May 17, 1900 (Thursday)
- At 3:30 in the morning, the Siege of Mafeking ended after seven months, when Colonel Bryan Mahon led troops to relieve the besieged British residents during the Boer War. General Piet Cronjé attacked the city on October 13, 1899, and Colonel Robert Baden-Powell had led the defence.
- At the village of Kaolo "midway between Peking (Beijing) and Paotingfu (Baoding", 61 Chinese Christian converts were massacred in the worst attack to that time in the Boxer Rebellion. American minister Conger telegraphed, "Situation becoming serious. Request warship Taku soon as possible."
- The first copy of The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, by L. Frank Baum, came off the press. The first run of 10,000 copies sold out prior to publication.
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