1717 – King George I of Great Britain sailed down the River Thames with a barge of 50 musicians, where George Frideric Handel‘s Water Music was premiered on the 17th day of July in 1717.

1797 – Hippolyte Delaroche the French painter was born on the 17th day of July in 1797 (d. 1856)

1839 – Ephraim Shay the American inventor of the geared steam locomotive was born on the 17th day of July in 1839 (d. 1916)

1898 – Berenice Abbott the American photographer was born on the 17th day of July in 1898 (d. 1991)

1917 – Phyllis Diller the American comedienne was born on the 17th day of July in 1917.

1918 – The RMS Carpathia, the ship that rescued the 705 survivors from the RMS Titanic in 1912, was sunk off Ireland by a German sub, on the 17th day of July in 1918.

1920 – Gordon Gould the American inventor of the laser was born on the 17th day of July in 1920.

1939 – Spencer Davis the British singer and guitarist from The Spencer Davis Group was born on the 17th day of July in 1939.

1940 – Tim Brooke-Taylor the English comedian best known from the Goodies, was born on the 17th day of July in 1940.

1949 – Terence “Geezer” Butler the British musician and lyricist  from Black Sabbath was born on the 17th day of July in 1949.

1950 – Phoebe Snow the American singer and songwriter was born on the 17th day of July in 1950 (d. 2011)

1951 – Lucie Arnaz the American actress was born on the 17th day of July in 1951.

1952 – David Hasselhoff the American actor and musician was born on the 17th day of July in 1952.

1952 – Nicolette Larson the American singer was born on the 17th day of July in 1952 (d. 1997)

1955 – Disneyland was opened by Walt Disney in Anaheim, California on the 17th day of July in 1955.

1982 – Natasha Hamilton the British singer from Atomic Kitten was born on the 17th day of July in 1982.

Today in History for July 17th ~ video presented by the Associated Press…