List of Famous people born on October 17th

Truman Heminway Aldrich was a civil engineer, a mining company executive, and a paleontologist, and briefly served in the United States House of Representatives and as Postmaster of Birmingham. He is the sole Republican ever to represent Alabama's 9th congressional district, which existed from 1893 to 1963. His brother William F. Aldrich also represented Alabama in Congress, serving three partial terms during 1896–1901 from Alabama's 4th congressional district.

Thomas W. Riggs Jr. was an American engineer who worked extensively in Alaska Territory, first as a leader of the team which surveyed the Alaska-Canada border and later as a Commissioner oversee construction of the Alaska Railroad. He was appointed Governor of Alaska Territory and served from 1918 till 1921. During his later life, Riggs served as United States Commissioner to the International Boundary Commission.

August Ferdinand Anacker was a German composer.

Alexsandr Dyachenko is a Kazakh former professional road bicycle racer, who rode professionally from 2004 to 2006 and 2008 to 2015, for the Capec, Ulan and Astana teams.