What Happened on September 17?

September 17 is Constitution Day and Citizenship Day — marking the 1787 signing of the U.S. Constitution — on the same date as the Battle of Antietam in 1862, the Camp David Accords in 1978, and Oprah’s Book Club launch in 1996.

• 1787 — Delegates sign the United States Constitution in Philadelphia

  On September 17, 1787, thirty-nine delegates at the Constitutional Convention signed the final draft of the U.S. Constitution in Philadelphia. Read the full story →

• 1862 — The Battle of Antietam becomes the bloodiest single day in U.S. history

  On September 17, 1862, Union and Confederate armies clashed near Antietam Creek, Maryland — leaving about 23,000 casualties in one day. Read the full story →

• 1976 — NASA unveils the space shuttle Enterprise

  On September 17, 1976, NASA rolled out the prototype space shuttle Enterprise — named after Star Trek’s starship after a fan write-in campaign. Read the full story →

• 1978 — Egypt and Israel sign the Camp David Accords

  On September 17, 1978, Egyptian President Anwar Sadat and Israeli Prime Minister Menachem Begin signed peace frameworks at the White House after talks hosted by President Jimmy Carter. Read the full story →

• 1983 — Vanessa Williams becomes the first Black Miss America

  On September 17, 1983, twenty-year-old Vanessa Williams won the Miss America crown — the first African American woman to hold the title. Read the full story →

Famous birthdays

Hank Williams (1923–1953) · Anne Bancroft (1931–2005) · Phil Jackson (1945) · Narendra Modi (1950)

Days & observances

Constitution Day and Citizenship Day · International Country Music Day · National Apple Dumpling Day · National Professional House Cleaners Day