Major Mike | Today in History 09/17 (United States Constitution)

The signing of the Constitution of the United States at the Constitutional Convention of 1787 (© GraphicaArtis/Getty Images)

(1787) Delegates sign the Constitution in Philadelphia

Following Benjamin Franklin’s speech, delegates to the Constitutional Convention in Philadelphia sign the Constitution. The day will later be observed as I Am an American Day, which will be renamed to Constitution Day and Citizenship Day.

The United States Constitution is the supreme law of the United States. The Constitution, originally comprising seven articles, delineates the national frame of government. Its first three articles embody the doctrine of the separation of powers, whereby the federal government is divided into three branches: the legislative, consisting of the bicameral Congress; the executive, consisting of the President; and the judicial, consisting of the Supreme Court and other federal courts. Articles Four, Five and Six embody concepts of federalism, describing the rights and responsibilities of state governments and of the states in relationship to the federal government. Article Seven establishes the procedure subsequently used by the thirteen States to ratify it. It is regarded as the oldest written and codified national constitution in force of the world.

Page one of the original copy of the Constitution
wiki/United_States_Constitution

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(1787) Delegates sign the Constitution in Philadelphia.
Also on this day,

1859 | Emperor Norton I begins his 21-year reign over the US

San Franciscan Joshua A. Norton, frustrated by government bureaucracy, declares himself, ‘Norton I, Emperor of the United States.’ His edicts, including the abolition of the US Congress, endear him to many of his fellow residents, who encourage his delusions of grandeur.

1862 | Sun sets on bloodiest battle in American history as Battle of Antietam ends

George McClellan’s Army of the Potomac stems the tide of Robert E. Lee’s Confederate advance into Union territory, but the Battle of Antietam near Sharpsburg, Maryland, exacts a terrible toll with 22,000 dead, injured, or missing by the end of the bloodiest day in US military history.

1976 | NASA unveils a new spaceship Enterprise in the California desert

NASA’s new reusable orbital space vehicle, the space shuttle, is rolled out for its first public viewing in front of thousands of invited guests in Palmdale, California. It’s christened the ‘Enterprise’ after a write-in campaign by ‘Star Trek fans, and most of the show’s original cast is on hand for the unveiling.

Today in History ^09/17/17

President Lincoln and General McClellan seated inside a tent on the Battlefield of Antietam (Alexander Gardner/Library of Congress)

(1862) Sun sets on bloodiest battle in American history

George McClellan's Army of the Potomac stems the tide of Robert E. Lee's Confederate advance into Union territory, but the Battle of Antietam near Sharpsburg, Maryland, exacts a terrible toll with 22,000 dead, injured, or missing by the end of the bloodiest day in US military history.

The Battle of Antietam, also known as the Battle of Sharpsburg, particularly in the South, was fought on September 17, 1862, near Sharpsburg, Maryland and Antietam Creek as part of the Maryland Campaign. It was the first field army–level engagement in the Eastern Theater of the American Civil War to take place on Union soil and is the bloodiest single-day battle in American history, with a combined tally of 22,717 dead, wounded, or missing.

Date: Sep 17, 1862

Maryland Campaign, actions September 3 to 15, 1862 RED - Confederate, BLUE - Union

wiki/Battle_of_Antietam

Star Trek' cast members (from left) Leonard Nimoy, George Takei and DeForest Kelly in front of the unveiling of the Space Shuttle in Palmdale, California, in 1976 (© AP)

(1976) NASA unveils a new spaceship in the California desert

NASA's new reusable orbital space vehicle, the space shuttle, is rolled out for its first public viewing in front of thousands of invited guests in Palmdale, California. It's christened the 'Enterprise' after a write-in campaign by 'Star Trek fans, and most of the show's original cast is on hand for the unveiling.

Space Shuttle Enterprise was the first orbiter of the Space Shuttle system. Rolled out on September 17, 1976, it was built for NASA as part of the Space Shuttle program to perform atmospheric test flights after being launched from a modified Boeing 747. It was constructed without engines or a functional heat shield, and was therefore not capable of spaceflight.

Manufacturer: Rockwell International

Low angle view of gantry and Space Shuttle Enterprise in launch position on the Vandenberg Air Force Base's Space Launch Complex 6 (commonly known as "SLICK 6"), in California, during the ready-to-launch checks to verify launch procedures.