World War I
World War I: Ignoring orders to retreat, Hermann von François led a successful counterattack defending East Prussia at the Battle of Stallupönen and scored the first German victory in the Eastern Front.
In context
- When
- Monday, August 17 1914112 years ago
- Category
- Historical eventA dated happening — a battle, treaty, launch, discovery, disaster or decision — recorded on this calendar day.
- Era
- 20th century · 1910s
- Recorded from
- Wikipedia “On this day” feed
Russia, Greece and some other countries used the Julian calendar into the early 20th century, so local records may show a date up to 13 days earlier.
At a glance
Dates: From 1914.
What happened
World War I, or the First World War, also known as the Great War, was a global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies and the Central Powers. One of the deadliest conflicts in history, World War I resulted in an estimated 15 to 22 million deaths, including those in war crimes and genocides. The war also helped spread the Spanish flu pandemic. The conflict saw important developments in weaponry, including the first large-scale use of machine guns, artillery, aircraft, chemical weapons, and tanks.
August 17 through the years
Other entries on the same calendar day, in order.
Also in 1914
- September 11World War IFirst World War: The Australian Naval and Military Expeditionary Force invaded German New Guinea, winning the Battle of Bita Paka.
- September 13World War IWorld War I: The French army repulsed a German assault against their positions on high ground near the city of Nancy.
- September 14HMAS AE1HMAS AE1 (pictured), the Royal Australian Navy's first submarine, was lost at sea; its wreck was not found until 2017.
- September 17Andrew FisherAndrew Fisher, who in his previous term as premier oversaw a period of reform unmatched in the Commonwealth until the 1940s, became Prime…
- November 16World War IWorld War I: Austro-Hungarian forces launched an assault against Serbian defensive positions at the Kolubara river, beginning the Battle…
- October 27World War IWorld War I: The Royal Navy dreadnought HMS Audacious was sunk by a mine, but its loss was kept secret for four years.
- October 7PohnpeiJapan captured Pohnpei from Germany, eventually leading to large-scale Japanese immigration to Micronesia.
- October 7Rudolf SteinerIn a death that Rudolf Steiner terms a voluntary sacrifice and that inspires Edith Maryon's relief In Memory of Theo Faiss (pictured), se…
Sources
- Wikipedia article (text, CC BY-SA 4.0)
- Licence: CC BY-SA 4.0 for adapted text · how we source this
Cite this page
“World War I”, What's On This Date, https://whatsonthisdate.com/app/event/world-war-i-1914-august-17, accessed October 26, 2026.
Cite the underlying source as well — the source links above go to the record this entry is adapted from.
Questions about this entry
When did World War I happen?
August 17 1914 — 112 years ago, on a Monday.
Where does this text come from?
Wikipedia “On this day” feed. Summaries are short adaptations that link back to the source, not reprints.
How do I cite this page?
Use the ready-made citation near the sources at the bottom of the page, and follow the source link to cite the underlying record as well.
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