Today in History for 17th July 2026

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Historical Events

1841 - British humorous and satirical magazine "Punch" is first published; it closes in 2002
1856 - The Great Train Wreck of 1856 between Camp Hill and Fort Washington, Pennsylvania kills over 60 people
1925 - Tris Speaker, is 5th to get 3,000 hits
1958 - US performs atmospheric nuclear test at Enewetak Atoll in the Marshall Islands
2023 - Typhoon Talim, makes landfall on China's Guandong coast with winds of nearly 140km/h (87mph), forcing the evacuation of nearly 230,000 people

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Famous Birthdays

1889 - Erle Stanley Gardner, American detective writer (Perry Mason), born in Malden, Massachusetts (d. 1970)
1908 - (Alfons) "Fud" Candrix, Belgian jazz saxophonist, violinist, and bandleader, born in Tongeren, Belgium (d. 1974)
1918 - Carlos Manuel Arana Osorio, Guatemalan army colonel and President of Guatemala (1970-74), born in Barberena, Guatemala (d. 2003)
1942 - Don Kessinger, American baseball shortstop (6 x MLB All Star; Gold Glove 1969, 70; Chicago Cubs, St. Louis Cardinals, Chicago WS), born in Forrest City, Arkansas
1969 - Tommy Soderstrom, Swedish NHL goalie (Sweden, NY Islanders), born in Stockholm, Sweden

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Famous Deaths

1894 - Josef Hyrtl, Austrian anatomist, dies at 83
2005 - Geraldine Fitzgerald, Irish actress (Pawnbroker, Easy Money), dies of complications from Alzheimer's disease at 91
2010 - Fred F. Carter Jr., American country session guitarist, singer, producer and composer (Nashville's "A-Team"), dies of a stroke at 76
2015 - Jules Bianchi, French auto racer (Marussia Formula 1 Racing Team), dies from injuries during accident at 2014 Japanese F1 GP, at 25
2024 - Cheng Pei Pei, Hong Kong actress, cinema's 1st female action star (Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon), dies at 78

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