Timeline October 2017

Events in October 2017 18

• 1917 – 2017 Danielle Darrieux (1917-2017) French actress with a career of eight decades, from Mayerling to Max Ophüls's films and Persepolis.
• 1928 – 2017 Fats Domino (1928-2017) Died 24 October 2017, aged 89 American pianist and singer who was one of the first stars of rock and roll, selling more records in the 1950s than any artist besides Elvis Presley. His hits included "Blueberry Hill" and "Ain't That a Shame." He remained closely associated with his native New Orleans throughout his life.
• 1950 – 2017 Tom Petty (1950-2017) Died 2 October 2017, aged 66 American singer, songwriter and guitarist who led Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers, known for hits including "Free Fallin'" and "American Girl." He was also a member of the supergroup the Traveling Wilburys. He died of an accidental drug overdose shortly after completing a major tour.
• 1976 – 2017 Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers American rock band Florida rock band led by Tom Petty, with Mike Campbell and Benmont Tench — American Girl, Refugee and Free Fallin'.
• 2017 Kenya's presidential election annulled and rerun Supreme Court voids Kenyatta's re-election over irregularities Kenya's Supreme Court annulled President Uhuru Kenyatta's re-election victory, citing irregularities in the vote-tallying process, in an unprecedented ruling for Africa. A rerun election in October was boycotted by opposition leader Raila Odinga and marred by low turnout and violence. Kenyatta was declared the winner of the rerun.
• 2017 Catalonia holds independence referendum Disputed vote deepens Spanish constitutional crisis Catalonia held a referendum on independence from Spain despite it being declared illegal by Spanish courts. Police violence against voters drew international attention, and the Catalan parliament later declared independence, prompting Madrid to impose direct rule. The crisis triggered the exile or arrest of several Catalan leaders.
• 2017 Las Vegas Strip mass shooting Gunman kills 58 at country music festival A gunman opened fire on a crowd attending the Route 91 Harvest music festival from a hotel room at the Mandalay Bay, killing 58 people and wounding hundreds more. It became the deadliest mass shooting by a single gunman in modern US history. The shooter's motive was never conclusively established.
• 2017 Tom Petty dies Aged 66 Dies a week after the tour ends.
• 2017 Nobel Prize in Physics awarded for gravitational wave detection LIGO scientists honored for confirming Einstein's prediction Rainer Weiss, Barry Barish, and Kip Thorne received the Nobel Prize in Physics for their roles in the LIGO detection of gravitational waves, confirming a century-old prediction of Einstein's general relativity. The 2015 detection opened a new field of gravitational-wave astronomy. It was hailed as one of the major scientific achievements of the decade.
• 2017 Harvey Weinstein sexual abuse allegations exposed New York Times report triggers Hollywood reckoning The New York Times and The New Yorker published detailed accounts of sexual harassment and assault allegations against film producer Harvey Weinstein spanning decades. The reporting led to Weinstein's firing from his own company and prompted dozens more women to come forward. The scandal became a catalyst for the broader MeToo movement.
• 2017 Bruce Springsteen opens Springsteen on Broadway Walter Kerr Theatre A solo show of songs and stories, running more than 230 performances.
• 2017 Mogadishu truck bombing Deadliest terrorist attack in Somalia's history A truck packed with explosives detonated at a busy intersection in Mogadishu, killing more than 500 people in the deadliest terrorist attack in Somali history. No group claimed responsibility, though Somali officials blamed al-Shabaab. The bombing prompted an outpouring of grief and blood donations across the country.
• 2017 MeToo movement goes viral Social media hashtag sparks global reckoning on sexual harassment Following the Harvey Weinstein allegations, actress Alyssa Milano urged people to reply "me too" if they had experienced sexual harassment or assault, and the hashtag spread worldwide within days. The movement led to the exposure of misconduct by prominent men across entertainment, politics, and business. It reshaped public conversation about workplace harassment internationally.
• 2017 Neutron star collision detected First multi-messenger astronomy event Scientists detected both gravitational waves and light from a neutron star collision on October 16, 2017, the first ever multi-messenger astronomy event. It confirmed that gold and heavy elements are forged in such collisions.
• 2017 Danielle Darrieux dies in Bois-le-Roi Danielle Darrieux dies aged 100.
• 2017 Raqqa falls, ending ISIS's de facto capital US-backed forces capture the Islamic State's Syrian stronghold The Syrian Democratic Forces, backed by US airpower, captured Raqqa from the Islamic State after a months-long battle, ending the city's role as the group's de facto capital. Much of the city was left in ruins. The victory marked the near-total collapse of ISIS's territorial holdings.
• 2017 Xi Jinping cements power at 19th Party Congress "Xi Jinping Thought" enshrined in party constitution The Chinese Communist Party's 19th National Congress enshrined "Xi Jinping Thought" in the party constitution, elevating Xi to a status matched only by Mao Zedong and Deng Xiaoping. The congress notably did not designate a clear successor, fueling speculation Xi intended to extend his rule beyond the usual two terms. It marked a significant consolidation of one-party authority under Xi.
• 2017 Fats Domino dies Harvey, Louisiana Dies aged 89.