About the day » Wednesday August 17, 1955Calender converter

• Jacoba Petronella (Koos) van Eeken, Den Helder († 2008)
• Marsha Lee Haan, Rock Rapids, Lyon County, Iowa († 2020)
• Catharina Elizabeth Maria Damhuis († 1996)
• Sanford (Sandy) Gurian, Livonia, Mi
• Petronella Jacoba van Eeken, Den Helder († 2008)
• Johannes Wilhelmus Jozef Maria Koning, Oosthuizen, Nederland († 2004)
• Jan Gladon, Haarlem, Noord-Holland, Nederland
• Leonna Theresia van Schilt, Halsteren, Noord-Brabant, Nederland
• henricus wilhelmus johannes gisbertus (harrie) van lier, helden-dorp
• Angelika Piske, Monchengladbach, De († 1985)

• Adriaan van Eerd (76), Maarheeze, Noord-Brabant, Nederland
• Anita Steyn (0), Delmas Pretoria Transvaal Z.Afrika
• Anna Johanna Meeusen (74), Vlissingen, ZE Netherlands
• Antonie van Leeuwen (74), Hoorn
• "Eduard" Franz de Paula Guyard von Saint Julien (60), Wolfsegg am Hausruck, Autriche
• Bregtje Veenstra (76), Houtigehage, gem. Smallingerland, Friesland, Nederland
• Bart van den Anker (67), Mijdrecht, Utrecht, Nederland
• Arnoldus Johannes Hassing (59), Doetinchem, Gelderland, Netherlands
• Anna Cornelia Wierikx (75), Oud en Nieuw Gastel
• Arnoldus Josephus van Winden (61), Princenhage

• 1953 » Herta Müller, Romanian-German poet and author, Nobel Prize laureate
• 1953 » Kevin Rowland, English singer-songwriter and guitarist
• 1953 » Korrie Layun Rampan, Indonesian author, poet, and critic († 2015)
• 1953 » Mick Malthouse, Australian footballer and coach
• 1954 » Andrés Pastrana Arango, Colombian lawyer and politician, 38th President of Colombia
• 1954 » Eric Johnson, American singer-songwriter, guitarist, and producer
• 1955 » Colin Moulding, English singer-songwriter and bassist
• 1956 » Álvaro Pino, Spanish cyclist
• 1956 » Gail Berman, American businessman, co-founded BermanBraun
• 1957 » Ken Kwapis, American director and screenwriter

• 1940 » Billy Fiske, American soldier and pilot (b. 1911)
• 1945 » Reidar Haaland, Norwegian police officer and soldier (b. 1919)
• 1949 » Gregorio Perfecto, Filipino journalist, jurist, and politician (b. 1891)
• 1958 » Arthur Fox, English-American fencer (b. 1878)
• 1966 » Ken Miles, English race car driver and engineer (b. 1918)
• 1969 » Otto Stern, German physicist and academic, Nobel Prize laureate (b. 1888)
• 1970 » Rattana Pestonji, Thai director and producer (b. 1908)
• 1971 » Maedayama Eigorō, Japanese sumo wrestler, the 39th Yokozuna (b. 1914)
• 1971 » Wilhelm List, German field marshal (b. 1880)
• 1973 » Conrad Aiken, American novelist, short story writer, critic, and poet (b. 1889)

1. Johannes
2. Jan
3. Cornelis
4. Hendrik
5. Willem
6. Peter
7. Robert
8. Pieter
9. John
10. Petrus
11. Gerrit
12. Dirk
13. David
14. Adrianus
15. Johan
16. Jacobus

1. Maria
2. Johanna
3. Anna
4. Cornelia
5. Elisabeth
6. Wilhelmina
7. Catharina
8. Adriana
9. Hendrika
10. Yvonne
11. Petronella
12. Margaretha
13. Marianne
14. Helena
15. Gerda
16. Marie

• Koningin Juliana (Huis van Oranje-Nassau) was from September 4, 1948 till April 30, 1980 sovereign of the Netherlands (also known as Koninkrijk der Nederlanden)
• In The Netherlands , there was from September 2, 1952 to October 13, 1956 the cabinet Drees II, with Dr. W. Drees (PvdA) as prime minister.
• The Netherlands had about 10.7 million citizens.
• April 7 » Winston Churchill resigns as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom amid indications of failing health.
• May 25 » In the United States, a night-time F5 tornado strikes the small city of Udall, Kansas, killing 80 and injuring 273. It is the deadliest tornado to ever occur in the state and the 23rd deadliest in the U.S.
• June 11 » Eighty-three spectators are killed and at least 100 are injured after an Austin-Healey and a Mercedes-Benz collide at the 24 Hours of Le Mans, the deadliest ever accident in motorsports.
• September 6 » Istanbul's Greek, Jewish, and Armenian minorities are the target of a government-sponsored pogrom; dozens are killed in ensuing riots.
• October 1 » The Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region is established.
• November 15 » The first part of Saint Petersburg Metro is opened.

The temperature on August 17, 1955 was between 13.1 °C and 25.6 °C and averaged 19.5 °C. There was 11.0 hours of sunshine (75%). The partly clouded was. The average windspeed was 3 Bft (moderate breeze) and was prevailing from the south-southeast.