Michael Faraday Discovers Electromagnetic Induction
Faraday discovered electromagnetic induction on October 17, 1831, the principle behind the electric generator and the transformer.
Al Capone Is Convicted
Al Capone was convicted of tax evasion on 17 October 1931 and sentenced to eleven years, a case built on unexplained income rather than violence.
Al Capone Is Convicted of Tax Evasion
Al Capone was convicted of tax evasion on October 17, 1931, and sentenced to eleven years, the charge that finally ended his power.
Yasunari Kawabata Wins the Nobel Prize in Literature
Yasunari Kawabata won the Nobel Prize in Literature on October 17, 1968, the first Japanese writer to do so.
The Loma Prieta Earthquake Strikes the San Francisco Area
The Loma Prieta earthquake, magnitude 6.9, struck the San Francisco area on October 17, 1989, killing 63 people.
Augusto Pinochet Is Arrested in London
Augusto Pinochet was arrested in London on October 17, 1998, on a Spanish warrant, a first for a former head of state.
The Writer Ba Jin Dies in Shanghai
On October 17, 2005, the Chinese novelist Ba Jin, author of the Torrent trilogy, died in Shanghai at the age of 100.