BBC Home
Explore the BBC
17 May  
Search ON THIS DAY by date
Go back one dayGo forward one day  
Front Page | Years | Themes | Witness
About This Site | Text Only
Squadron 6171943: RAF raid smashes German dams

An audacious raid into the industrial heartland of Germany uses revolutionary bombs to flood the Ruhr valley.


1974: Bombs devastate Dublin and Monaghan
Four car bombs explode in the Irish capital, leaving at least 23 dead and more than 100 injured.

1960: East-West summit in tatters after spy plane row
The much-heralded Big Four summit in Paris fails after U2 spy plane recriminations.

Charlie Chaplin in The Kid 19211978: Charlie Chaplin's stolen body found
The coffin containing the body of Charlie Chaplin - missing since his grave was pillaged nearly two months ago - is found.

2000: First Britons reach North Pole unaided
Two Royal Marine commandos are the first Britons to reach the geographical North Pole braving severe weather conditions.

1955: Eden takes to the airwaves
Prime Minister Sir Anthony Eden presents the largest-scale election broadcast ever seen on television.
 Around this Day
14 May
Top Story1955: Communist states sign Warsaw Pact
15 May
Top Story1957: Britain drops its first H-bomb
16 May
Top Story1943: Germans crush Jewish uprising
18 May
Top Story1944: Monte Cassino falls to the Allies
19 May
Top Story1980: Nine dead after Mount St Helens eruption
20 May
Top Story1983: Car bomb in South Africa kills 16
Witness memories
0Looking back
A selection of the best of your memories

World War II - 1939 to 1945
0Britain and France joined the war on 3 September 1939A compilation of key stories as they broke throughout the war

On This Day
0Graphic image - text with red squaresHeadlines delivered to your desktop - find out about RSS

BBC History>>
0BBC HistoryArticles, biographies and multimedia on historical events

BBC Radio 4 History>>
0Radio 4 logoFind out what Radio 4 has to offer history lovers

 
Search ON THIS DAY by date
Go back one dayGo forward one day  

^^ back to top
Front Page | Years | Themes | Witness
©MMVIII | News Sources | Privacy & Cookies Policy