August 17 in History

In August 1807, Robert Fulton's steam-powered vessel, commonly known as the Clermont, traveled up the Hudson River from New York City toward Albany. It was not the first steamboat ever built, but it was the first to turn the technology into a commercially workable service. In doing so, it helped launch an era in which rivers, lakes, and eventually oceans could be navigated without depending on wind, current, or muscle.

At the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing, American swimmer Michael Phelps won eight gold medals at a single Games, the most ever achieved by an athlete at one Olympics. His haul surpassed the seven golds won by fellow American Mark Spitz in 1972, a record that had stood for 36 years. The feat cemented Phelps's reputation as one of the greatest Olympians of all time and drew a huge global audience to swimming.