Athens, Greece. A series of major political, military and historical events have occurred on April 17, spanning developments in Cyprus, Cuba, space exploration, Southeast Asia and the Middle East.
1957: Makarios returns after exile
Archbishop Makarios of Cyprus arrived back in Athens after a 13-month exile in the Seychelles.
1961: Bay of Pigs invasion attempt fails
U.S.-backed exiles attempted to invade Cuba at the Bay of Pigs. The attempt failed after a three-day battle in which 100 were killed and over 1,000 captured.
1970: Apollo 13 returns to Earth
The U.S. spacecraft Apollo 13 splashed down after its near-disastrous trip to the moon.
1975: Khmer Rouge seize Phnom Penh
Khmer Rouge guerrillas seized the Cambodian capital Phnom Penh and began a reign of terror in which more than one million people died.
1993: Death of Turkish President Turgut Ozal
Turgut Ozal, president of Turkey from 1989, died of a heart attack.
1997: Death of former Israeli President Chaim Herzog
Former president Chaim Herzog, who defended Israel on the battlefield, chronicled its history and championed its cause at the United Nations, died aged 78.
2001: Rwandan nuns among those tried in Brussels
Two Rwandan nuns were among four people charged with taking part in a 1994 massacre who went on trial in Brussels.
2002: Xanana Gusmao wins East Timor presidential election
Xanana Gusmao, a former guerrilla leader, was declared the landslide winner of East Timor’s first presidential election. It became the world’s newest nation on May 20.
2004: Israeli strike kills Hamas leader Abdel-Aziz al-Rantissi
An Israeli helicopter missile strike killed top Hamas leader Abdel-Aziz al-Rantissi. Rantissi had depicted himself as a Hamas politician with no links to the military wing. Israel accused him of being a top decision-maker on attacks.
Which April 17 event stands out most to you?
