Famous people born on November 17 — and what else happened that day
If your birthday is November 17, you share it with Martin Scorsese, Danny DeVito, Rachel McAdams — and you were born under Scorpio, the sign of the intense, determined, and impossible to ignore.
Birthday basics for November 17
Scorpio ♏
Zodiac sign
Topaz
Birthstone
Chrysanthemum
Birth flower
321st
Day of the year
November 17 is the 321st day of the year (322nd in leap years), with 44 days still to come.
Famous people born on November 17
Martin Scorsese — American film director (born 1942).
Danny DeVito — American actor and comedian (born 1944).
Rock Hudson (b. 1925) — leading man of 1950s and '60s Hollywood romances.
Gordon Lightfoot (b. 1938) — Canadian folk legend who wrote "If You Could Read My Mind."
RuPaul (b. 1960) — Emmy-winning host and producer of RuPaul's Drag Race.
November 17 in history
1800 — The United States Congress held its first session in the new capital city of Washington, D.C.
1869 — The Suez Canal opened in Egypt, linking the Mediterranean Sea and the Red Sea.
1970 — The Soviet spacecraft Luna 17 landed Lunokhod 1, the first roving vehicle to explore the Moon's surface.
1968 — NBC famously cut away from a Jets-Raiders game to air the film Heidi, and viewers missed a wild comeback in the "Heidi Game."
1970 — Douglas Engelbart received the patent for the first computer mouse.
2003 — Actor Arnold Schwarzenegger was sworn in as governor of California.
November 17 birthday questions
What zodiac sign is November 17?
Anyone born on November 17 is a Scorpio — intense, determined, and impossible to ignore.
What is the birthstone for November 17?
The birthstone for a November 17 birthday is Topaz, and the birth flower is the Chrysanthemum.
Who is the most famous person born on November 17?
Martin Scorsese is among the best known — American film director (born 1942).
What happened on November 17?
In 1800, The United States Congress held its first session in the new capital city of Washington, D.C.
What day of the year is November 17?
November 17 is the 321st day of the year (322nd in leap years), with 44 days still to come.
Make their day unforgettable
Know someone born on November 17? See the full story of their exact birthday — the headlines, the #1 song, what things cost — and turn it into a personalized front-page newspaper they can keep.