- 1903 17 Dec The Wright brothers make the first successful aeroplane flight at Kittyhawk, North Carolina.
- 1939 17 Dec The German battleship 'Graf Spee' is scuttled after being trapped by the Royal Navy off Montevideo.
- 1967 17 Dec Australian Prime Minister Harold Holt vanishes in mysterious circumstances while swimming near Melbourne.
World War One Centenary
- Find out more about how the BBC is covering the World War One Centenary, and see the latest programmes and online content
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