Historical Events
- Gilbert Dodds, record miler (4:05.3), retires to do gospel work
Auschwitz Begins Evacuation
Nazis begin evacuation of Auschwitz concentration camp to other camps in Austria and Germany as the Red Army advanced across Poland
- Soviet army enters the devastated city of Warsaw and clears German resistance
- Swedish diplomat Raoul Wallenberg, credited with saving tens of thousands of Jews from the Nazis, arrested by Soviet secret police in Hungary
Famous Birthdays
- Ivan Karabits, Ukrainian composer, conductor, and educator, born in Yalta, Donetsk Oblast, Ukraine (d. 2002)
- Javed Akhtar, Indian lyricist, poet and scriptwriter, born in Gwalior, India
- William Hart, American soul singer and songwriter (4 Gents; Delfonics - "Didn't I (Blow Your Mind This Time)"; "La-La Means I Love You"), born in Washington, D.C. (d. 2022)
About January 17, 1945
Day of the Week: Wednesday
How Long Ago? 79 years, 3 months and 2 days
Leap Year: No
Generation: Silent Generation
Chinese Zodiac: Monkey
Star Sign: Capricorn
