Births on August 17

Mikhail Botvinnik

Born on August 17, 1911

Mikhail Botvinnik, Russian chess player and engineer (d. 1995)

Mikhail Moiseyevich Botvinnik (August 17 [O.S. August 4] 1911 – May 5, 1995) was a Soviet and Russian chess grandmaster. The sixth World Chess Champion, he also worked as an electrical engineer and computer scientist and was a pioneer in computer chess.

Botvinnik was the first world-class player to develop within the Soviet Union. He also played a major role in the organization of chess, making a significant contribution to the design of the World Chess Championship system after World War II and becoming a leading member of the coaching system that enabled the Soviet Union to dominate top-class chess during that time. His pupils include World Champions Anatoly Karpov, Garry Kasparov and Vladimir Kramnik.

References

Mikhail Botvinnik

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Events on 1911

14 Jan

Amundsen's South Pole expedition
Roald Amundsen's South Pole expedition makes landfall on the eastern edge of the Ross Ice Shelf.
31 May

Porfirio Díaz
The President of Mexico Porfirio Díaz flees the country during the Mexican Revolution.
24 Jul

Machu Picchu
Hiram Bingham III re-discovers Machu Picchu, "the Lost City of the Incas".
29 Aug

Native Americans in the United States
Ishi, considered the last Native American to make contact with European Americans, emerges from the wilderness of northeastern California.
12 Dec

Calcutta
Delhi replaces Calcutta as the capital of India.

Births on August 17

Mikhail Botvinnik

Born on August 17, 1911

References

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Events on 1911

Amundsen's South Pole expedition

Porfirio Díaz

Machu Picchu

Native Americans in the United States

Calcutta