* Astronomy

Earthquake Lake in southwestern Montana was created after a massive earthquake struck on August 17, 1959
http://astronomy.activeboard.com/t44475743/quake-lake/

17 August 1668 Anatolian magnitude 8 earthquake
http://connection.ebscohost.com/c/articles/64753923/palaeoearthquakes-kelkit-valley-segment-north-anatolian-fault-turkey-implications-surface-rupture-historical-17-august-1668-anatolian-earthquake

The 1999 Izmit earthquake was a 7.6 magnitude earthquake that struck northwestern Turkey on August 17, 1999
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1999_%C4%B0zmit_earthquake

The first recorded ascent of Ben Nevis was made on 17 August 1771 by James Robertson
http://astronomy.activeboard.com/t58334675/ben-nevis/

The official opening of the Macfarlane Observatory was on the 17th August, 1757.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Macfarlane_Observatory

Western Australia's lowest temperature of -7.2°C was recorded at Eyre Bird Observatory on 17 August 2008
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eyre_Bird_Observatory

Soviet icebreaker NS Arktika was the first surface ship to reach the North Pole on August 17, 1977
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arktika_(icebreaker)

Robert Brent Thirsk (born August 17, 1953) is a Canadian engineer and a former Canadian Space Agency astronaut.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robert_Thirsk

Kathryn C. Thornton (born August 17, 1952) is an American scientist and a former NASA astronaut 
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kathryn_C._Thornton

Thomas J. Hennen (born August 17, 1952) is a United States Army warrant officer and NASA astronaut 
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thomas_J._Hennen

Eugene Francis "Gene" Kranz (born August 17, 1933) is a retired NASA Flight Director and manager
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eugene_F._Kranz

Stefan Bastyr (August 17, 1890 - August 6, 1920) was a Polish aviator. 
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stefan_Bastyr

Elinor Smith (August 17, 1911 - March 19, 2010) was a pioneering American aviatrix.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Elinor_Smith

Francis Gary Powers (August 17, 1929 - August 1, 1977) was an American pilot 
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Francis_Gary_Powers

Edward James "Ted" Hughes (17 August 1930 - 28 October 1998) was an English poet and children's writer. 
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ted_Hughes

Pierre de Fermat (17 August 1601 or 1607/8 - 12 January 1665) was a French lawyer and an amateur mathematician
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pierre_de_Fermat

Walter Noddack (17 August 1893 in Berlin - 7 December 1960 in Berlin) was a German chemist. 
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Walter_Noddack

Marcus Mosiah Garvey, Jr., (17 August 1887 - 10 June 1940) was a Jamaican publisher and orator
http://astronomy.activeboard.com/t44475612/marcus-mosiah-garvey-jr-onh-1887-1940/

NGC 6419 was discovered by American astronomer Lewis A. Swift on the 17th August 1883.
http://astronomy.activeboard.com/t58336215/ngc-6419/

NGC 6420 was discovered by American astronomer Lewis A. Swift on the 17th August 1883.
http://astronomy.activeboard.com/t58336211/ngc-6420/

NGC 6700 was discovered by French astronomer Édouard Stephan on the 17th August 1873. 
http://astronomy.activeboard.com/t58336210/ngc-6700/

NGC 6822 was discovered by British astronomer Edward Emerson Barnard on the 17th August 1884. 
http://astronomy.activeboard.com/t7332513/ngc6822/

NGC 7539 was discovered by British astronomer John Herschel on the 17th August 1828. 
http://astronomy.activeboard.com/t58336180/ngc-7539/