From NWS
1961: The second winter storm in a week struck Iowa on December 16-17 producing heavy snow across the northwest and snow, sleet, and freezing rain further southeast. Snowfall accumulations in northwestern Iowa ranged up to 7.0 inches at Estherville, 7.5 inches at Lake Park and Sibley, and 8.1 inches at Sioux Rapids. The snow and ice made travel nearly impossible across much of the state and numerous traffic accidents resulted from the adverse conditions. This was only one of several winter storms during an active month that would finish as the snowiest December on record at several Iowa locations, although not in statewide average.

17 December 1903 → Orville and Wilbur Wright successfully tested their homemade glider at Kitty Hawk on the Outer Banks of North Carolina. They had selected Kitty Hawk as their test site on advice from the Weather Bureau due to good, consistent northerly winds. 17 December 1983 → The temperature at Oklahoma City dropped below freezing. It did not rise above 32 degrees again until New Year’s Eve, setting a record length of sub-freezing weather in the city.

Posted under Weather History