At A Glance

17 March 2008 at a glance

Day of the week
17 March 2008 was a Monday.
UK Number One
The UK Number One single was “Mercy” by Duffy.
Top Film of 2008
The highest-grossing film worldwide released in 2008 was The Dark Knight.
Star sign
The star sign for 17 March is Pisces.
Chinese zodiac
In the Chinese zodiac, 17 March 2008 fell in the Year of the Rat.
Birthstone
The birthstone for March is Aquamarine.
Moon phase
The moon phase on 17 March 2008 was Waxing Gibbous.

On this day: 17 March

  • 1973 The Pulitzer Prize–winning photograph Burst of Joy is taken, depicting a former prisoner of war being reunited with his family, which came to symbolize the end of United States involvement in the Vietnam War.
  • 1988 Eritrean War of Independence: The Nadew Command, an Ethiopian army corps in Eritrea, is attacked on three sides by military units of the Eritrean People's Liberation Front in the opening action of the Battle of Afabet.
  • 1992 A referendum to end apartheid in South Africa is passed 68.7% to 31.2%.
  • 2003 Leader of the House of Commons and Lord President of the Council, Robin Cook, resigns from the British Cabinet in disagreement with government plans for the 2003 invasion of Iraq.
  • 2016 Rojava conflict: At a conference in Rmelan, the Movement for a Democratic Society declares the establishment of the Democratic Federation of Northern Syria.

Famous people born on 17 March

  • Rob Lowe, American actor (born 1964)
  • Pattie Boyd, English model, author, and photographer (born 1944)
  • Grimes, Canadian musician, singer-songwriter, producer, and visual artist (born 1988)
  • Claressa Shields, American boxer and mixed martial artist (born 1995)

Source: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0)

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Events of 2008 in the United Kingdom

A selection from Wikipedia's '2008 in the United Kingdom'. Not a complete list.

  • 25 February – The animated children's television series The Mr. Men Show first airs on Five.
  • 27 February – 2008 Lincolnshire earthquake: An earthquake with an epicentre in Lincolnshire is felt across most of Britain, with several buildings suffering substantial damage.
  • 28 March – London Heathrow Terminal 5 opens at Heathrow Airport to British Airways with many problems with the IT system, coupled with insufficient testing and staff training, which causes over 500 flights to be cancelled.

Life in 2008

Prime Minister

Gordon Brown

Monarch

Elizabeth II

Pint of Beer

£2.70

Loaf of Bread

£1.15

Average House

£176,190

Weekly Wage

£674.00

Or

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Famous Faces Born in the 2000s

Well-known people born in the same decade as you, not on your birthday.

Sources: Wikidata and Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0)

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