June 17 in History

World Day to Combat Desertification and Drought — It is proclaimed by the United Nations General Assembly on January 30 1995.

1397 — The Kalmar Union unites the kingdoms of Denmark, Sweden (including most of Finland) and Norway (with Iceland, Greenland, the Faroe, Shetland and Orkney islands) under one monarch, mainly to block German expansion into the Baltic region.

1462 — Vlad III (the Impaler) of Wallachia attempts to assassinate Mehmed II of the Ottoman Empire (The Night Attack at Târgoviste).

1722 — Eleven ships are wrecked with severe loss of life during a fierce gale in Table Bay.

1818 — Charles-François Gounod, French composer (“Ave Maria” based on a work by Bach, and operas “Faust” and “Roméo et Juliette”), is born in Paris.

1843 — The Wairau Affray, the first serious clash of arms in the New Zealand Wars, leaves 22 British settlers dead (several killed after their surrender), as well as four Maoris.

1882 — Igor Stravinsky, Russian pianist, composer (one of the most important and influential of the 20th century), is born in St Petersburg.

1893 — A borehole on the Rand-Victoria mine near Germiston strikes the Main Reef of the Witwatersrand Gold Fields at 731m, confirming estimates of huge gold deposits.

1885 — The French ship Isère arrives in NYC with crates containing the pieces of the Statue of Liberty. 1896 — Hendrik Hanekom, pioneer Afrikaans actor, is born in Beaufort West. He and his wife Mathilda form Die Afrikaanse Toneelspelers in 1925. They perform countrywide until his death in 1952.

1901 — British politician David Lloyd George (the last Liberal Party prime minister, 1916-22) denounces Britain’s concentration camp — where almost

28 000 (22 000 children) whites and about 20 000 blacks die — policy during Anglo-Boer War 2.

1940 — France, invaded by Germany on May 10, asks for terms of surrender.

1991 — The South African Parliament votes to repeal the 1950 Population Registration Act.

1992 — Armed men from steelworks residence KwaMadala Hostel shoot and hack their way through the township of Boipatong, Vanderbijlpark, leaving 46 people dead and scores injured/maimed.

1996 — A World Health Organisation study says more than eight million babies die each year worldwide before reaching their first birthday.

2000 — Skipper Alan Shearer scores with a header in the 53rd minute in a Euro 2000 group match to give England their first victory over Germany in a competitive match since the July 30 1966 World

Cup final at Wembley Stadium.