Holidays and commemorative dates:
World Telecommunication Day – as an international holiday celebrated on the initiative of the UN since 2006. The date was not chosen by chance – on May 17, 1969, the International Telecommunication Union was founded. The date is commemorated to highlight the importance of the role of telecommunications technologies in modern social life.
World Hypertension Day – the date was selected to draw attention to the problem of high blood pressure, which affects about a quarter of the entire adult population of the planet. Cardiovascular disease and cancer are the most common causes of death in humans today, and high blood pressure is the most common cause of death from cardiovascular disease.
International Day Against Homophobia and Transphobia – precisely on May 17, 1990, homosexuality was excluded from the list of the International Classification of Diseases.
Events on this day:
1718 – the world’s first machine gun was patented. It was invented by British lawyer James Puckle.
1792 – on Wall Street in New York, 24 brokers concluded an agreement (“Platan Pact”). In fact, from the moment it was signed, the New York Stock Exchange began to operate.
1861 – the world’s first travel agency sent tourists on a trip from London to Paris.
1877 – the world’s first telephone switchboard is installed in Boston.
1916 – the transition to summer time was implemented in Great Britain for the first time in the world.
1973 – White House hearings on the Watergate scandal began.
