On This Day - What Happened On May 17 | Britannica

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1954 School segregation outlawed by U.S. Supreme Court On this day in 1954, lawyer Thurgood Marshall scored a landmark victory as the U.S. Supreme Court unanimously ruled in Brown v. Board of Education of Topeka that racial segregation in public schools was unconstitutional. Read our list of 10 milestones in U.S. civil rights history AP Images

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Edward Jenner English surgeon bornMay 17, 1749Berkeley, EnglanddiedJanuary 26, 1823 (aged 73)Berkeley, EnglandWellcome Library, London (CC BY 4.0) 1971 Máxima queen consort of the Netherlands 1956 Sugar Ray Leonard American boxer and television commentator 1936 Dennis Hopper American actor, director, and writer 1886 Alfonso XIII king of Spain 1866 Erik Satie French composer See All Biographies On This Day

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2004 Massachusetts became the first U.S. state to legalize same-sex marriage as it began issuing marriage licenses to gay couples. Sort fact from fiction in our quiz about U.S. statesEncyclopædia Britannica, Inc. 1996 U.S. President Bill Clinton signed Megan's Law, which required that law-enforcement officials notify local schools, day-care centers, and residents of the presence of registered sex offenders in their communities.Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc. 1939 The first televised sporting event in the United States—a collegiate baseball game between Princeton and Columbia—aired on NBC. Take our sports quiz© 2006 Index Open 1918 Swedish operatic soprano Birgit Nilsson, who was celebrated as a Wagnerian interpreter and known for her powerful, rich voice, was born in Västra Karup. Test your knowledge of operaSteve Wood—Hulton Archive/Getty Images 1900 L. Frank Baum's The Wonderful Wizard of Oz was first published, and it became a classic of children's literature; the 1939 film adaption is among the most beloved movies in American cinema. Take our quiz about children's authors© Everett Historical/Shutterstock.com 1875 The first Kentucky Derby was run at Churchill Downs in Louisville, Kentucky, and the winning horse was Aristides. Test your knowledge of famous horsesFrom Famous Horses of America published by Porter and Coates, 1877 1866 French composer Erik Satie, whose spare, unconventional, often witty style exerted a major influence on 20th-century music, was born in Honfleur. How much do you know about music composers?Artepics/Alamy 1792 Meeting on what is now Wall Street in New York City, 24 businessmen took the initial steps to forming the New York Stock Exchange.Library of Congress, Washington, D.C. 1510 Italian artist Sandro Botticelli, one of the greatest painters of the Florentine Renaissance, died. Take our quiz about Renaissance artistsGallleria Degli Uffizi, Florence, Italy/SuperStock 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.