1931On October 17, 1931, gangster Al Capone is convicted of tax evasion, signaling the downfall of one of the most notorious criminals of the 1920s and 1930s. He was later sentenced to 11 years in federal prison and fined $50,000.
The London Beer Flood Occurred
1814The London Beer Flood was an accident at Meux & Co's Horse Shoe Brewery, London, on 17 October 1814. It took place when one of the 22-foot-tall wooden vats of fermenting porter burst.
OPEC Enacts Oil Embargo
1973The Arab-dominated Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) announced a decision to cut oil exports to the United States and other nations that provided military aid to Israel in the Yom Kippur War of October 1973.