On This Day - What Happened On December 17 | Britannica

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1989 The debut of The Simpsons The Simpsons debuted on this day in 1989 with the Christmas special “Simpsons Roasting on an Open Fire.” Weekly episodes began airing in January 1990, and the show went on to become the longest-running animated television series in U.S. history. Take our quiz about The Simpsons The Simpsons TM and © 2007 Twentieth Century-Fox Film Corporation. All rights reserved.

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W.L. Mackenzie King prime minister of Canada bornDecember 17, 1874Berlin, CanadadiedJuly 22, 1950 (aged 75)Quebec, CanadaNFB/National Archives of Canada 1978 Manny Pacquiao Filipino boxer and politician 1945 Chris Matthews American journalist and political commentator 1942 Muhammadu Buhari head of state of Nigeria 1936 Francis pope 1874 W.L. Mackenzie King prime minister of Canada See All Biographies On This Day

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2014 The United States and Cuba reestablished diplomatic relations that had been suspended for more than 50 years. Take our quiz about the U.S. and Cuba© Anthony Behar—Pool via CNP/DPA 2011 North Korean ruler Kim Jong Il died; he was succeeded by his youngest son, Kim Jong-Un.SPUTNIK/Alamy 2010 Tunisian street vendor Mohamed Bouazizi set himself on fire after being harassed by municipal officials, giving rise to Tunisia's Jasmine Revolution and helping inspire the Arab Spring; he died from his injuries the following month. Test your knowledge of plots and revolutionsChristophe Ena—AP/Shutterstock.com 1992 The North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) was signed by the leaders of Mexico, Canada, and the United States. It was replaced by the United States–Mexico–Canada Agreement in 2020.AP Images 1969 The secretary of the U.S. Air Force announced the end of Project Blue Book, a controversial program that had investigated UFOs since 1952. The decision followed a report by the University of Colorado that found no evidence any investigated UFO had been a threat to national security or was proof of extraterrestrial existence. What do we really know about UFOs?Science History Images/Alamy 1910 Jazz trumpeter, composer, and bandleader Sy Oliver, one of the leading music arrangers of the 1930s and '40s, was born in Battle Creek, Michigan. How much do you know about musicians?Frank Driggs Collection 1903 Brothers Orville and Wilbur Wright made the first successful sustained flights in an airplane—Orville first, gliding 120 feet (36.6 metres) through the air in 12 seconds—at Kill Devil Hills, North Carolina.Library of Congress, Washington, D.C. 1892 The first issue of Vogue was published. Initially a weekly high-society journal, it became a prominent American fashion magazine, with Diana Vreeland and Anna Wintour among its most notable and influential editors. Test your knowledge of fashion 1807 With Napoleon's decree of Milan, all neutral countries and allies of France were forbidden to trade with Britain. Sort fact from fiction in our quiz about Napoleon© Photos.com/Jupiterimages 1777 French foreign minister Charles Gravier, comte de Vergennes and King Louis XVI decided to recognize the United States as an independent country, making France one of the first countries to do so. The recognition became official on February 6, 1778, when the two countries signed a treaty of alliance that involved France financially and militarily in the American Revolution.Giraudon-Art Resource, New York 1760 Deborah Sampson, who assumed a man's identity in order to join the 4th Massachusetts Regiment and fight in the American Revolution, was born in Plympton, Massachusetts. She was also one of the first women to lecture professionally in the United States. Take our quiz about notable women in historyLibrary of Congress, Washington, D.C.; neg. no. LC USZ61 202 1663 Nzinga, a Mbundu queen, died in Matamba. Today she is considered the “mother of the nation” in Angola. Discover the stories of seven other women warriorsSchomburg Center for Research in Black Culture, Photographs and Prints Division, New York Public Library Digital Collections 1538 Pope Paul III excommunicated King Henry VIII over his divorce of Catherine of Aragon and remarriage with Anne Boleyn. Who were Henry VIII's six wives?© Stefano Baldini/age fotostock SIGN UP FOR History's Biggest Headlines Discover the fascinating events that shaped the world, straight from our editors. SIGN UP Thanks for signing up for Today in History. Your first newsletter will arrive soon! SIGN UP By clicking "Sign Up" you are agreeing to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.