1. The 1906 Winter Olympics opened in Lake Tahoe on February 17. This was the first time the Olympics were held outside of Europe, and it featured only four sports: skating, ice hockey, curling, and Nordic skiing.

2. On February 17, 1942, President Franklin D. Roosevelt signed Executive Order 9066, which authorized the forced relocation of Japanese Americans living in California and other western states to internment camps during World War II.

3. In 1992, on February 17th Rodney King, a black man was beaten brutally by four white Los Angeles police officers on camera. The acquittal of the officers in 1992 led to widespread riots in Los Angeles, in which more than 55 people were killed and over 2,000 were injured.

4. On February 17, 1936, the Santa Ana winds caused a massive wildfire in Los Angeles County that burned for four days, destroying more than 100 homes and leaving thousands homeless.

5. On February 17, 1872, the California State Legislature created Yosemite National Park, the third national park in the United States. Yosemite attracts millions of visitors each year, who come to see its famous waterfalls, granite cliffs, and giant sequoia trees.