August 17

 Holidays and Observances
(Alphabetical Order)

2026 Daily Holidays that fall on August 17, include:

• Baby Boomers Recognition Day 
• Balloon Airmail Day 
• Cupcake Day (For the RSPCA) - August 17, 2026 (Third Monday in August)
• Meaning of "Is" Day 
• National #2 Pencil Day 
• National Black Cat Appreciation Day 
• National I Love My Feet Day
• National Non Profit Day
• National Thrift Shop Day 
• National Vanilla Custard Day
• Stay Home with Your Kid's Day - August 17, 2026 (Third Monday in August)

2026 Weekly Holidays that include August 17, are:

• National Aviation Week - August 15-21 (Always during the week of Orville Wright's Birthday on August 19)
• Perseid Meteor Showers - July 17 - August 24, 2026, will peak on August 12-13, 2026)
• Rabi 'al Awwal - August 14 - September 11, 2026

2026 Monthly Holidays that include August 17, are:

There are too many monthly holidays to include here, so please check out our August Holidays page to see all of the holidays that are celebrated the entire month of August.

NOTE:

1. A page on each holiday will be coming soon and linked above.
2. If a date is a movable holiday, that is different every year, I'll include the year as well as the date rule above. Otherwise, the holiday falls on the same date each year.

Astrological Sign

The Astrological Sign for August 17 is Leo.

Birth Flower of the Month

Birthstone

Famous Birthdays

• 1786 - Davy Crockett, American frontiersman, soldier, and politician (Alamo) (d. 1836)
• 1893 - Mae West, American film and stage actress, singer, and screenwriter (She Done Him Wrong) (d. 1980)
• 1943 - Robert De Niro, American actor, director, and producer (Raging Bull, The Deer Hunters, Meet the Parents)
• 1944 - Larry Ellison, American businessman who co-founded the Oracle Corporation
• 1958 - Belinda Carlisle, American singer and songwriter (The Go-Go's)
• 1960 - Sean Penn, American actor and director (Mystic River)
• 1969 - Donnie Wahlbert, American singer, songwriter, producer, and actor (New Kids on the Block)

Famous Deaths

• 1786 - Frederick the Great, Prussian King (b. 1712)

Famous Weddings and Divorces

• 1962 - Actor Jack Lemmon marries actress and model Felicia Farr
• 1964 - Martial artist and actor Bruce Lee marries teacher Linda Emery
• 2008 - Musician Phil Collins (Genesis), divorces Orianne Cevey

Quote of the Day

Today, August 17th is NATIONAL THRIFT SHOP DAY!

Thrift Shops are not only a great place to donate items from your home that you no longer need or want, but also are a great place to find items that you need at a great price!

Healthy Diet Habit Tip of the Day 
or a Recipe of the Day

Today, August 17th is NATIONAL THRIFT SHOP DAY! You can also save lots of money when you shop for food by practicing Food Frugality!

Food Frugality is making a comeback in a big way, due to the poor economy. Everyone is looking for ways to make do with less, and save money.  "Less is More" is the slogan of today! 

See more Food Frugality  Tips from Kerry on her Healthy Diet Habits website.

Season

August 17th falls within the Summer Season in the Northern Hemisphere.

Summer is the Hottest of the Four Seasons! It follows Spring and is before Fall! The kids are out of school and many vacations happen in summer, which means more family time. Hopefully a beach is involved!

The first day of Summer is also known as the Summer Solstice where we enjoy the most sunlight of the year! After this day, the amount of daylight starts to decrease each day.

Check out our Summer Season page for information about Summer, Summer Dates, Major Summer Holidays and Observances, Major Summer Festivals, Fun Facts About Summer, Summer Food Tips, Summer Gardening, Summer Preparation, Summer Quotes, and Summer Weather Information.

Kerry has put together some great information and tips on Summer Foods: 

• Summer Cooking

• Summer Weight Loss Tips

If you live in the Southern Hemisphere, this day falls in the Winter Season. 

• Winter Foods

• Winter Weight Gain

• Winter Weight Loss Tips

This Day in History

• 1560 - In Scotland, the Roman Catholic Church is overthrown and Protestantism is established as the national religion.
• 1862 - The Dakoka War of 1862 starts in Minnesota after Lakota warriors attach white settlements along the Minnesota River.
• 1907 - Pike Place Market, opens in Seattle Washington
• 1915 - A Category 4 hurricane strikes Galveston, Texas with winds at 135 miles per hour and killing 275 people
• 1969 - Camille, a Category 5 hurricane strikes the U.S. Gulf Coast area, killing 256 and causing $1.42 billion in damages.
• 1998 - U.S. President Bill Clinton admits that he had an "improper physical relationship" with White House intern Monica Lewsinsky, and that the "misled people" about the relationship.
• 1999 - More than 17,000 are killed and more than 44,000 are injured when a 7.4 magnitude earthquake strikes Izmit, Turkey
• 2005 - Terrorist set off over 500 bombs at 300 locations in 63 of the 64 districts of Bangladesh

This Day in Music

• 1959 - Kind of Blue by Miles David is released
• 1968 - People Got to Be Free by The Rascals is certified gold.
• 1969 - Day 3 of Woodstock has performances by Joe Cocker; Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young; Blood Sweat & Tears and Country Joe & The Fish
• 1974 - The Night Chicago Died by Paper Lace hits #1
• 1974 - Can't Get Enough by Bad Company is released (shown below)
• 1998 - Carlos Santana of Santana is awarded a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame
• 2011 - Last Friday Night (T.G.I.F) by Katy Perry hits #1

This Day in Sports

• 1869 - The 1st international boat race occurs on the Thames River in London, England with Oxford beating Harvard
• 1870 - The 1st ascent of Mt. Rainier, Washington
• 1933 - Lou Gehrig plays his record 1,308th consecutive game
• 1948 - The Philadelphia Phillies commit 8 errors in a game
• 1966 - Willie Mays takes 2nd place on the all-time Homerun list
• 2008 - American swimmer Michael Phelps becomes the first person to ever win eight gold medals in one Olympic Game.

Word of the Day from Wiktionary

Wishing You a Great Day Today!