Important Events From This day in History – 17 April

Today in History

• 1986 The world’s longest war ends without a single shot having been fired

  The lack of a peace treaty extended the state of war between the Netherlands and the Isles of Scilly for a total of 335 years. Some historians believe that no war was ever declared.

• 1978 Mir Akbar Khyber’s assassination triggers a communist coup in Afghanistan

  The Communists instituted numerous reforms, including equal rights for women and universal education. These accomplishments were quickly undone by the outbreak of several wars.

• 1975 Phnom Penh falls to the Khmer Rouge

  Several million people were tortured and killed during the regime of “Brother Number One,” Pol Pot. Intellectuals, anyone with ties to the former government, and ethnic minorities were among the communists’ perceived enemies.

• 1961 A CIA-sponsored paramilitary group attempts to invade Cuba

  The Bay of Pigs invasion was a botched attempt to destabilize Cuba’s government. The US government had directed the CIA to plot Fidel Castro’s demise.

• 1521 Martin Luther faces charges for his revolutionary religious writings

  The German monk was a leading figure in the Protestant Reformation. As a result of the hearing before the Diet of Worms, he was excommunicated and declared an outlaw.