What happened on May 17 ?

1155 - Jien, Japanese poet and historian (d. 1225)

1443 - Edmund, Earl of Rutland, brother of Kings Edward IV of England and Richard III of England

1551 - Martin Delrio, Flemish theologian and occultist (d. 1601)

1628 - Archduke Ferdinand Charles of Austria, Regent of the Tyrol (d. 1662)

1682 - Bartholomew Roberts, AKA Black Bart, Notorious Welsh Pirate (d. 1722)

1706 - Andreas Felix von Oefele, German historian and librarian (d. 1780)

1718 - Robert Darcy, 4th Earl of Holderness, English diplomat and politician (d. 1778)

1743 - Seth Warner, American revolutionary leader (d. 1784)

1749 - Edward Jenner, English medical researcher (d. 1823)

1758 - John St Aubyn, British fossil collector (d. 1839)

1768 - Caroline of Brunswick, Princess of Wales (d. 1821)

1768 - Henry Paget, 1st Marquess of Anglesey, English general (d. 1854)

1794 - Anna Brownell Jameson, British writer (d. 1860)

1821 - Sebastian Kneipp, German naturopathist (d. 1897)

1836 - Wilhelm Steinitz, Austrian chess player (d. 1900)

1844 - Julius Wellhausen, German biblical scholar (d. 1918)

1866 - Erik Satie, French composer (d. 1925)

1868 - Horace Elgin Dodge, American automobile manufacturer (d. 1920)

1873 - Henri Barbusse, French novelist and journalist (d. 1935)

1873 - Dorothy Richardson, English writer (d. 1957)

1879 - Simon Petlyura, Ukrainian independence fighter (d. 1926)

1886 - Alfonso XIII of Spain (d. 1941)

1888 - Tich Freeman, English cricketer (d. 1965)

1897 - Odd Hassel, Norwegian chemist, Nobel Prize laureate (d. 1981)

1898 - Alfred Joseph Casson Canadian painter (d. 1992)

1900 - Ruhollah Khomeini, Iranian Muslim cleric (d. 1989)

1901 - Werner Egk, German composer (d. 1983)

1903 - Cool Papa Bell, baseball player (d. 1991)

1904 - Jean Gabin, French actor (d. 1976)

1906 - Zinka Milanov, Croatian soprano (d. 1989)

1911 - Lisa Fonssagrives, Swedish-born supermodel (d. 1992)

1911 - Maureen O'Sullivan, Irish actress (d. 1998)

1918 - Birgit Nilsson, Swedish soprano (d. 2005)

1919 - Merle Miller, American biographer (d. 1986)

1921 - Dennis Brain, English French horn player (d. 1957)

1921 - Bob Merrill, American composer and lyricist (d. 1998)

1935 - Dennis Potter, English writer (d. 1994)

1936 - Dennis Hopper, American actor and director

1937 - Hazel R. O'Leary, United States Secretary of Energy

1939 - Gary Paulsen, Amerivan book writer

1938 - Jason Bernard, American actor (d. 1996)

1940 - Alan Kay, American computer scientist

1942 - Taj Mahal, American singer and guitarist

1945 - Tony Roche, Australian tennis player

1946 - Udo Lindenberg, German musician

1946 - F. Paul Wilson, American novelist

1949 - Bill Bruford, English drummer and songwriter (Yes)

1950 - Janez Drnov?ek, Slovenian politician

1952 - Howard Hampton, leader of the New Democratic Party of Ontario

1955 - Bill Paxton, American actor and film director

1956 - Sugar Ray Leonard, American boxer

1956 - Bob Saget, American actor

1956 - Dave Sim, Canadian cartoonist

1957 - Pascual Pérez, Major league pitcher

1959 - Paul Di'Anno, English singer (Iron Maiden)

1959 - Jim Nantz, American broadcaster

1961 - Enya, Irish singer and songwriter

1962 - Lise Lyng Falkenberg, Danish writer

1963 - Page McConnell, American musician and songwriter (Phish)

1965 - Trent Reznor, American singer and songwriter (Nine Inch Nails)

1969 - Thom Filicia, American television personality (Queer Eye for the Straight Guy)

1970 - Jordan Knight, Lead singer of New Kids On The Block

1971 - Shaun Hart, Australian footballer

1971 - Princess Máxima of the Netherlands

1973 - Josh Homme, American musician, singer and songwriter

1974 - Andrea Corr, Irish singer (The Corrs)

1975 - Sasha Alexander, American television actress

1975 - Jonti Picking, British cartoonist

1975 - Laura Voutilainen, Finnish singer

1975 - Alex Wright, German professional wrestler

1978 - Paddy Kenny, Sheffield United and Ireland goalkeeper

1981 - Leon Osman, English footballer

1982 - Tony Parker, French-American basketball player

1983 - Channing Frye, American basketball player

1984 - Christine Robinson, Canadian water polo player

1986 - Tahj Mowry, American actor