January 17
Updated November 6, 2026 · Edited by the JanuaryCalendar.com team
January 17 is Benjamin Franklin's birthday, celebrated in the US with National Kid Inventors' Day. The date also marks Robert Falcon Scott's arrival at the South Pole in 1912, Dwight D. Eisenhower's farewell warning about the military-industrial complex in 1961, and major earthquakes in Los Angeles (1994) and Kobe, Japan (1995).
January 17 is the 17th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. 348 days remain in the year (349 in leap years). In 2027, January 17 falls on a Sunday.
- Day of year
- 17
- Days left
- 348 (349 in leap years)
- Zodiac sign
- Capricorn ♑︎
- Birthstone
- Garnet
- ISO week (2027)
- Week 2
- Weekday (2027)
- Sunday
Holidays and observances on January 17
- Cultural Benjamin Franklin's birthday (US) — Born in Boston in 1706 (New Style).
- Unofficial National Kid Inventors' Day (US) — Held on Franklin's birthday; he invented swim fins as a boy.
- Religious Feast of St. Anthony the Great (Catholic and other Western churches) — Animals are blessed on this day in parts of Spain and Mexico.
- US federal Martin Luther King Jr. Day falls on January 17 in 2022, 2028, 2033, 2039 (third Monday of January)
- Astronomy Full moon (Wolf Moon) on January 17 in 2022 (Eastern Time)
Events on January 17 in history
- 1773 – Captain James Cook's ships became the first known vessels to cross the Antarctic Circle.
- 1893 – Queen Liliʻuokalani of Hawaii was overthrown in a coup led by American and European businessmen and backed by US Marines.
- 1912 – Robert Falcon Scott's British expedition reached the South Pole, about five weeks after Roald Amundsen.
- 1929 – Popeye the Sailor made his first appearance in E. C. Segar's comic strip Thimble Theatre.
- 1946 – The UN Security Council held its first meeting, at Church House in London.
- 1961 – President Dwight D. Eisenhower warned of the "military-industrial complex" in his televised farewell address.
- 1991 – Coalition air strikes on Iraq launched Operation Desert Storm, the combat phase of the Gulf War.
- 1994 – The magnitude 6.7 Northridge earthquake struck the Los Angeles area before dawn.
- 1995 – The Great Hanshin earthquake devastated Kobe, Japan, killing more than 6,000 people.
Famous birthdays on January 17
- 1706 – Benjamin Franklin, American Founding Father, inventor and writer
- 1820 – Anne Brontë, English novelist, author of Agnes Grey
- 1863 – David Lloyd George, British prime minister during World War I
- 1899 – Al Capone, American Prohibition-era gangster
- 1922 – Betty White, American actress and comedian
- 1942 – Muhammad Ali, American heavyweight boxing champion
- 1945 – Javed Akhtar, Indian poet, lyricist and screenwriter
- 1962 – Jim Carrey, Canadian-American actor and comedian
- 1964 – Michelle Obama, US first lady and author
What day is January 17?
Frequently asked questions
Why is Benjamin Franklin's birthday January 17 if records say January 6?
Franklin was born in Boston on January 6, 1705, by the Julian (Old Style) calendar then used in Britain and its colonies. After Britain adopted the Gregorian calendar in 1752, that date became January 17, 1706, the birthday recognized today.
Which major earthquakes happened on January 17?
The magnitude 6.7 Northridge earthquake struck the Los Angeles area on January 17, 1994. Exactly one year later, on January 17, 1995, the Great Hanshin earthquake devastated Kobe, Japan, killing more than 6,000 people.
What is celebrated on January 17?
In the US, January 17 is Benjamin Franklin's birthday and National Kid Inventors' Day. Catholics mark the feast of St. Anthony the Great, when animals are blessed in parts of Spain and Mexico. See more January national days.
What day of the week is January 17, 2027?
January 17, 2027 is a Sunday. In 2028 it falls on a Monday.
What zodiac sign is January 17?
People born on January 17 are Capricorns (December 22 – January 19) in Western astrology.