1630 — Boston is founded by Puritan colonists from England, becoming one of the oldest and most influential cities in North America.
1787 — Delegates at the Philadelphia Convention sign the United States Constitution, establishing a new framework of federal government.
1862 — The Battle of Antietam (Sharpsburg) becomes the bloodiest single day of the U.S. Civil War, shaping Abraham Lincoln’s decision to issue the Preliminary Emancipation Proclamation.
1908 — Orville Wright crashes during a demonstration at Fort Myer, Virginia; passenger Thomas Selfridge is killed, marking the first fatality of powered flight.
1939 — The Soviet Union invades Poland from the east, two weeks after Germany’s attack from the west, partitioning the country at the start of World War II.
1944 — Operation Market Garden begins as Allied forces launch the largest airborne operation to date in the Netherlands, aiming to secure bridges over the Rhine.
1978 — Egypt and Israel sign the Camp David Accords, a U.S.-brokered framework that paves the way for a peace treaty and reshapes Middle Eastern diplomacy.
1991 — North Korea and South Korea are admitted to the United Nations as separate member states, formalizing dual representation on the world stage.
2001 — The New York Stock Exchange reopens six days after the September 11 attacks, signaling financial resilience amid national crisis.
2011 — The Occupy Wall Street movement begins in New York City’s Zuccotti Park, spotlighting economic inequality and birthing the “99 percent” slogan.
Famous Birthdays
Bernhard Riemann (German mathematician, 1826–1866) — Pioneer of Riemannian geometry and complex analysis.
Konstantin Tsiolkovsky (Russian rocket theorist, 1857–1935) — Foundational thinker of astronautics and spaceflight.
Hank Williams (American country singer-songwriter, 1923–1953) — Icon whose songs shaped modern country music.
Anne Bancroft (American actress, 1931–2005) — Award-winning star of stage and screen.
Ken Kesey (American novelist, 1935–2001) — Author of “One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest.”
John Ritter (American actor, 1948–2003) — Beloved television and film performer.
Narendra Modi (Indian politician, b. 1950) — Prime Minister of India.
Damon Hill (British racing driver, b. 1960) — Formula One World Champion (1996).
Tomáš Berdych (Czech tennis player, b. 1985) — Grand Slam finalist and longtime top-10 pro.
Patrick Mahomes (American football quarterback, b. 1995) — NFL MVP and Super Bowl–winning signal-caller.
Notable Deaths
Hildegard of Bingen (German abbess, polymath) — Died 1179; born 1098.
Dred Scott (American figure in landmark civil rights case) — Died 1858; born c. 1799.
Folke Bernadotte (Swedish diplomat, UN mediator) — Died 1948; born 1895.
Adnan Menderes (Prime Minister of Turkey) — Died 1961; born 1899.
Karl Popper (Austrian-British philosopher of science) — Died 1994; born 1902.
Spiro Agnew (39th Vice President of the United States) — Died 1996; born 1918.
Red Skelton (American comedian and actor) — Died 1997; born 1913.
Rob Tyner (American rock singer, MC5) — Died 1991; born 1944.
Bobby Heenan (American wrestling manager and commentator) — Died 2017; born 1944.
Cokie Roberts (American journalist and author) — Died 2019; born 1943.
Holidays
United States — Constitution Day and Citizenship Day.
Angola — National Heroes Day.
Honduras — Teacher’s Day.
Australia — Australian Citizenship Day.
Poland — Sybirak Day, commemorating victims of Soviet deportations.
World Patient Safety Day — Global health observance promoted by international health authorities.
Fun Facts
The U.S. Constitution signed on this date is the world’s longest-surviving written national charter of government.
Antietam’s aftermath gave President Lincoln the political momentum to announce the Preliminary Emancipation Proclamation five days later.
The Camp David Accords were negotiated across nearly two weeks of intensive talks and set the stage for the Egypt–Israel Peace Treaty of 1979.
Operation Market Garden’s ambitious “bridge too far” plan has been studied for decades as a case in airborne and coalition warfare.
Occupy Wall Street’s Sept. 17 kickoff popularized the “We are the 99%” framing of wealth inequality worldwide.