Historical timeline for August 17

A bomb explodes at a wedding in Kabul killing 63 people and leaving 182 injured.

Barcelona attacks: A van is driven into pedestrians in La Rambla, killing 14 and injuring at least 100.

A bomb explodes near the Erawan Shrine in Bangkok, Thailand, killing at least 19 people and injuring 123 others.

An accident at the Sayano-Shushenskaya Dam in Khakassia, Russia, kills 75 and shuts down the hydroelectric power station, leading to widespread power failure in the local area.

American swimmer Michael Phelps becomes the first person to win eight gold medals at one Olympic Games.

Over 500 bombs are set off by terrorists at 300 locations in 63 out of the 64 districts of Bangladesh.

The first forced evacuation of settlers, as part of Israeli disengagement from Gaza, starts.

The National Assembly of Serbia unanimously adopts new state symbols for Serbia: Bože pravde becomes the new anthem and the coat of arms is adopted for the whole country.

The 7.6 Mw İzmit earthquake shakes northwestern Turkey with a maximum Mercalli intensity of IX (Violent), leaving 17,118–17,127 dead and 43,953–50,000 injured.

Lewinsky scandal: US President Bill Clinton admits in taped testimony that he had an "improper physical relationship" with White House intern Monica Lewinsky; later that same day he admits before the nation that he "misled people" about the relationship.

Strathfield massacre: In Sydney, New South Wales, Australia, taxi driver Wade Frankum shoots and kills seven people and injures six others before turning the gun on himself.

President of Pakistan Muhammad Zia-ul-Haq and U.S. Ambassador Arnold Raphel are killed in a plane crash.

The 1985–86 Hormel strike begins in Austin, Minnesota.

Double Eagle II becomes first balloon to cross the Atlantic Ocean when it lands in Miserey, France near Paris, 137 hours after leaving Presque Isle, Maine.

The Soviet icebreaker Arktika becomes the first surface ship to reach the North Pole.

A magnitude 7.9 earthquake hits off the coast of Mindanao, Philippines, triggering a destructive tsunami, killing between 5,000 and 8,000 people and leaving more than 90,000 homeless.

Soviet Union Venera program: Venera 7 launched. It will become the first spacecraft to successfully transmit data from the surface of another planet (Venus).

Category 5 Hurricane Camille hits the U.S. Gulf Coast, killing 256 and causing $1.42 billion in damage.

Peter Fechter is shot and bleeds to death while trying to cross the new Berlin Wall.

Aeroflot Flight 036 crashes in Soviet Ukraine, killing 34.