On This Day in History
17-Jan-1997 -
Ireland Grants a DivorcePolitical Ireland
The Republic of Ireland granted its first divorce following a referendum in 1995. It was granted to a terminally ill man. The Irish Constitution of 1937 was heavily influence by the Catholic church and specifically forbade divorce. The 1995 referendum only legalized divorces where couples had been separated for at least four years.
17-Jan-1950 -
Brink's RobberyGeneral United States
Eleven men stole more than $2 million from the Brink's Armored Car depot in Boston, Massachusetts. The theives weren’t caught until January 1956 just before the statute of limitations expired. This crime inspired the movie The Brink's Job, starring Peter Falk.
17-Jan-1945 -
Soviets Capture WarsawWar Poland
Soviet troops liberated the capitol of Poland from German occupation. Germany had declared war by launching an air raid on September 1, 1939. They followed this with a siege that killed thousands of civilians and cut off electricity, water and food. Warsaw surrendered on September 27 with around a quarter of the city’s homes destroyed.
17-Jan-1893 -
Americans Overthrow Hawaiian MonarchyGeneral United States
A group of American sugar planters overthrew Queen Lili'uokalani, the Hawaiian monarch. They established a new provincial government with Sanford Ballard Dole as president. John L Stevens, the US minister to Hawaii, knew of the coup and had 300 Marines from the US cruiser Boston called in to "protect" American lives.