Today in History for 17th December 2025

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Historical Events

283 - St. Caius begins his reign as Catholic Pope
1843 - Henry Cole, founder of London's VandA Museum, commissions printing of the 1st Christmas card
1914 - Jews are expelled from Tel Aviv by Turkish authorities
1991 - Pittsburgh Penguins score team record 8 goals in one period in 2nd session of 10-2 win over NHL expansion San Jose Sharks
2019 - Former Pakistan President Pervez Musharraf sentenced to death in absentia for high treason

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Famous Birthdays

1869 - Nikolai Ivanovich Kazanli, Russian composer, born in Tiraspol, Russian Empire (d. 1916)
1893 - Erwin Piscator, German stage director (Der Stellvertreter), born in Greifenstein-Ulm, German Empire (d. 1966)
1903 - Ray Noble, English jazz bandleader, songwriter ("The Very Thought of You"; "Goodnight, Sweetheart"), composer, and actor, born in Brighton, Sussex, England (d. 1978)
1914 - Syed Mushtaq Ali, Indian cricketer (prolific batsman of 30's and 40's), born in Indore, British India (d. 2005)
1923 - Jaroslav Pelikan, American historian of Christianity, born in Arkon, Ohio(d. 2006)

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Famous Deaths

1962 - Thomas Mitchell, American Academy Award-winning actor (Gone With The Wind; High Noon), dies of bone cancer at 70
1962 - Carl Diem, German sports executive (Sec Gen Organising Committee 1936 Berlin Olympics; creator Olympic torch relay), dies at 80
1982 - Big Joe Williams, American Delta blues singer-songwriter, and nine-string guitarist ("Baby, Please Don't Go"), dies at 79
2006 - Larry Sherry, American baseball pitcher (World Series MVP 1959, LA Dodgers), dies at 71
2022 - Manuel Muñoz, Chilean soccer striker (26 caps; CSD Colo-Colo), dies at 94

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