2017

Events in 2017 85

• 1917 – 2017 Danielle Darrieux (1917-2017) French actress with a career of eight decades, from Mayerling to Max Ophüls's films and Persepolis.
• 1922 – 2017 Barbara Hale (1922-2017) American actress, Della Street in Perry Mason.
• 1924 – 2017 Mário Soares Father of Democracy A pivotal figure in the transition to democracy and the first Prime Minister after the revolution.
• 1926 – 2017 Jerry Lewis (1926-2017) Died 20 August 2017, aged 91 American comedian, actor and filmmaker known for his slapstick comedy partnership with Dean Martin and later solo films including The Nutty Professor. He hosted the annual Labor Day telethon for muscular dystrophy for decades. He was widely regarded, especially in France, as a comic auteur.
• 1926 – 2017 Hugh Hefner (1926-2017) Died 27 September 2017, aged 91 American publisher who founded Playboy magazine in 1953, building it into a global media and lifestyle brand that shaped and reflected American attitudes toward sex. He remained the magazine's editor-in-chief until his death. His Playboy Mansion became a cultural symbol of the brand.
• 1926 – 2017 Don Rickles (1926-2017) Died 6 April 2017, aged 90 American comedian and actor famous for his insult comedy and decades of performances in Las Vegas and on television. He was a frequent guest on late-night talk shows and appeared in films including the Toy Story series as the voice of Mr. Potato Head. He died of kidney failure.
• 1926 – 2017 Harry Dean Stanton (1926-2017) Died 15 September 2017, aged 91 American character actor known for lead roles in Paris, Texas and Repo Man and supporting roles in Alien and The Green Mile. His weathered, laconic screen presence made him a favorite of independent filmmakers. He died of natural causes.
• 1926 – 2017 Chuck Berry (1926-2017) Died 18 March 2017, aged 90 American singer, songwriter and guitarist widely regarded as one of the pioneers of rock and roll, known for songs including "Johnny B. Goode" and "Maybellene." His guitar riffs and showmanship influenced generations of rock musicians. He was among the first inductees into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.
• 1927 – 2017 Simone Veil (1927-2017) Died 30 June 2017, aged 89 French stateswoman and Auschwitz survivor who as health minister championed the 1975 law legalizing abortion in France, and later became the first president of the directly elected European Parliament. She was widely admired as a symbol of postwar European reconciliation. She was later interred in the Pantheon in Paris.
• 1927 – 2017 Roger Moore (1927-2017) Died 23 May 2017, aged 89 English actor best known for playing James Bond in seven films between 1973 and 1985, the longest tenure of any actor in the role at the time. He also starred in the television series The Saint. Later in life he was a longtime UNICEF goodwill ambassador.
• 1928 – 2017 Fats Domino (1928-2017) Died 24 October 2017, aged 89 American pianist and singer who was one of the first stars of rock and roll, selling more records in the 1950s than any artist besides Elvis Presley. His hits included "Blueberry Hill" and "Ain't That a Shame." He remained closely associated with his native New Orleans throughout his life.
• 1928 – 2017 Zbigniew Brzezinski (1928-2017) Died 26 May 2017, aged 89 Polish-American political scientist who served as US National Security Advisor under President Jimmy Carter, shaping American Cold War strategy toward the Soviet Union. He was an influential foreign policy thinker for decades after leaving government. He died after a brief illness.
• 1928 – 2017 Adam West (1928-2017) Died 9 June 2017, aged 88 American actor best known for playing the title role in the 1960s television series Batman, a campy portrayal that became iconic. He later found a new generation of fans voicing Mayor Adam West on Family Guy. He died of leukemia.
• 1930 – 2017 Helmut Kohl (1930-2017) Died 16 June 2017, aged 87 German statesman who served as chancellor from 1982 to 1998 and presided over the reunification of Germany in 1990. He was a driving force behind European integration, including the creation of the euro. He remains one of the most consequential European leaders of the postwar era.
• 1934 – 2017 Manuel Noriega (1934-2017) Died 29 May 2017, aged 83 Panamanian military dictator who ruled the country through the 1980s until he was ousted by a US invasion in 1989 and later convicted on drug trafficking charges. He spent much of his remaining life imprisoned in the United States, France, and Panama. He died following complications from surgery.
• 1934 – 2017 Charles Manson (1934-2017) Died 19 November 2017, aged 83 American cult leader whose followers, known as the Manson Family, committed a series of murders in 1969, including the killing of actress Sharon Tate. He was convicted of conspiracy to commit murder and spent the rest of his life in prison. His case remains one of the most notorious in American criminal history.
• 1936 – 2017 Glen Campbell (1936-2017) Died 8 August 2017, aged 81 American singer and guitarist known for hits including "Rhinestone Cowboy" and "Wichita Lineman," and one of the most successful country crossover artists. He publicly documented his struggle with Alzheimer's disease in his final years. He died of complications from the disease.
• 1936 – 2017 Mary Tyler Moore (1936-2017) Died 25 January 2017, aged 80 American actress known for The Mary Tyler Moore Show and The Dick Van Dyke Show, and a pioneering figure for independent working women on television. She won multiple Emmy Awards and received an Academy Award nomination for Ordinary People. She died of complications from pneumonia.
• 1940 – 2017 John Hurt (1940-2017) Died 25 January 2017, aged 77 British actor known for roles in Alien, The Elephant Man, and the Harry Potter films. He received Academy Award nominations for Midnight Express and The Elephant Man. He died of pancreatic cancer.
• 1940 – 2017 Roger Ailes (1940-2017) Died 18 May 2017, aged 77 American media executive who founded and ran Fox News, transforming it into the dominant force in cable news and conservative media. He resigned in 2016 following multiple sexual harassment allegations. He died following complications from a fall.
• 1943 – 2017 Sam Shepard (1943-2017) Died 27 July 2017, aged 73 American playwright, actor, and director who won the Pulitzer Prize for Drama for Buried Child and was nominated for an Academy Award for his role in The Right Stuff. His plays, including True West and Fool for Love, reshaped American theater. He died of complications from ALS.
• 1947 – 2017 Gregg Allman (1947-2017) Died 27 May 2017, aged 69 American singer, songwriter and musician who co-founded the Allman Brothers Band, a pioneering force in Southern rock. Known for his distinctive voice and organ playing, he also had a successful solo career. He died of complications from liver cancer.
• 1949 – 2017 John Wetton (1949-2017) Died 31 January 2017, aged 67 English bassist and vocalist known for his work with King Crimson, Uriah Heep, and as a founding member of the band Asia. He co-wrote the hit single "Heat of the Moment." He died of colon cancer.
• 1950 – 2017 Walter Becker (1950-2017) Died 3 September 2017, aged 67 American musician and co-founder of the jazz-rock band Steely Dan, alongside Donald Fagen. Known for meticulous studio production and sardonic lyricism, the band's albums remain touchstones of 1970s rock. He died following surgery.
• 1950 – 2017 David Cassidy (1950-2017) Died 21 November 2017, aged 67 American actor and singer who became a teen idol starring in the television series The Partridge Family and as a solo pop artist in the early 1970s. He continued performing music and acting for decades after his early fame. He died of complications from liver and kidney failure.
• 1950 – 2017 Martin McGuinness (1950-2017) Died 21 March 2017, aged 66 Former IRA commander who became a key architect of the Northern Ireland peace process and later served as deputy first minister of Northern Ireland. His political journey from paramilitary leader to power-sharing government minister was seen as emblematic of the peace process. He died after a short illness.
• 1950 – 2017 Tom Petty (1950-2017) Died 2 October 2017, aged 66 American singer, songwriter and guitarist who led Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers, known for hits including "Free Fallin'" and "American Girl." He was also a member of the supergroup the Traveling Wilburys. He died of an accidental drug overdose shortly after completing a major tour.
• 1953 – 2017 Malcolm Young (1953-2017) Died 18 November 2017, aged 64 Australian guitarist and co-founder of the rock band AC/DC, known for his driving rhythm guitar work on albums including Back in Black. He retired from the band in 2014 due to dementia. He died from complications of the disease.
• 1955 – 2017 Bill Paxton (1955-2017) Died 25 February 2017, aged 61 American actor known for roles in Aliens, Titanic, Twister, and the television series Big Love. He was one of few actors to appear in films depicting the destruction of the Titanic, the Alamo, and the White House. He died of complications following heart surgery.
• 1955 – 2017 Liu Xiaobo (1955-2017) Died 13 July 2017, aged 61 Chinese writer and human rights activist who won the 2010 Nobel Peace Prize while imprisoned for co-authoring a manifesto calling for political reform. He died in Chinese custody from liver cancer, having never been permitted to leave the country to receive treatment abroad. He was the first Nobel Peace laureate to die in state custody since 1938.
• 1964 – 2017 Chris Cornell (1964-2017) Died 18 May 2017, aged 52 American singer and songwriter, frontman of Soundgarden and Audioslave and a leading figure of the 1990s grunge movement. Known for his powerful vocal range, he also released acclaimed solo work. He died by suicide following a concert in Detroit.
• 1976 – 2017 Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers American rock band Florida rock band led by Tom Petty, with Mike Campbell and Benmont Tench — American Girl, Refugee and Free Fallin'.
• 1996 – 2017 Linkin Park The Face of Nu-Metal Fused rock, metal, and hip-hop; their debut "Hybrid Theory" defined the early 2000s.
• 2009 – 2017 Obama presidency 44th President — 2009 to 2017 Barack Obama served as the 44th President from January 20, 2009 to January 20, 2017. He passed the Affordable Care Act, ordered the raid killing Osama bin Laden, and signed the Paris Climate Agreement.
• 2017 Carmelo Anthony era ends The Knicks begin moving on from Carmelo Anthony amid front-office turmoil, eventually trading him in 2017.
• 2017 The Shape of Water Best Picture — 90th Academy Awards Guillermo del Toro's Cold War fairy tale about a mute cleaner and an amphibian creature held in a government lab.
• 2017 Australian Open 2017 Men: Roger Federer · Women: Serena Williams Federer won the Australian Open after a 5-year drought, defeating Nadal in five sets. Serena won while pregnant with her first child.
• 2017 Trump inaugurated 45th US President takes office Donald Trump was inaugurated as the 45th President of the United States on January 20, 2017.
• 2017 Iditarod 2017 Winner: Mitch Seavey — 8 days 3h Mitch Seavey, at 57, won his third Iditarod title and became the oldest champion in race history.
• 2017 UK formally triggers Article 50 to begin Brexit Britain starts two-year countdown to leave the EU Prime Minister Theresa May formally invoked Article 50 of the Treaty on European Union, starting the two-year process for the United Kingdom's withdrawal from the European Union. The move followed the 2016 Brexit referendum and set March 2019 as the initial departure date. Negotiations with the EU began in the following months.
• 2017 SpaceX launches first reflown orbital rocket Falcon 9 booster reuse marks reusable rocketry milestone SpaceX successfully relaunched a Falcon 9 first-stage booster that had previously flown and landed in 2016, delivering a communications satellite to orbit. It was the first reflight of an orbital-class rocket booster, a milestone toward SpaceX's goal of cutting launch costs through reusability. The achievement was seen as a turning point for commercial spaceflight economics.
• 2017 2017 World Snooker Championship Mark Selby Title 3 Winner: Mark Selby; Runner-up: John Higgins. Score: 18–15.
• 2017 The Fate of the Furious #1 film of 2017 — $1.24bn worldwide Directed by F. Gary Gray. Dom Toretto is coerced into working for a cybercriminal and turns against his family.
• 2017 Emmanuel Macron elected president of France Centrist newcomer defeats far-right Le Pen Emmanuel Macron, a political newcomer running on a centrist platform, defeated Marine Le Pen in the French presidential runoff with about 66 percent of the vote. At 39, he became France's youngest president. His election was widely seen as a check on rising nationalist movements in Europe.
• 2017 WannaCry ransomware attack Global cyberattack cripples hospitals and businesses The WannaCry ransomware worm spread rapidly across more than 150 countries, exploiting a leaked NSA vulnerability in Windows to encrypt files and demand Bitcoin payments. It severely disrupted Britain's National Health Service and hit organizations from FedEx to Renault. Researchers traced the attack to North Korea-linked hackers.
• 2017 Manchester Arena bombing Suicide bomber kills 22 at Ariana Grande concert A suicide bomber detonated an improvised explosive device as concertgoers left an Ariana Grande show at Manchester Arena, killing 22 people and injuring hundreds. The attack was claimed by the Islamic State. It remains the deadliest terrorist attack in the UK since 2005.
• 2017 French Open 2017 Men: Rafael Nadal · Women: Jeļena Ostapenko Nadal's 10th Roland Garros title.
• 2017 London Bridge and Borough Market attack Van and knife rampage kills eight Three attackers drove a van into pedestrians on London Bridge before stabbing people in nearby Borough Market, killing eight people. Police shot the attackers dead within minutes. The Islamic State claimed responsibility for the attack.
• 2017 UK snap general election produces hung parliament Theresa May loses Conservative majority Prime Minister Theresa May called a snap general election seeking a stronger mandate for Brexit negotiations, but the Conservatives lost their parliamentary majority. The result forced the Conservatives into a confidence-and-supply arrangement with Northern Ireland's Democratic Unionist Party. The outcome weakened May's authority going into Brexit talks.
• 2017 Grenfell Tower fire London high-rise blaze kills 72 residents A fire tore through the 24-storey Grenfell Tower residential block in London, killing 72 people in the deadliest UK fire since the Second World War. The rapid spread was later attributed to flammable exterior cladding installed during a renovation. The disaster led to a public inquiry and a nationwide review of building safety regulations.
• 2017 Amazon acquires Whole Foods Market 13.7 billion dollar deal signals e-commerce push into groceries Amazon announced it would acquire the upscale grocery chain Whole Foods Market for approximately 13.7 billion dollars, its largest acquisition to date. The deal closed in August 2017 and signaled Amazon's ambitions to expand into physical retail and groceries. Whole Foods shares surged and rival grocery stocks fell on the news.
• 2017 Travis Kalanick resigns as Uber CEO Investor pressure ends founder's tenure amid scandals Uber co-founder Travis Kalanick resigned as chief executive under pressure from investors following a string of scandals involving workplace culture, a major lawsuit, and executive misconduct. His departure capped a turbulent year for the ride-hailing company. Kalanick remained on Uber's board after stepping down.
• 2017 Wimbledon 2017 Men: Roger Federer · Women: Garbiñe Muguruza Federer won his 8th Wimbledon without dropping a set — a stunning achievement at 35.
• 2017 Spider-Man: Homecoming #6 film of 2017 — $880m worldwide Directed by Jon Watts. Peter Parker balances high school life with being Spider-Man as he tries to impress Tony Stark.
• 2017 Iraqi forces retake Mosul from ISIS Nine-month battle ends Islamic State's hold on Iraq's second city Iraqi government forces, backed by a US-led coalition, declared victory over the Islamic State in Mosul after a nine-month battle that left much of the city in ruins. The battle was one of the largest urban combat operations since World War II. It marked a decisive blow to the territorial "caliphate" ISIS had declared in 2014.
• 2017 Kenya's presidential election annulled and rerun Supreme Court voids Kenyatta's re-election over irregularities Kenya's Supreme Court annulled President Uhuru Kenyatta's re-election victory, citing irregularities in the vote-tallying process, in an unprecedented ruling for Africa. A rerun election in October was boycotted by opposition leader Raila Odinga and marred by low turnout and violence. Kenyatta was declared the winner of the rerun.
• 2017 Unite the Right rally turns deadly in Charlottesville White nationalist march ends in fatal car attack A rally of white nationalists and neo-Nazis protesting the removal of a Confederate statue in Charlottesville, Virginia, erupted into violent clashes with counter-protesters. A man drove his car into a crowd of counter-protesters, killing Heather Heyer and injuring dozens. President Trump drew widespread criticism for saying there were "very fine people on both sides."
• 2017 Girl Cult Festival -- G.R.L. performs In August 2017 Bennett performs with G.R.L. at the Girl Cult Festival at The Fonda Theatre in Los Angeles -- one of the documented G.R.L. reunion performances in the years after their formal disbandment. The festival, focused on female artists and empowerment, is a natural fit for a group whose name stands for Girls Rock Life. Bennett is photographed performing onstage at the event, one of the last documented public performances of her career.
• 2017 Total solar eclipse crosses the United States First coast-to-coast US eclipse in 99 years A total solar eclipse tracked across the continental United States from Oregon to South Carolina, the first path of totality to cross the country coast to coast since 1918. Millions of people traveled to view the eclipse along its path. It was among the most widely observed astronomical events in US history.
• 2017 Hurricane Harvey Catastrophic flooding devastates Houston Hurricane Harvey made landfall in Texas as a Category 4 storm and stalled over the Houston area, dropping record rainfall that caused catastrophic flooding. The storm killed more than 60 people and caused an estimated 125 billion dollars in damage. It was one of the costliest natural disasters in US history.
• 2017 Myanmar military crackdown drives Rohingya exodus Hundreds of thousands flee to Bangladesh amid mass violence Myanmar's military launched a violent crackdown in Rakhine State following attacks on police posts, burning villages and killing civilians in what the UN later called a textbook example of ethnic cleansing. More than 700,000 Rohingya Muslims fled across the border into Bangladesh. The crisis drew international condemnation of Myanmar's civilian leadership, including Aung San Suu Kyi.
• 2017 Hurricane Irma Record-strength storm devastates the Caribbean and Florida Hurricane Irma, one of the strongest Atlantic hurricanes on record, tore through the Caribbean before making landfall in Florida as a major hurricane. It caused widespread destruction on islands including Barbuda and the Virgin Islands and left millions without power in Florida. At least 134 deaths were attributed to the storm.
• 2017 Equifax data breach exposed Hack compromises personal data of nearly 150 million Americans Credit reporting agency Equifax disclosed that hackers had exploited an unpatched vulnerability to steal the personal data, including Social Security numbers, of nearly 148 million people. It was one of the largest data breaches in history and drew congressional scrutiny of the company's security practices. The breach later cost Equifax hundreds of millions of dollars in settlements.
• 2017 Cassini spacecraft ends mission at Saturn NASA probe deliberately burns up in Saturn's atmosphere After nearly 20 years in space and 13 years orbiting Saturn, NASA's Cassini spacecraft was deliberately plunged into the planet's atmosphere to avoid contaminating its moons. The mission had returned detailed data on Saturn, its rings, and moons including Titan and Enceladus. Its "Grand Finale" concluded one of the most productive planetary missions in NASA history.
• 2017 Hurricane Maria Puerto Rico devastated by direct hit Hurricane Maria struck Puerto Rico as a Category 4 hurricane, destroying the island's power grid and infrastructure and causing an estimated 3,000 deaths in the following months. It was the worst natural disaster on record in Puerto Rico and triggered a prolonged humanitarian crisis. Recovery efforts drew criticism over the pace of the federal response.
• 2017 Merkel wins fourth term as German chancellor CDU/CSU wins election as far-right AfD enters parliament Angela Merkel's CDU/CSU alliance won the German federal election, securing her a fourth term as chancellor, though with a reduced vote share. The nationalist Alternative for Germany entered the Bundestag for the first time, becoming the third-largest party. Coalition talks took months to resolve.
• 2017 Star Trek: Discovery — Season 1 The franchise returns to TV after a 12-year absence, now on the streaming service CBS All Access (later Paramount+). Set a decade before the original series, Discovery follows Commander Michael Burnham (Sonequa Martin-Green). The show's dark tone, heavily serialised format and retconning of established canon prove deeply divisive — and deeply popular.
• 2017 Iraqi Kurdistan holds independence referendum Overwhelming yes vote met by regional backlash The Kurdistan Regional Government held a non-binding referendum on independence from Iraq, with over 90 percent voting in favor. Baghdad, along with Turkey and Iran, rejected the vote and responded with economic and military pressure, including seizing the disputed city of Kirkuk. The fallout weakened the Kurdish region's political and economic position.
• 2017 Catalonia holds independence referendum Disputed vote deepens Spanish constitutional crisis Catalonia held a referendum on independence from Spain despite it being declared illegal by Spanish courts. Police violence against voters drew international attention, and the Catalan parliament later declared independence, prompting Madrid to impose direct rule. The crisis triggered the exile or arrest of several Catalan leaders.
• 2017 Las Vegas Strip mass shooting Gunman kills 58 at country music festival A gunman opened fire on a crowd attending the Route 91 Harvest music festival from a hotel room at the Mandalay Bay, killing 58 people and wounding hundreds more. It became the deadliest mass shooting by a single gunman in modern US history. The shooter's motive was never conclusively established.
• 2017 Tom Petty dies Aged 66 Dies a week after the tour ends.
• 2017 Nobel Prize in Physics awarded for gravitational wave detection LIGO scientists honored for confirming Einstein's prediction Rainer Weiss, Barry Barish, and Kip Thorne received the Nobel Prize in Physics for their roles in the LIGO detection of gravitational waves, confirming a century-old prediction of Einstein's general relativity. The 2015 detection opened a new field of gravitational-wave astronomy. It was hailed as one of the major scientific achievements of the decade.
• 2017 Harvey Weinstein sexual abuse allegations exposed New York Times report triggers Hollywood reckoning The New York Times and The New Yorker published detailed accounts of sexual harassment and assault allegations against film producer Harvey Weinstein spanning decades. The reporting led to Weinstein's firing from his own company and prompted dozens more women to come forward. The scandal became a catalyst for the broader MeToo movement.
• 2017 Mogadishu truck bombing Deadliest terrorist attack in Somalia's history A truck packed with explosives detonated at a busy intersection in Mogadishu, killing more than 500 people in the deadliest terrorist attack in Somali history. No group claimed responsibility, though Somali officials blamed al-Shabaab. The bombing prompted an outpouring of grief and blood donations across the country.
• 2017 MeToo movement goes viral Social media hashtag sparks global reckoning on sexual harassment Following the Harvey Weinstein allegations, actress Alyssa Milano urged people to reply "me too" if they had experienced sexual harassment or assault, and the hashtag spread worldwide within days. The movement led to the exposure of misconduct by prominent men across entertainment, politics, and business. It reshaped public conversation about workplace harassment internationally.
• 2017 Neutron star collision detected First multi-messenger astronomy event Scientists detected both gravitational waves and light from a neutron star collision on October 16, 2017, the first ever multi-messenger astronomy event. It confirmed that gold and heavy elements are forged in such collisions.
• 2017 Raqqa falls, ending ISIS's de facto capital US-backed forces capture the Islamic State's Syrian stronghold The Syrian Democratic Forces, backed by US airpower, captured Raqqa from the Islamic State after a months-long battle, ending the city's role as the group's de facto capital. Much of the city was left in ruins. The victory marked the near-total collapse of ISIS's territorial holdings.
• 2017 Xi Jinping cements power at 19th Party Congress "Xi Jinping Thought" enshrined in party constitution The Chinese Communist Party's 19th National Congress enshrined "Xi Jinping Thought" in the party constitution, elevating Xi to a status matched only by Mao Zedong and Deng Xiaoping. The congress notably did not designate a clear successor, fueling speculation Xi intended to extend his rule beyond the usual two terms. It marked a significant consolidation of one-party authority under Xi.
• 2017 Saudi Arabia detains dozens of princes and officials Crown prince consolidates power in Ritz-Carlton purge Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman ordered the detention of dozens of Saudi princes, ministers, and businessmen at Riyadh's Ritz-Carlton hotel in a purported anti-corruption sweep. Many detainees reportedly agreed to financial settlements before release. The move was widely seen as consolidating the crown prince's control over the kingdom.
• 2017 Sutherland Springs church shooting Gunman kills 26 at Texas Baptist church A gunman opened fire during Sunday service at the First Baptist Church in Sutherland Springs, Texas, killing 26 people and wounding 20 others before being confronted and later found dead. It was the deadliest mass shooting at a place of worship in US history. The shooter had a history of domestic violence that should have barred him from purchasing firearms.
• 2017 Robert Mugabe ousted after 37 years in power Military takeover ends Zimbabwe's longest presidency Zimbabwe's military placed President Robert Mugabe under house arrest in a de facto coup, and mass protests followed calling for his removal. Facing impeachment, Mugabe resigned after 37 years as the country's leader. Former vice president Emmerson Mnangagwa was sworn in as his successor.
• 2017 Star Wars: The Last Jedi #2 film of 2017 — $1.33bn worldwide Directed by Rian Johnson. Rey develops her newly discovered abilities while Luke Skywalker reluctantly begins to train her.
• 2017 North Korea tests its most powerful ICBM Hwasong-15 launch claimed capable of reaching all of the US mainland North Korea test-launched the Hwasong-15, its most powerful intercontinental ballistic missile to date, which analysts assessed could potentially reach anywhere in the continental United States. Pyongyang declared its nuclear force complete following the test. The launch capped a year of escalating missile and nuclear tests that heightened tensions with the Trump administration.
• 2017 Trump recognizes Jerusalem as Israel's capital US policy shift reverses decades of diplomatic precedent President Donald Trump announced US recognition of Jerusalem as Israel's capital and pledged to move the American embassy there, breaking with decades of US policy treating the city's status as unresolved. The decision drew condemnation from Palestinian leaders and much of the international community. It triggered protests across the Middle East.
• 2017 Bitcoin price surges near 20,000 dollars Cryptocurrency mania peaks before sharp crash Bitcoin's price rose from roughly 1,000 dollars at the start of the year to nearly 20,000 dollars in mid-December, driven by speculative retail investment. The surge brought cryptocurrency into mainstream public awareness for the first time. Prices collapsed sharply in the weeks that followed.