On 17^th July 1936      

A well-planned uprising by Nationalist rebels against the Republican government of Spain began, sparking a bloody civil war that lasted until 1939, when the Nationalists and Francisco Franco assumed power.         

On 17^th July 1998      

The United Nation completed the statute establishing the International Criminal Court, which began sittings four years later.

On 17^th July 2006      

Federal Government of Nigeria signed a deal with AIDS Charity, set up by former President of USA, Bill Clinton to make cheap AIDS drugs available to fight the disease in the country. 

On 17^th July 2007     

Anglo-Dutch oil giant, Shell was unable to fight a major fire along a key oil supply pipeline because of unrest in Ogoniland, Rivers State.

On 17^th July 2009        

American journalist Walter Cronkite—who, as the longtime anchor of CBS Evening News with Walter Cronkite (1962–81), became known as “the most trusted man in America”—died at age 92.    

On 17^th July 2014        

Malaysia Airlines flight 17 crashed in separatist-held territory in Ukraine, killing all 298 people on board; a Dutch investigation later determined that the aircraft was shot down by a Russian-made surface-to-air missile.