November 17

Events

• 1902: In the Greek national elections, Theodoros Deligiannis and Georgios Theotokis each elect 102 MPs to the Hellenic Parliament leading to political instability over the next few years.
• 1904: Kapetan Vardas leads 40 guerrilas into Macedonia during the Macedonian Struggle.
• 1919: King Alexander marries Aspasia Manou - a commoner - in secrecy, in Athens. The priest who performed the ceremony left immediately afterwards, refusing to accept the gift offered him by the couple.
• 1936: The Battleship Georgios Averoff carries the remains of Queen Olga, King Constantine I and Queen Sophie from Brindisi for reburial in Tatoi, Greece.
• 1948: The UN General Assembly passes resolution 193, condemning the removal of Greek children to Eastern Bloc countries and demanding their return.
• 1968: Alekos Panagoulis is sentenced to death for his attempt to assassinate dictator George Papadopoulos.
• 1959: The Democratic Union of Cyprus is founded as an alternative to Archbishop Makarios III.
• 1973: Tanks tear down the gates of the Polytechnic Institute in Athens ending the student protests against the military government of Greece. 16 students die during the confrontation.
• 1985: 15-year old Michalis Kaltezas is shot dead by Police officer Athanasios Melistas during rioting marking the 12th anniversary of the attack on the Athens Polytechnic Institute.
• 1989: Riots take place in Athens on the 16th anniversary of the attack on the Athens Polytechnic Institute: One student is killed and dozens are injured as protesters sought to march on the embassy of the USA.

Births

• 1861: Spyros Samaras, composer
• 1953: Babis Tennes, football coach
• 1964: Krzysztof Warzycha, footballer.
• 1983: Yiannis Bourousis, basketball player.

Deaths

• 375: Valentinian I, Byzantine emperor.
• 1924: Patriarch Gregory VII of Constantinople
• 1936: Alexandros Papanastasiou, politician, Prime Minister.
• 1993: Giorgos Mitsakis, composer.
• 2006: Ferenc Puskas, legendary football player and coach.