9/17 Today in History

Published 3:00 am Saturday, September 17, 2022

In 1787, the Constitution of the United States was completed and signed by a majority of delegates attending the Constitutional Convention in Philadelphia.

In 1862, more than 3,600 men were killed in the Civil War Battle of Antietam in Maryland.

In 1908, Lt. Thomas E. Selfridge of the U.S. Army Signal Corps became the first person to die in the crash of a powered aircraft, the Wright Flyer, at Fort Myer, Virginia, just outside Washington, D.C.

In 1920, the American Professional Football Association — a precursor of the National Football League — was formed in Canton, Ohio.

In 1937, the likeness of President Abraham Lincoln’s head was dedicated at Mount Rushmore.

In 1939, the Soviet Union invaded Poland during World War II, more than two weeks after Nazi Germany had launched its assault.

In 1944, during World War II, Allied paratroopers launched Operation Market Garden, landing behind German lines in the Netherlands. (After initial success, the Allies were beaten back by the Germans.)

In 1947, James V. Forrestal was sworn in as the first U.S. Secretary of Defense.

In 1978, after meeting at Camp David, Israeli Prime Minister Menachem Begin and Egyptian President Anwar Sadat signed a framework for a peace treaty.

In 1980, former Nicaraguan president Anastasio Somoza was assassinated in Paraguay.

In 1986, the Senate confirmed the nomination of William H. Rehnquist to become the 16th chief justice of the United States.

In 2001, six days after 9/11, stock prices nosedived but stopped short of collapse in an emotional, flag-waving reopening of Wall Street; the Dow Jones industrial average ended the day down 684.81 at 8,920.70.

In 2011, a demonstration calling itself Occupy Wall Street began in New York, prompting similar protests around the U.S. and the world.

Today’s Birthdays: Sen. Charles E. Grassley, R-Iowa, is 89. Retired Supreme Court Justice David H. Souter is 83. Singer LaMonte McLemore (The Fifth Dimension) is 87. Retired U.S. Marine Gen. Anthony Zinni is 79. Basketball Hall of Fame coach Phil Jackson is 77. Singer Fee Waybill is 74. Actor Cassandra Peterson (“Elvira, Mistress of the Dark”) is 71. Comedian Rita Rudner is 69. Director-actor Paul Feig is 60. Movie director Baz Luhrmann is 60. Singer BeBe Winans is 60. TV personality/businessman Robert Herjavec (TV: “Shark Tank”) is 59. Actor Kyle Chandler is 57. Director-producer Bryan Singer is 57. Rapper Doug E. Fresh is 56. Actor Malik Yoba is 55. Rock singer Anastacia is 54. Actor Matthew Settle is 53. Rapper Vin Rock (Naughty By Nature) is 52. Actor-comedian Bobby Lee is 51. Actor Felix Solis is 51. R&B singer Marcus Sanders (Hi-Five) is 49. Actor-singer Nona Gaye is 48. Singer-actor Constantine Maroulis is 47. NASCAR driver Jimmie Johnson is 47. Country singer-songwriter Stephen Cochran is 43. Rock musician Chuck Comeau (Simple Plan) is 43. Actor Billy Miller is 43. Rock musician Jon Walker is 37. NHL forward Alex Ovechkin is 37. Actor Danielle Brooks is 33. Gospel singer Jonathan McReynolds is 33. Actor-singer Denyse Tontz is 28. NHL center Auston Matthews is 25.

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