At A Glance

17 August 2012 at a glance

Day of the week
17 August 2012 was a Friday.
UK Number One
The UK Number One single was “Heatwave” by Wiley ft. Ms D.
Top Film of 2012
The highest-grossing film worldwide released in 2012 was The Avengers.
Star sign
The star sign for 17 August is Leo.
Chinese zodiac
In the Chinese zodiac, 17 August 2012 fell in the Year of the Dragon.
Birthstone
The birthstone for August is Peridot.
Moon phase
The moon phase on 17 August 2012 was New Moon.

On this day: 17 August

  • 1985 The 1985–86 Hormel strike begins in Austin, Minnesota.
  • 1998 Lewinsky scandal: US President Bill Clinton admits in taped testimony that he had an "improper physical relationship" with White House intern Monica Lewinsky; later that same day he admits before the nation that he "misled people" about the relationship.
  • 2004 The National Assembly of Serbia unanimously adopts new state symbols for Serbia: Bože pravde becomes the new anthem and the coat of arms is adopted for the whole country.
  • 2005 The first forced evacuation of settlers, as part of Israeli disengagement from Gaza, starts.
  • 2008 American swimmer Michael Phelps becomes the first person to win eight gold medals at one Olympic Games.

Famous people born on 17 August

  • Robert De Niro, American actor, entrepreneur, director, and producer (born 1943)
  • Phoebe Bridgers, American singer/songwriter (born 1994)
  • Sean Penn, American actor, director, and political activist (born 1960)
  • Larry Ellison, American businessman, co-founded the Oracle Corporation (born 1944)

Source: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0)

Choose your country: the charts, news and leaders change to match.

Events of 2012 in the United Kingdom

A selection from Wikipedia's '2012 in the United Kingdom'. Not a complete list.

  • 4 February – The Met Office issues a severe weather warning as heavy snow falls across much of the UK, disrupting road and air travel.
  • 6 February – Queen Elizabeth II celebrates her Diamond Jubilee, marking sixty years on the throne; only the second British monarch to do so.
  • 29 March – 2012 Bradford West by-election: Respect Party candidate George Galloway wins, taking the seat from the Labour Party with a majority of 10,140 votes.

Life in 2012

Prime Minister

David Cameron

Monarch

Elizabeth II

Pint of Beer

£3.05

Loaf of Bread

£1.35

Average House

£162,637

Weekly Wage

£723.00

Or

Browse by Year

About The Day You Were Born

Ever wondered what was happening in the world when you took your first breath? Our birthday lookup tool reveals the fascinating history of your special day.

About The Birthday Chronicle and where our data comes from →