The Athens Polytechnic Uprising began on this day in 1973 with a massive student demonstration against the governing Greek military junta. An assembly formed during the protest elected to occupy the Polytechnic School, which lasted for three days before being forcibly ended by a military-scale attack by the government.

The uprising had popular support, with thousands of Athenians flooding into the streets to support their anti-government protest. The occupying students demanded the restoration of democracy in Greece, and were shot at by government snipers set up around the building. On November 17th, the state finally broke through erected barricades by sending a tank crashing through the gates of the Polytechnic.

Although the state claimed no students were killed, there were at least 24 recorded deaths, and many estimates are much higher. Although the rebellion was crushed at first, it caused political instability that ultimately led to the regime's downfall in 1974. Greek schools commemorate the uprising annually on November 17th.