On This Day for July 17 - Beginning of the Spanish Civil War , Adam Smith is featured, and more

This message contains graphics. If you do not see the graphics, [click here to view](. July 17 [Adam Smith, paste medallion by James Tassie, 1787; in the Scottish National Portrait Gallery, Edinburgh.]( FEATURED BIOGRAPHY Adam Smith [READ MORE]( [“The Internationals—United with the Spaniards We Fight the Invader,” poster by Parrilla, published by the International Brigades, 1936–37.]( FEATURED EVENT 1936 Beginning of the Spanish Civil War [READ MORE]( Advertisement Advertisement [Earth's To-Do List]( MORE EVENTS ON THIS DAY [Malayasia Airlines flight 17] 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](. [Cronkite, Walter] 2009: American journalist [Walter Cronkite]( as the longtime anchor of CBS Evening News with Walter Cronkite (1962–81), became known as “the most trusted man in America”—died in New York. [Main Street, U.S.A.] 1955: [Disneyland]( an amusement park featuring attractions based on the creations of [Walt Disney]( and the [Disney Company]( opened in Anaheim, California. [Astor, John Jacob] 1763: [John Jacob Astor]( founder of a [renowned family]( of Anglo-American capitalists, business leaders, and philanthropists, was born in Waldorf, Germany. [United Nations, flag] 1998: The [United Nations]( completed the statute establishing the [International Criminal Court]( which began sittings four years later. [Soviet leader Joseph Stalin, U.S. President Harry S. Truman, and British Prime Minister Winston Churchill at the Potsdam (Germany) Conference, 1945.] 1945: [Joseph Stalin]( [Winston Churchill]( and [Harry S. Truman]( met at the [Potsdam Conference]( the last [Allied]( summit conference of [World War II](. [SEE ALL EVENTS ON THIS DAY]( ALSO BORN ON THIS DAY 1954 [Angela Merkel]( chancellor of Germany 1935 [Donald Sutherland]( Canadian actor 1947 [Camilla, duchess of Cornwall]( British duchess 1899 [James Cagney]( American actor 1975 [Terence Tao]( Australian mathematician 1958 [Wong Kar-Wai]( Chinese director [SEE ALL BIOS ON THIS DAY]( Advertisement FOLLOW: [Facebook]( [Twitter]( [YouTube]( To unsubscribe from Britannica e-mails, [click here](. Encyclopædia Britannica 325 N. LaSalle Street, Suite 200 Chicago, Illinois 60654 United States © 2019 Encyclopaedia Britannica, Inc. [Privacy Policy]( • [Help](