Historical Events
- Dutch and Australian troops land on Portuguese Timor
- German submarine U-31 sunk
Germans Retreat in Africa
German troops led by Erwin Rommel begin retreating in North Africa
- World War II: Beginning of the Siege of Sebastopol.
Famous Birthdays
- Dave Dee [Harman], British pop singer-songwriter, and guitarist (Dave Dee, Dozy, Beaky, Mick & Tich - "Bend It!"), born in Salisbury, England (d. 2009)
- David A. Gall, Canadian thoroughbred Hall of Fame jockey (US Champion Jockey by wins 1979, 81; first to ride 8 winners on single US race card), born in Rose Valley, Saskatchewan (d. 2021)
About December 17, 1941
Day of the Week: Wednesday
How Long Ago? 82 years, 4 months and 15 days
Leap Year: No
Generation: Silent Generation
Chinese Zodiac: Snake
Star Sign: Sagittarius