So you want to have a drink but you aren't sure why? Here are some GREAT reasons to call your friends over and have a party.

May 17th


- Earliest date on which Trinity Sunday can fall, while June 20 is the latest; celebrated on the first Sunday after Pentecost. (Western Christianity)
- Birthday of the Raja (Perlis)
- Christian Feast Day:
- Constitution Day (Nauru)
- Constitution Day (Norway)
- Feast of ‘A?amat (Bahá'í Faith)
- Galician Literature Day or Día das Letras Galegas (Galicia)
- International Day Against Homophobia and Transphobia aka IDAHO
- Liberation Day (Democratic Republic of the Congo)
- National Famine Memorial Day (Ireland)
- Navy Day (Argentina)
- World Information Society Day (International)

May 17th


- 2009 - Dalia Grybauskait? is elected the first female President of Lithuania.
- 2007 - Trains from North and South Korea cross the 38th Parallel in a test-run agreed by both governments. This is the first time that trains have crossed the Demilitarized Zone since .
- 2006 - The aircraft carrier USS Oriskany is sunk in the Gulf of Mexico as an artificial reef.
- 2004 - Massachusetts becomes the first U.S. state to legalize same-sex marriage.
- 1997 - Troops of Laurent Kabila march into Kinshasa. Zaire is officially renamed Democratic Republic of the Congo.
- 1994 - Malawi holds its first multi-party elections.
- 1992 - Three days of popular protests against the government of Prime Minister of Thailand Suchinda Kraprayoon begin in Bangkok, leading to a military crackdown that results in 52 officially confirmed deaths, many disappearances, hundreds of injuries, and over 3,500 arrests.
- 1990 - The General Assembly of the World Health Organization (WHO) eliminates homosexuality from the list of psychiatric diseases.
- 1987 - An Iraqi fighter jet fires two missiles into the U.S. warship USS Stark, killing 37 and injuring 21 of her crew.
- 1984 - Prince Charles calls a proposed addition to the National Gallery, London, a "monstrous carbuncle on the face of a much-loved and elegant friend," sparking controversies on the proper role of the Royal Family and the course of modern architecture.
- 1983 - The U.S. Department of Energy declassifies documents showing world's largest mercury pollution event in Oak Ridge, Tennessee (ultimately found to be 4.2 million pounds), in response to the Appalachian Observer's Freedom of Information Act request.
- 1983 - Lebanon, Israel, and the United States sign an agreement on Israeli withdrawal from Lebanon.
- 1980 - General Chun Doo-hwan of South Korea declares martial law in order to suppress student demonstrations.
- 1980 - On the eve of presidential elections, Maoist guerrilla group Shining Path attacks a polling location in the town of Chuschi, Ayacucho, starting the Internal conflict in Peru.
- 1974 - Police in Los Angeles, California, raid the Symbionese Liberation Army's headquarters, killing six members, including Camilla Hall.
- 1974 - Thirty-three people are killed by terrorist bombings in Dublin and Monaghan, Ireland.
- 1973 - Watergate scandal: Televised hearings begin in the United States Senate.
- 1970 - Thor Heyerdahl sets sail from Morocco on the papyrus boat Ra II to sail the Atlantic Ocean.
- 1969 - Venera program: Soviet Venera 6 begins its descent into the atmosphere of Venus, sending back atmospheric data before being crushed by pressure.
- 1967 - Six-Day War: President Gamal Abdel Nasser of Egypt demands dismantling of the peace-keeping UN Emergency Force in Egypt.
- 1954 - The United States Supreme Court hands down a unanimous decision in Brown v. Board of Education of Topeka, Kansas.
- 1943 - The United States Army contracts with the University of Pennsylvania's Moore School to develop the ENIAC.
- 1943 - World War II: the Dambuster Raids by No. 617 Squadron RAF on German dams.
- 1940 - World War II: Germany occupies Brussels, Belgium.
- 1940 - World War II: the old city centre of the Dutch town of Middelburg is bombed by the German Luftwaffe, to force the surrender of the Dutch armies in Zeeland.
- 1939 - The Columbia Lions and the Princeton Tigers play in the United States' first televised sporting event, a collegiate baseball game in New York City.
- 1933 - Vidkun Quisling and Johan Bernhard Hjort form Nasjonal Samling — the national-socialist party of Norway.
- 1927 - U.S. Army aviation pioneer, Major Harold Geiger, dies in the crash of his Airco DH.4 de Havilland plane at Olmstead Field, Pennsylvania.
- 1919 - The British War Department orders use of National Star Insignia on all airplanes.
- 1915 - The last British Liberal Party government (led by Herbert Henry Asquith) falls.
- 1914 - The Protocol of Corfu is signed recognising full autonomy to Northern Epirus under nominal Albanian sovereignty.
- 1902 - Greek archaeologist Valerios Stais discovers the Antikythera mechanism, an ancient mechanical analog computer.
- 1900 - Second Boer War: British troops relieve Mafeking.
- 1877 - The Victorian Football League of Australia is founded.
- 1875 - Aristides wins the first Kentucky Derby.
- 1873 - El Paso, Texas is established by charter from the Texas Legislature.
- 1865 - The International Telegraph Union (later the International Telecommunication Union) is established in Paris.
- 1863 - Rosalía de Castro publishes Cantares Gallegos, the first book in the Galician language.
- 1860 - German football club TSV 1860 München is founded
- 1849 - A fire threatens to burn St. Louis, Missouri to the ground.
- 1814 - Occupation of Monaco changes from French to Austrian.
- 1814 - The Constitution of Norway is signed and the Danish Crown Prince Christian Frederik is elected King of Norway by the Norwegian Constituent Assembly.
- 1809 - Napoleon I of France orders the annexation of the Papal States to the French Empire.
- 1805 - Muhammad Ali becomes W?li of Egypt.
- 1792 - The New York Stock Exchange is formed.
- 1775 - American Revolutionary War: the Continental Congress bans trade with Canada.
- 1673 - Louis Joliet and Jacques Marquette begin exploring the Mississippi River.
- 1642 - Paul Chomedey de Maisonneuve (1612–1676) founds the Ville Marie de Montréal.
- 1590 - Anne of Denmark is crowned Queen of Scotland.
- 1536 - George Boleyn, Viscount Rochford and four other men are executed for treason.
- 1521 - Edward Stafford, 3rd Duke of Buckingham, is executed for treason.

May 17th


- 1991 - Adil Omar, Pakistani rapper
- 1991 - Daniel Curtis Lee, American actor
- 1990 - Leven Rambin, American actress
- 1989 - Tessa Virtue, Canadian ice dancer
- 1988 - Nikki Reed, American actress
- 1986 - Tahj Mowry, American actor
- 1985 - Matt Ryan, American football player
- 1985 - Derek Hough, American dancer and singer
- 1984 - Christine Robinson, Canadian water polo player
- 1984 - Christian Bolańos, Costa Rican footballer
- 1983 - Channing Frye, American basketball player
- 1983 - Nicky Hofs, Dutch footballer
- 1983 - Jeremy Sowers, American baseball player
- 1983 - Chris Henry, American football player (d. 2009)
- 1982 - Tony Parker, French-American basketball player
- 1982 - Matt Cassel, American football player
- 1982 - Reiko Nakamura, Japanese swimmer
- 1981 - Beńat Albizuri, Spanish cyclist
- 1981 - Shiri Maimon, Israeli singer
- 1981 - Leon Osman, English footballer
- 1981 - Giannis Taralidis, Greek footballer
- 1981 - Lim Jeong Hee, Korean singer
- 1980 - Davor Džalto, Serbian/Croatian art historian
- 1980 - Dallas Taylor, American singer (Underoath)
- 1979 - Wayne Thomas, English footballer
- 1978 - John Foster, American baseball player
- 1978 - Paddy Kenny, Irish football goalkeeper
- 1978 - Carlos Peńa, Dominican baseball player
- 1976 - José Guillén, Dominican baseball player
- 1976 - Leehom Wang, American-born Taiwanese musician and composer
- 1975 - Cheick Kongo, French martial artist
- 1975 - Jonti Picking, British cartoonist
- 1975 - Kostas Sommer, Greek actor
- 1975 - Laura Voutilainen, Finnish singer
- 1975 - Alex Wright, German professional wrestler
- 1974 - Andrea Corr, Irish singer (The Corrs)
- 1974 - Wiki González, Venezuelan baseball player
- 1974 - Eddie Lewis, American football (soccer) player
- 1974 - Sendhil Ramamurthy, American actor
- 1973 - Josh Homme, American musician and songwriter (Queens of the Stone Age)
- 1973 - Matthew McGrory, American actor (d. 2005)
- 1973 - Sasha Alexander, American television actress
- 1973 - Steve Barakatt, Canadian composer
- 1971 - Shaun Hart, Australian footballer
- 1971 - Princess Máxima of the Netherlands
- 1970 - Jordan Knight, American singer (New Kids on the Block)
- 1970 - Hubert Davis, American basketball player
- 1970 - Angelica Agurbash, Belorussian singer, actress and model
- 1970 - Matt Lindland, American mixed martial arts fighter
- 1969 - Thom Filicia, American television personality
- 1969 - Alan Doyle, Canadian musician (Great Big Sea)
- 1966 - Hill Harper, American actor
- 1966 - Mark Kratzmann, Australian tennis player
- 1966 - Danny Manning, American basketball player
- 1965 - Trent Reznor, American musician (Nine Inch Nails)
- 1965 - Paige Turco, American actress
- 1964 - Stratos Apostolakis, Greek footballer
- 1964 - Menno Oosting, Dutch tennis player (d. 1999)
- 1963 - Jon Koncak, American basketball player
- 1963 - Page McConnell, American musician and songwriter (Phish)
- 1962 - Craig Ferguson, Scottish actor and comedian
- 1962 - Lise Lyng Falkenberg, Danish writer
- 1961 - Enya, Irish singer and songwriter
- 1960 - Lou DiBella, American boxing promoter
- 1959 - Marcelo Loffreda, Argentine rugby player and coach
- 1959 - Jim Nantz, American broadcaster
- 1958 - Paul Di'Anno, English singer (Iron Maiden)
- 1957 - Pascual Pérez, Dominican baseball player
- 1956 - Sugar Ray Leonard, American boxer
- 1956 - Bob Saget, American actor
- 1956 - Dave Sim, Canadian cartoonist
- 1955 - Bill Paxton, American actor and film director
- 1953 - Luca Prodan, Italian-Scottish singer and musician (Sumo, Hurlingham Reggae Band)
- 1952 - Howard Hampton, Canadian politician
- 1951 - Simon Hughes, British politician
- 1950 - Howard Ashman, American lyricist (d. 1991)
- 1950 - Janez Drnovšek, Slovenian politician (d. 2008)
- 1950 - Valeria Novodvorskaya, Russian politician, dissident, founder and chairwoman of the Democratic Union party
- 1949 - Bill Bruford, English drummer (Yes, King Crimson)
- 1948 - Dick Gaughan, Scottish musician, singer and songwriter
- 1946 - F. Paul Wilson, American novelist
- 1946 - Udo Lindenberg, German musician
- 1945 - Tony Roche, Australian tennis player
- 1943 - Johnny Warren, Australian footballer (d. 2004)
- 1942 - Taj Mahal, American musician
- 1941 - David Cope, American composer and author
- 1941 - Ben Nelson. 40th Governor of Nebraska & United States Senator from Nebraska
- 1941 - Grace Zabriskie, American actress
- 1940 - Alan Kay, American computer scientist
- 1940 - Reynato Puno, Filipino Supreme Court Chief Justice
- 1939 - Gary Paulsen, American author
- 1938 - Jason Bernard, American actor (d. 1996)
- 1937 - Hazel R. O'Leary, 7th United States Secretary of Energy
- 1936 - Dennis Hopper, American actor and director (d. 2010)
- 1935 - Dennis Potter, English writer (d. 1994)
- 1934 - Friedrich-Wilhelm Kiel, German politician
- 1931 - Marshall Applewhite, American cult leader of Heaven's Gate (d. 1997)
- 1926 - Franz Sondheimer, German-born British chemist (d. 1981)
- 1921 - Dennis Brain, English French horn player (d. 1957)
- 1921 - Bob Merrill, American composer and lyricist (d. 1998)
- 1919 - Antonio Aguilar, Mexican singer and actor (d. 2007)
- 1919 - Merle Miller, American biographer (d. 1986)
- 1918 - Birgit Nilsson, Swedish soprano (d. 2005)
- 1918 - A. C. Lyles, American film producer
- 1913 - Hans Ruesch, Swiss racing driver (d. 2007)
- 1912 - Ace Parker, American baseball and football player
- 1911 - Lisa Fonssagrives, Swedish-born supermodel (d. 1992)
- 1911 - Maureen O'Sullivan, Irish actress (d. 1998)
- 1909 - Julius Sumner Miller, American physicist (d. 1987)
- 1906 - Zinka Milanov, Croatian soprano (d. 1989)
- 1904 - Jean Gabin, French actor (d. 1976)
- 1903 - Cool Papa Bell, baseball player (d. 1991)
- 1901 - Werner Egk, German composer (d. 1983)
- 1898 - Alfred Joseph Casson, Canadian painter (d. 1992)
- 1897 - Odd Hassel, Norwegian chemist, Nobel Prize laureate (d. 1981)
- 1895 - Saul Adler FRS, Russian-born British-Israeli expert on parasitology (d. 1966)
- 1895 - Mary Josephine Ray, Canadian supercentenarian (d. 2010)
- 1891 - Princess Alexandra, Duchess of Fife (d. 1959)
- 1891 - Napoleon Zervas, Greek general and resistance leader during World War II (d. 1957)
- 1888 - Tich Freeman, English cricketer (d. 1965)
- 1886 - King Alfonso XIII of Spain (d. 1941)
- 1879 - Simon Petlyura, Ukrainian independence fighter (d. 1926)
- 1873 - Henri Barbusse, French novelist and journalist (d. 1935)
- 1873 - Dorothy Richardson, English writer (d. 1957)
- 1868 - Horace Elgin Dodge, American automobile manufacturer (d. 1920)
- 1866 - Erik Satie, French composer (d. 1925)
- 1845 - Jacint Verdaguer, Catalan poet (d. 1902)
- 1844 - Julius Wellhausen, German biblical scholar (d. 1918)
- 1836 - Wilhelm Steinitz, Austrian chess player (d. 1900)
- 1836 - Virginie Loveling, Belgian writer and poet (d. 1923)
- 1821 - Sebastian Kneipp, German naturopathist (d. 1897)
- 1794 - Anna Brownell Jameson, British writer (d. 1860)
- 1768 - Caroline of Brunswick, German-born Queen consort of George IV of the United Kingdom (d. 1821)
- 1768 - Henry Paget, 1st Marquess of Anglesey, English general (d. 1854)
- 1758 - John St Aubyn, British fossil collector (d. 1839)
- 1749 - Edward Jenner, English medical researcher (d. 1823)
- 1743 - Seth Warner, American revolutionary leader (d. 1784)
- 1718 - Robert Darcy, 4th Earl of Holderness, English diplomat and politician (d. 1778)
- 1706 - Andreas Felix von Oefele, German historian and librarian (d. 1780)
- 1682 - Bartholomew Roberts, Welsh pirate (d. 1722)
- 1628 - Archduke Ferdinand Charles of Austria, Regent of Tyrol (d. 1662)
- 1551 - Martin Delrio, Flemish theologian and occultist (d. 1601)
- 1443 - Edmund, Earl of Rutland, brother of Kings Edward IV of England and Richard III of England (d. 1460)
- 1155 - Jien, Japanese poet and historian (d. 1225)