Bobby Fischer, the eccentric genius who became America's only world chess champion by humbling the Soviet Union's best but who spent his last years as a fugitive from U.S. authorities, has died at 64. (Reuters)
Following are some of the major events to have occurred on Jan 17
Reuters
1919 - Classical pianist Ignacy Jan Paderewski became prime minister of Poland.
1929 - United States ratifies Kellogg-Briant Pact.
1987 - King Hussein of Jordan and Pope John Paul II meet in Vatican.
1991 - In the Gulf War, U.S.-led allied forces launched "Operation Desert Storm", an air and missile offensive against Iraqi positions.
1994 - Los Angeles earthquake leaves dozens dead.
1995 - More than 6,400 people were killed when an earthquake measuring 7.2 on the Richter scale hit Kobe, Japan.
2002 - Hundreds of thousands displaced in DRC as Mount Nyiragongo volcano erupts.
2004 - Todd Woodbridge sets world record for doubles titles in Sydney.
2008 - Bobby Fischer, the eccentric genius who became America's only world chess champion by humbling the Soviet Union's best, but who spent his last years as a fugitive from U.S. authorities, died.
2014 - California governor declares drought emergency in driest year on record.
2015 - Workers in Cairo attempt to prepare the world's biggest plate of Koshary, a popular Egyptian dish.
