February 17, 2025
Historical Events:
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1600: Italian philosopher and astronomer Giordano Bruno is burned at the stake in Rome as a heretic after being imprisoned for seven years.
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1900: German Emperor Wilhelm II declares the western part of the Samoa Islands a German protectorate. The German colony would end with the outbreak of World War I.
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1955: The education ministers of the German states adopt the Dusseldorf Agreement, creating a common framework for the general education system in West Germany.
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2000: Software giant Microsoft unveils its new operating system, Windows 2000, in San Francisco. With a development cost of $2 billion USD, it is considered the largest commercial software project in computer history.
Contemporary Events:
- 2010: A fire engulfs part of the historic city center of Apolda, Thuringia, destroying or damaging six 18th-century residential and commercial buildings.
Notable Births:
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1926: Sonja Ziemann, German actress known for her roles in "Black Forest Girl" and "Green Is the Heath," dies on this day.
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1930: Heinz Meier, German actor and theater director famous for his role as lottery winner Erwin Lindemann in the TV series "Loriot," is born.
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1937: Rita Süssmuth, German politician (CDU), President of the Bundestag from 1988 to 1998, and Federal Minister for Youth, Family and Health from 1985 to 1988, is born.
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1940: Eckart Werthebach, German politician (CDU), President of the Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution from 1991 to 1995, and Senator of the Interior of Berlin from 1998 to 2001, is born.
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1965: Michael Bay, American director known for films such as "Pearl Harbor," "The Rock," and the "Transformers" franchise, is born.
Saint’s Day:
- Benignus, Bonosus, and Evermod, Christian martyrs and saints
