This Day In European History

17th March

Events
44 BCE: Battle of Munda; Julius Caesar defeats Pompey.
1337: The Duchy of Cornwall becomes the first duchy created in England and is given to Edward the Black Prince, heir to the throne.
1649: The English Parliament abolishes the 'office' of king.
1672: The Third Anglo-Dutch war begins.
1845: Elastic bands are patented by Stephen Perry of England.
1861: The Kingdom of Italy is formally proclaimed by an Italian parliament; Victor-Emmanuel II of Sardinia-Piedmont, a driving force in unification, becomes King.
1912: Lawrence Oates makes his 'may be some time' statement and sacrifice.

Births
1686: Jean Baptiste Oudry, French painter.
1834: Gottlieb Daimler, German car pioneer.

Deaths
461: St Patrick, instrumental in converting Ireland to Christianity.
1040: Harold Harefoot, son of King Cnut.
1680: Francois duc de La Rochefoucauld, French writer.
1781: Johannes Ewald, Danish poet.
1846: Friedrich Wilhelm Bessel, German astronomer.
1853: Christian Doppler, Austrian physicist.

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