Neutrality
Says "There will be no war...it would be a crime against civilisation for us to go in"
Permanent historical records · Updated 2026-11-03
1917 in United States of America
Explore 44 historical events and records for United States of America in 1917.
Historical records for United States of America in 1917
Sorted by month and day. Records with no month are shown last. Showing 40 of 44 unique records.
44Unique records
1 of 2Page
35Named events on this page
20Named people on this page
13Places on this page
January
Birth of Ernest Borgnine
Birth of Ernest Borgnine
April
Declaration of War
Signs the declaration of war against Germany
Declaration of War
Declares war on Germany after approval by the Senate & House of Representatives. Declares war as an "associated power" giving the US independence from France & Britain
Transferred to Europe to liaise with the Allied navies
Transferred to Europe to liaise with the Allied navies
May
Birth of John Fitzgerald Kennedy
Birth of John Fitzgerald Kennedy, Brookline, Mass
First Liberty Loan
McAdoo launches a national bond campaign to finance United States participation in the war.
June
Reform of War Policy
Draft registration day for nearly 10 million men aged 21-31
Visit to Paris
Arrives in Paris to discuss Americas involvement in the war
July
War Industries Board
Baruch leads federal coordination of industrial priorities, materials and production during wartime.
August
Food Administration
Hoover directs voluntary conservation and federal controls over wartime food distribution.
September
Gold Export Embargo
Wilson subjects gold exports to federal licensing to protect wartime reserves.
Gold Export Licensing
The United States introduces licensing controls on gold exports during wartime, temporarily restricting the free international movement of monetary gold.
October
War Revenue Act
The War Revenue Act raises income, corporate and excess-profits taxes to fund mobilisation.
December
Supreme War Council
Represents American military interests in Allied planning.
Supreme War Council
Represents Wilson's views during early Supreme War Council sessions.
Supreme War Council
Resists full amalgamation of American troops into Allied armies.
Federal Control of Railroads
Wilson orders temporary federal control of railroads to coordinate wartime transportation.
Other events (month unknown)
American Expeditionary Forces
Serves in France as a senior procurement and supply officer for the American Expeditionary Forces.
Army Commission
Receives an Army commission after the United States enters World War I.
Battle of Cambrai, 1st
Participates in the worlds 1st major tank battle
Battle of Meuse-Argonne
Leads the 304th Brigade US tank Corps with distiction at Meuse-Argonne Forest
Battle of Mihiel
Leads the 304th Brigade US tank Corps with distiction at St Mihiel
Brigadier General
Appointed brigadier general and serves with the American Expeditionary Forces in France.
Commander of US Expeditionary Force in France
Appointed Commander of the American Expeditionary Force in France
Commander of US Expeditionary Force in France
Appointed Commander of the American Expeditionary Force in France
Commander of US Tank School
Appointed Commander of the US Tank School
Commander of US Tank School
Appointed Commander of the US Tank School
Cosmological Constant Introduced
Einstein adds the cosmological constant to his gravitational field equations to permit a static universe, creating the mathematical term later associated with dark energy.
Doctorate in Astronomy
Edwin Hubble completes his doctoral work in astronomy at the University of Chicago after research at Yerkes Observatory, with faint nebulae forming the central subject of his dissertation.
Food Administrator
Appointed Food Administrator
His Family
Publication of "His Family"
Invitation to Mount Wilson Observatory
George Ellery Hale invites Edwin Hubble to join the staff of Mount Wilson Observatory, offering him access to the observatory that would later support his major extragalactic discoveries.
Kaiser Wilhelm Institute Directorship
Becomes founding director of the Kaiser Wilhelm Institute for Physics.
Prufrock and Other Observations
Publication of "Prufrock and Other Observations"
Recent Changes in the Variable Nebula NGC 2261
Hubble follows his earlier work on NGC 2261 with a new Astrophysical Journal report describing additional changes in the variable nebula's visible structure.
Relativistic Cosmology
Applies general relativity to the universe and introduces the cosmological constant in a static cosmological model.
Repulsive Gravity in Empty Space
Einstein interprets the cosmological constant as a repulsive contribution capable of balancing ordinary gravitational attraction on the largest cosmic scales.
Stimulated Emission
Formulates stimulated emission in his quantum theory of radiation, a principle later fundamental to lasers.
Summer
Publication of "Summer"
How these records were prepared
Generated from the World History Database historical_events table. Identical display records are collapsed; descriptions otherwise retain the stored text. Coverage and source quality vary. Check primary and specialist sources before citing individual historical claims.