Games and sports
• Laws of football
The Laws of the Game are a set of 17 rules that the Fifa requires teams to abide by. They contain several instructions. For instance, the first law is the field of play, describing the dimensions of the ground and surface of the turf. The 17th law is on the corner kick.
• The least possible clues in a Sudoku- 17 is the fewest number of clues possible in a Sudoku. The objective of this number placement puzzle is to fill a 9×9 grid with digits such that each column, each row, and each of the nine 3×3 inner boxes all contain the digits from 1 to 9. The puzzle is presented with a partially completed grid and in 2012 it was proved that 17 is the least number of givens with which a Sudoku can be solved.
• Formula One car number retired- Formula One drivers can no longer choose 17 as their car number in honour of French driver Jules Bianchi who died after he lost control of his Marussia vehicle, car number 17, in the 2014 Japanese Grand Prix. He underwent surgery and entered a coma, finally succumbing on July 17 the next year.
Architecture
• Seventeen-Arch Bridge- This is one of the prime attractions at Beijing’s Summer Palace. Besides palaces and gardens, three-quarters of the expanse is on water and the 17-Arch Bridge is one of the structures over it. The bridge incorporates 17 different types of arches and is built along 150m and has a width of 8m.
Science & environment
• Essential nutrients for plant growth- There are 17 elements that act as plant nutrients in the soil. The mnemonic experts use to remember them is — “CHOPKNS CaFe is MiGhty good and Clean. The owner is my CuZn MoB, the Nickel Miner.” This translates to Carbon (C), Hydrogen (H), Oxygen (O), Phosphorus (P), Potassium (K), Nitrogen (N), Sulfur (S), Calcium (Ca), Iron (Fe), Magnesium (Mg), Chlorine (Cl), Copper (Cu), Zinc (Zn), Molybdenum (Mo), Boron (B), Nickel (Ni) and Manganese (Mn).
• United Nations Global Goals- These are a list of 17 interlinked goals meant to achieve a better and more sustainable future for all. They were set up in 2015 by the United Nations General Assembly and are intended to be met by 2030. The goals includes points like elimination of poverty, hunger and gender inequality as well as improving health, sanitation and clean energy.
• Life cycle of some cicadas- Some north American species of this winged insect spend their initial lives as underground nymphs, emerging only as adults 17 years later. They have evolved as such to make them less available to any predator that depends exclusively on them for food. Alternately, when they do emerge at the end of 17 years, it is in such large numbers that their species does not get wiped out despite many of them getting devoured as preys.
• Rare-earth elements- There are a set of 17 lustrous silvery-white soft heavy metals given the collective name of rare-earth elements. Despite their name, they are found quite abundantly on the earth’s crust and have multiple uses in electrical and electronic components, glass, laser and industrial processes. Yttrium and scandium are examples.
Cuisine
• French dinner course- Perhaps the most luxurious meal is the classic French dinner, comprising 17 sections. It begins with an appetiser, soup, an egg dish and rice or pasta.
Fish such as salmon is served next, designed to prepare the diner for heavier meats coming later. The entree or main course must be accompanied by rich sauce or gravy.
Given the length of this menu, a break is provided next in the form of a sorbet. This is water and crushed ice slush, flavoured with champagne. Thereafter the joints — or the main red meat course — is served, usually roasted in a gravy and served with potatoes and vegetables.
Next the evening takes a turn towards lighter meats — usually chicken, duck or quail. Legumes — a vegetarian dish — follows and then various types of salads. A kebab platter of meat and vegetables follows, as does a cold buffet of small pieces of meat.
Desserts may be served hot or cold as gateaux, souffle or ice-cream and then a savory item such as anchoives on pickled fruits.
Cheese gets its own course with the ideal cheese board being a combination of soft as well as hard varieties. It is often served with butter or crackers.
Fruits and nuts are served before the final and 17th course — a hot or cold beverage such as tea or coffee.
History
• Malaysia Airlines Flight 17 shot down- In 2014 a passenger flight from Amsterdam to Kuala Lumpur got shot down while flying over Ukraine. All 283 passengers and 15 crew were killed. The incident occurred during the war in Donbas over an area controlled by Russian separatist forces, although the Russian government denied involvement. This was the deadliest airliner shoot-down incident to date.
Films and music
• 17 Again- is a fantasy film about a 37-year-old man (Matthew Perry of Friends fame) undergoing midlife crisis. He magically gets turned into his 17-year-old self (Zac Efron) and gets another shot at setting his life on track. The 2009 American film, that had released on April 17, 2009, grossed than $130 million worldwide.
• I am 16 going on 17- It is a song best remembered from the 1965 musical The Sound of Music. The playful number is sung by 16-year-old Liesl to 17-year-old Rolf, seeking guidance on the ways of the world as he is older. The song was shot around a gazebo in Salzburg, Austria, that is still visited by hundreds of tourists daily.
• Tu kitne baras ki- the 1980 film Karz features a Bollywood version of budding love with Tina Munim asking Rishi Kapoor his age. He answers he is “satrah” (17) while she says she is “solah” (16). The song is sung by Lata Mangeshkar and Kishore Kumar.
