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April 17
1790Benjamin Franklin, U.S. patriot, diplomat, and a signer of the Declaration of Independence, died in Philadelphia. 1895The Sino-Japanese War ended with the signing of the Treaty of Shimonoseki. 1937Daffy Duck made his debut in Porky's Duck Hunt. 1961Supported by the U.S. government, 1,500 exiles made the unsuccessful Bay of Pigs invasion in Cuba. 1964Geraldine Mock became the first woman to fly solo around the world. 1969Sirhan Sirhan was convicted for the murder of Robert F. Kennedy. 1970The Apollo 13 astronauts safely splashed down after their near-disastrous flight. 1975Phnom Penh fell to the Khmer Rouge, ending the five year Cambodian war. |