17 September It Happened Today

1701  Death of King James II of England.

1901  Birth of English yachtsman and aviator Sir Francis Chichester.

1908 Lieutenant Thomas W Selfridge becomes the first aircraft fatality when a plane piloted by Orville Wright crashes.

1931  Birth of American actress Anne Bancroft.

1944 WWII “Operation Market Garden” gets underway as allied airborne forces begin landing at Arnhem in Holland.

1977  Death of American born opera singer Maria Callas.