About the day » Monday December 31, 1917Calender converter

• Antsje Cdr Bakker, Harenkarspel († 1932)
• Adrianus Nekeman, Rotterdam, Zuid-Holland, Nederland († 1983)
• Antonius Franciscus Brok, Loon op Zand, Noord-Brabant, Nederland († 1983)
• Anthonius Adriaan Bruinhout, Den Helder († 1993)
• Anna Mietje Sterel (Höfekamp), Amsterdam, Noord-Holland, Nederland († 2004)
• Antoon Pieter Schuurmans, Sint-Michielsgestel, Noord-Brabant, Nederland († 1996)
• Antonius Adriaan Bruinhout, Den Helder, Nederland († 1993)
• ADRIANA JOHANNA MOERMAN, MAASLAND († 1974)
• Mazer († 1925)
• Annigjen DEINUM, Lemmer (Friesland, The Netherlands) († 2006)

• Aaltje (Willems) DIJKENS (40), Bierum, Delfzijl, Groningen, Nederland
• Arie VAN 'T ZELFDE (87), Zwijndrecht, Gemeente Zwijndrecht, South Holland, Netherlands
• Arnoldus Pouwels (62), Oploo
• Albertus Spaaij (80), Enschede, Overijssel, Nederland
• Augustinus Cornelis Pinxteren (0), Zundert, Nederland
• Berend Dethmer Kolk (73), Rotterdam, Nederland
• Alexander Frerichs (66), Amby
• Albert de Vogel (0), Rotterdam
• Aleida Maria Frieling (18), Hengelo
• Antje Wilhelmina ter Beek (66), Muiden, Noord-Holland, Nederland

• 1912 » John Frost, Indian-English general († 1993)
• 1914 » Mary Logan Reddick, American neuroembryologist († 1966)
• 1915 » Sam Ragan, American journalist, author, and poet († 1996)
• 1917 » Evelyn Knight, American singer († 2007)
• 1917 » Wilfrid Noyce, English mountaineer and author († 1962)
• 1918 » Ray Graves, American football player and coach († 2015)
• 1919 » Carmen Contreras-Bozak, Puerto Rican-American soldier († 2017)
• 1919 » Tommy Byrne, American baseball player, coach, and politician († 2007)
• 1920 » Rex Allen, American actor and singer-songwriter († 1999)
• 1922 » Tomás Balduino, Brazilian bishop († 2014)

• 1889 » George Kerferd, English-Australian politician, 10th Premier of Victoria (b. 1831)
• 1889 » Ion Creangă, Romanian author and educator (b. 1837)
• 1890 » Pancha Carrasco, Costa Rican soldier (b. 1826)
• 1891 » Samuel Ajayi Crowther, Nigerian bishop and linguist (b. 1809)
• 1894 » Thomas Joannes Stieltjes, Dutch mathematician and academic (b. 1856)
• 1909 » Spencer Trask, American financier and philanthropist (b. 1844)
• 1910 » Archibald Hoxsey, American pilot (b. 1884)
• 1910 » John Moisant, American pilot and engineer (b. 1868)
• 1921 » Boies Penrose, American lawyer and politician (b. 1860)
• 1936 » Miguel de Unamuno, Spanish philosopher, author, and poet (b. 1864)

• Koningin Wilhelmina (Huis van Oranje-Nassau) was from 1890 till 1948 sovereign of the Netherlands (also known as Koninkrijk der Nederlanden)
• In The Netherlands , there was from August 29, 1913 to September 9, 1918 the cabinet Cort van der Linden, with Mr. P.W.A. Cort van der Linden (liberaal) as prime minister.
• The Netherlands had about 6.5 million citizens.
• June 7 » World War I: Battle of Messines: Allied soldiers detonate a series of mines underneath German trenches at Messines Ridge, killing 10,000 German troops.
• June 26 » World War I: The American Expeditionary Forces begin to arrive in France. They will first enter combat four months later.
• July 17 » King George V issues a Proclamation stating that the male line descendants of the British Royal Family will bear the surname Windsor.
• October 15 » World War I: Dutch dancer Mata Hari is executed by France for espionage.
• November 7 » World War I: Third Battle of Gaza ends: British forces capture Gaza from the Ottoman Empire.
• December 2 » World War I: Russia and the Central Powers sign an armistice at Brest-Litovsk, and peace talks leading to the Treaty of Brest-Litovsk begin.

The temperature on December 31, 1917 was between -6.1 °C and -1.1 °C and averaged -3.5 °C. There was 2.7 hours of sunshine (35%). The average windspeed was 4 Bft (moderate breeze) and was prevailing from the east-northeast.