February 17th Anniversaries

Santo Domingo.- The ephemeris of the 15th of  February, are marked by important historical events and international celebrations that left their mark on world history.

• World Tourism Resilience Day.
• Chinese New Year.
• Mardi Gras.
• World Orofacial Motricity Day.
• International Responsible Gaming Day.

Saint's Day: Saints Alexius, Falconeri, Donatus, and the Seven Holy Founders of the Servants of Mary.

National: February 17th Anniversaries

1916 – On February 17, the United States military occupation of the Dominican Republic began. The United States intervened in the country under the pretext of maintaining order and protecting its interests, especially in the context of World War I. The occupation lasted until 1924 and had a profound impact on the country's politics, economy, and international relations.

1949 – On February 17, the Dominican Revolutionary Party (PRD) was founded in exile, under the direction of Juan Bosch. The PRD was established as an opposition organization to the Trujillo dictatorship and fought for democracy in the country. Subsequently, the party would become one of the most important in the Dominican Republic.

1975 – June 14th Movement (Movimiento 14J), an organization that emerged in response to Trujillo's dictatorship, was officially constituted as a political party. This organization had a great influence on Dominican politics, particularly in the 1970s, and was a key player in the fight for democracy.

1983 – Opening of the Autonomous University of Santo Domingo (UASD) officially inaugurated postgraduate courses, which marked a significant advance in academic and professional training in the Dominican Republic. This opening allowed Dominican professionals to continue their higher education in various areas of knowledge.

2000 – The Haina Port Container Terminal was inaugurated, one of the most modern facilities in the country in terms of port infrastructure. This terminal has been key to the growth of Dominican trade and economy, positioning the country as a strategic point in the region for the import and export of products.

International: February 17th Anniversaries

1559. Pope Paul IV calls on the people to depose sovereigns who are heretics.

1772. The secret agreement between Russia and Prussia to divide Poland is signed. 1902. In Spain, the city of Barcelona is declared in a state of war due to a general strike.

1959. Commander Fidel Castro is appointed Prime Minister of Cuba.

1962. The United States sends delegates to Paris to ask the member countries of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) to refrain from negotiating with the new communist regime of Cuba.

1973. The American Secretary of State Henry Kissinger meets with Chinese Premier Chou En Lai and President Mao Tse Tung.

1979. Troops from the People's Republic of China attempt to invade the territory of the Republic of Vietnam.

1981. Amnesty International holds the Guatemalan government responsible for the deaths of at least 30,000 people.

1987. USA lifts economic sanctions against Poland, established by the implementation of martial law in 1981.

1995. In Spain, Rafael Vera Fernández-Huidobro, former Secretary of State for Security in Felipe González's government, enters prison after being convicted of kidnapping in the so-called "Dirty War against ETA."

2006. A Pakistani cleric offers US$25,000 and a vehicle to the person who kills the Danish cartoonist who drew satirical cartoons of the Prophet Muhammad, which angered millions of Muslims. 2012. In Germany, Christian Wulff, the Christian Democrat president and leader, announces his resignation following corruption scandals and influence peddling. 2013. The Ecuadorian President Rafael Correa is re-elected in the first round, as he had done in the 2009 elections, thus obtaining his seventh victory at the polls (three presidential elections and four popular consultations). 2014. The governor of the Venezuelan state of Carabobo, Francisco Ameliach, announces that protest marches were not permitted in the neighborhoods located south of the city of Valencia, due to security precautions. 2018. Chilean journalist Juan Carlos Cruz gives his testimony in New York to Archbishop Charles Scicluna, an investigator appointed by the Vatican on the sexual abuse inflicted on him by a priest when he was a child. 2019. The President of the United States, Donald Trump, claims that the day is approaching when the entire American continent will be "free for the first time in history" with the defeat of the "tyrannies" of Venezuela, Cuba, and Nicaragua. 2020. In Spain, the actor Willy Toledo goes before a judge for comments published in 2017 on Facebook, in which he insulted God and the Virgin, acts for which a Christian lawyers' association accuses him, unlike the Prosecution, which asks for acquittal. 2021. The Central Bank of Bolivia announces that it has returned the credit granted by the International Monetary Fund (IMF), irregularly managed by the de facto government presided over by Jeanine Áñez. 2023. 51 soldiers die in a jihadist attack in Burkina Faso, the worst against the Burkinabe Army in its history. On March 8, another jihadist attack leaves another 60 dead in the east of the country.

Births: February 17th Anniversaries

1915 – Juan Bosch, Dominican writer, intellectual, and politician. He was president of the Dominican Republic in 1963 and one of the most influential thinkers in the country. Bosch was also one of the greatest novelists and short story writers in Dominican and Latin American literature, and a prominent leader of the Dominican Revolutionary Party (PRD). His literary work, such as La Mañosa and Los ojos de los pobres, is fundamental to understanding the social and political history of the country.

1936 – René del Risco Bermúdez, a prominent Dominican poet and writer. He was one of the most important exponents of contemporary Dominican literature, whose work addresses both social and philosophical themes. His work allowed him to obtain several awards and recognitions throughout his career.

1940 – Manuel Rueda, Dominican poet and writer. He was one of the most important representatives of Dominican Republic poetry during the 20th century. His style is characterized by the search for new forms of expression within the national literary tradition.

1946 – René del Risco Bermúdez, important Dominican writer and journalist. He was one of the outstanding members of the so-called "Generation of the 60s" in the country's literature, which advocated for a more modern language and committed to the social and political reality of the nation.

Deaths: February 17th Anniversaries

1887 – Juan Alejandro Acosta, prominent Dominican writer, historian, and politician. Acosta was one of the first intellectuals to study the history and culture of the country, and his work has had a significant impact on the understanding of 19th-century Dominican history.

1945 – Pedro Francisco Bonó, an important writer and politician from the Dominican Republic. Bonó was known for his writings on the social and political life of the country, and was a defender of democracy and human rights.

1966 – Juan Bosch died on November 1, 2001, on February 17, 1966, an important moment in his life was commemorated. On this date, upon his return to the country after the coup d'état that overthrew his government in 1963, Bosch resumed the leadership of Dominican politics, which marked a fundamental stage in his political career and in the struggle for democracy in the Dominican Republic.

2006 – Pedro Mir, one of the greatest poets and writers of the Dominican Republic. His most famous poem, “There is a country in the world”, has become an anthem not only of Dominican literature, but also of national identity and the fight for justice and freedom.

2011 – José Francisco Peña Gómez, political leader and former presidential candidate of the Dominican Revolutionary Party (PRD). Peña Gómez was a defender of democracy and an icon of opposition against the Trujillo dictatorship. His legacy remains relevant in the recent political history of the Dominican Republic.