Memory of the day: 1st Arab Summit conference is held in Cairo in 1962

CAIRO – 17 January 2022: In the following lines, ET sheds light on the most important world events that took place on January 17.

1595 - Henry IV of France declares war on Spain during the French Wars of Religion.

1773 - James Cook crosses the Antarctic Circle, becoming the first to cross it.

1819 - Simon Bolivar proclaims the Republic of Colombia.

1885 - British forces defeat the Mahdi Dervishes in the Battle of Abu Talih, after heavy losses prevented them from their main goal, which is to rescue General Charles George Gordon in Khartoum.

1917 - The United States pays Denmark $25 million for the ceding of the Virgin Islands in the Caribbean.

1962 - The first Arab summit conference is held in Cairo.