Today in History: The Red Cross was founded in 1863

The following are ten significant historical events that occurred on February 17:

1. 1600 – Execution of Giordano Bruno: Italian philosopher Giordano Bruno was burned at the stake in Rome for heresy due to his controversial cosmological theories, including the belief in an infinite universe.
2. 1616 – Nurhaci Declares Himself Khan: Manchurian leader Nurhaci proclaimed himself Khan, establishing the Later Jin dynasty, which later became the Qing dynasty in China.
3. 1863 – Formation of the International Committee of the Red Cross: A group of citizens in Geneva founded the “Committee for Relief to the Wounded,” which later became the International Committee of the Red Cross, dedicated to humanitarian aid.
4. 1904 – Premiere of “Madama Butterfly”: Giacomo Puccini’s opera “Madama Butterfly” premiered at La Scala in Milan. Despite its initial poor reception, it has become one of the most performed operas worldwide.
5. 1913 – Opening of the Armory Show: The Armory Show, an influential art exhibition introducing Americans to modern art movements, opened in New York City, featuring works by artists like Henri Matisse, Pablo Picasso, and Vincent van Gogh
6. 1959 – Launch of Vanguard 2: The United States launched Vanguard 2, the first weather satellite designed to measure cloud cover distribution, marking a significant advancement in meteorological science.
7. 1972 – Volkswagen Beetle Becomes Best-Selling Car: The Volkswagen Beetle surpassed the Ford Model T in cumulative sales, becoming the world’s best-selling car at the time.
8. 1979 – China Invades Vietnam: China launched a brief but intense military invasion of Vietnam, known as the Sino-Vietnamese War, in response to Vietnam’s actions in Cambodia and its alliance with the Soviet Union.
9. 1996 – Garry Kasparov Defeats IBM’s Deep Blue: World chess champion Garry Kasparov defeated IBM’s Deep Blue supercomputer in a highly publicized match, showcasing human strategic thinking over artificial intelligence at that time.
10. 2008 – Kosovo Declares Independence: Kosovo unilaterally declared its independence from Serbia, leading to mixed international recognition and ongoing debates regarding its sovereignty.