Queen Elizabeth ascended the throne
On 17th November 1558, Queen Elizabeth I became the queen of England, succeeding her half-sister Mary. Elizabeth’s mother was unable to bear a son and hence was executed when Elizabeth was only two years old. Elizabeth was taken away from the court and raised in the Hatfield House north of London. “The persecuted Protestants saw Elizabeth as their savior since she was seen as an icon of ‘the new faith,’” according to Tudor History. Mary thought that Elizabeth could be a threat to her throne so she imprisoned her half-sister in 1554 and even thought of executing her. Elizabeth soon became pregnant with an heir. When Mary died in 1558, Elizabeth was assured to be the successor to the throne. 2 months later, 25-year-old Elizabeth was coronated in a ceremony.
Suez Canal formally opened
The Suez Canal is an artificial waterway in Egypt connecting the Mediterranian Sea with the Red Sea through the Isthmus of Suez. In the year 1869, on 17th November, the canal was inaugurated by the French Empress Eugénie, wife of Napoleon III. The construction of the canal began in the year 1854. Its length is 193.30 km (120.11 mi). In 2012, 17,225 vessels traversed the canal (47 per day).
Luna 17 touches moon
Luna 17 was the Soviet unmanned space mission of Luna program. It entered the moon orbit on 15th November 1970. The spacecraft landed on the moon’s surface softly in the “Sea of Showers” on 17th November 1970.
