedish field marshal and advisor to Queen Christina.
Élisabeth Jacquet de La Guerre
French Baroque composer and virtuoso harpsichordist, celebrated for her keyboard and vocal works.
Thomas Boston
Scottish theologian and minister known for his impact on evangelical Calvinism and the Marrow Controversy.
Jean-Baptiste Oudry
French Rococo painter and engraver celebrated for his realistic animal portraits and tapestry designs.
Deaths
Titus Labienus
Roman general best known as Julius Caesar's trusted lieutenant during the Gallic Wars who later defected to Pompey in the Roman civil war.
Publius Attius Varus
Roman governor of Africa who supported Pompey during Caesar's civil war and led North African legions.
Marcus Aurelius
Roman emperor from 161 to 180 AD, renowned as a Stoic philosopher and author of Meditations.
Gertrude of Nivelles
Frankish abbess and saint who co-founded Nivelles Abbey and became a leading monastic figure in Merovingian Europe.
Haito
Franco-Benedictine abbot and later Bishop of Basel who influenced Carolingian ecclesiastical reforms.
Li Yu
Tang dynasty prince who briefly ascended the throne during the turbulent final years of the dynasty.
Kazan
65th emperor of Japan who abdicated the throne and became a Buddhist monk.
Harold Harefoot
King of England from 1035 to 1040 who claimed the throne during a period of dynastic struggle.
Lulach
Briefly King of Scotland in 1057–1058, succeeding Macbeth before being overthrown by Malcolm III.