April 17

in History

Sweyn Forkbeard Was Born — A Viking king who conquered three nations

DenmarkMedieval

963

Sweyn Forkbeard Was Born

A Viking king who conquered three nations

In the halls of Danish royalty, Sweyn Forkbeard entered the world -- a prince who would become one of the most formidable Viking rulers in history. He seized the Danish throne from his own father, conquered Norway, and in 1013 drove King Ethelred the Unready from England to become its undisputed ruler. Though his reign over England lasted only five weeks before his death, his son Cnut would build upon his conquests to create a vast North Sea empire.

963 AD

Minsk, Russian Empire (modern Belarus)Early 20th Century

1903

Nicolas Nabokov Was Born

A composer caught between worlds and wars

In the Russian Empire, Nicolas Nabokov was born into the same illustrious family that would produce his more famous cousin, the novelist Vladimir. But Nicolas carved his own remarkable path as a composer, cultural organizer, and Cold War intellectual. He became a U.S. citizen in 1939, and his orchestral works blended Russian romanticism with modernist experimentation. As secretary-general of the Congress for Cultural Freedom, he became one of the most influential cultural figures of the Cold War era.

1903 AD

1961–1972 American crewed lunar exploration programLate 20th Century

1970

Apollo program

Apollo program: The damaged Apollo 13 spacecraft returns to Earth safely.

The Apollo program, also known as Project Apollo, was the United States human spaceflight program led by NASA, which landed the first humans on the Moon in 1969. Apollo was conceived during Project Mercury and executed after Project Gemini. It was conceived in 1960 as a three-person spacecraft during the presidency of Dwight D. Eisenhower. Apollo was later dedicated to President John F.

1970 AD