Every yearDecember 17
Everything December 17 celebrates
3 national, international, and world observances are on the calendar for December 17 every year, and 1 more lands on it in some years.
| # | Observance | Category | Actions |
|---|---|---|---|
| 01 | National Maple Syrup DayLead | Food | |
| 02 | Wright Brothers Day | Tech | |
| 03 | Pan American Aviation Day | Tech |
These are set by a rule rather than a fixed date, so they only land on December 17 in some years.
Born on December 17
Historic figures
- Pope Francis1936–2025Argentinian Pope of the Catholic Church
- Humphry Davy1778–1829English chemist and physicist
- Muhammadu Buhari1942–2025Nigerian general and politician, 7th & 15th President of Nigeria
- Willard Libby1908–1980American chemist and academic, Nobel Prize laureate
- Joseph Henry1797–1878American physicist and engineer
- Émilie du Châtelet1706–1749French mathematician and physicist
- Simo Häyhä1905–2002Finnish soldier and sniper
- Maria I of Portugal1734–1816Queen of Portugal from 1777 to 1816
- Sophus Lie1842–1899Norwegian mathematician and academic
- William Lyon Mackenzie King1874–1950Canadian economist and politician, tenth Prime Minister of Canada
Celebrities & public figures
- Milla Jovovichb. 1975Ukrainian-American actress
- Manny Pacquiaob. 1978Filipino boxer and politician
- Sarah Paulsonb. 1974American actress
- Giovanni Ribisib. 1974American actor
- Martin Ødegaardb. 1998Norwegian footballer
- Bill Pullmanb. 1953American actor
- Claire Forlanib. 1971English actress
- Laurie Holdenb. 1969American actress and model
- Katheryn Winnickb. 1977Canadian actress
- Kemal Kılıçdaroğlub. 1948Turkish economist and politician
Birth dates from Wikidata; names link to Wikipedia.
This page covers December 17 in any year. For one year in particular — the weekday, and which moveable observances landed on it — see December 17, 2026.
Today Celebrates tracks daily national, international and world observances all year.