August 17: the phenomenon of photosynthesis, the order of Skoropadsky and "Double Eagle II"

August 17, 1771, the English chemist Joseph Priestley discovered the phenomenon of photosynthesis, discovering that the air spoiled by breathing or burning is purified in the presence of green plants. The following year, he proved that plants absorb carbon dioxide and produce oxygen.
1807 - Robert Fulton on the steamer "North River Steamboat" set sail on the Hudson River. This was the first demonstration of a steamship in the United States.

1903 - writer and philanthropist Joseph Pulitzer donated to Columbia University one million dollars to establish an annual award for the best journalists that today bears his name.
1914 - Volunteer legion "Ukrainian Sich Riflemen" (USS) was created in Lviv. For two and a half thousand places, 28,000 applications were submitted. On September 3, the recruits took the oath, and at the end of the month took part in the first hostilities.

1918 - Hetman Skoropadsky issued a decree on the 8-hour working day set in Ukraine.
1944 - British aviation conducted one of the most brutal bombing of the Second World War, destroying the port of Kiel.

1957 - a clash of two Il-14 over Kiev, killing 15 people.
1965 - Vietnam War: Operation "Starlite", the first major ground operation of US troops in Vietnam, began on the peninsula of Vantyong.

1978 - After 137 hours of flight near Paris, the "Double Eagle II" balloon, piloted by Ben Abruzzo, Maxi Anderson and Larry Newman, landed, who, having overcome 3233 miles, became the first people who thus managed to cross the Atlantic.
1998 - On a service television channel, US President Bill Clinton testified to the Grand Jury about his relationship with Monica Lewinsky, in which he said that he had previously spoken untruthfully, saying that he had not had sexual contacts with her and regretted what had happened.

1999 - the Kiev Higher Engineering Radio Engineering School of the Air Defense of the country was abolished. Marshal of Aviation AI Pokryshkin (Air Defense Quartet).
2011 - Ukrainian satellite "Sich-2" (satellite of optical-electronic observation of the Earth, 3rd of a series of satellites "Sich") was brought to near-earth orbit.