July 17 is the 198th day of the year (199th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. There are 167 days remaining until the end of the year. This date is slightly more likely to fall on a Tuesday, Friday or Sunday (58 in 400 years each) than on Wednesday or Thursday (57), and slightly less likely to occur on a Monday or Saturday (56).
+ 1955 – Disneyland is dedicated and opened by Walt Disney in Anaheim, California.
+ 1976 – The opening of the Summer Olympics in Montreal is marred by 25 African teams boycotting the games because of New Zealand's participation. Contrary to rulings by other international sports organizations, the IOC had declined to exclude New Zealand because of their participation in South African sporting events during apartheid.
+ 1981 – A structural failure leads to the collapse of a walkway at the Hyatt Regency in Kansas City, Missouri, killing 114 people and injuring more than 200.
+ 1984 – The national drinking age in the United States was changed from 18 to 21.
( Births )
+ 1912 – Art Linkletter, Canadian-American radio and television host (d. 2010)
+ 1917 – Phyllis Diller, American actress, comedian, and voice artist (d. 2012)
+ 1976 – Luke Bryan, American singer-songwriter and guitarist