April 17, 2018

Historical Events 1387  Geoffrey Chaucer's "Canterbury Tales" characters begin their pilgrimage to Canterbury (according to scholars) 1492  Christopher Columbus signs a contract with the Spanish monarchs to find the "Indies" with the stated goal of converting people to Catholicism. This promises him 10% of all riches found, and the governorship of any lands encountered 1895  Treaty of Shimonoseki is signed ending the First Sino-Japanese War (1894-95) 1961  1,400 Cuban exiles land in Bay of Pigs in a doomed attempt to overthrow Fidel Castro 1982  Proclamation of the Constitution Act by Canadian Prime Minister Pierre Trudeau More Historical Events Famous Birthdays Jennifer Garner 45th Birthday Marguerite Bourgeoys (1620 - 1700) Victoria Beckham 44th Birthday William Holden (1918 - 1981) More Famous Birthdays Famous Deaths Alexander Mackenzie (1822 - 1892) Benjamin Franklin (1706 - 1790) More Famous Deaths April 17th: Boxing Match That Went for 42 Rounds The first "world championship" boxing match was a brutal affair, lasting nearly two and a half hours and stretching over 42 rounds. Read the Article