Inventions, firsts, and turning points tied to today’s date — each one sourced and dated.
On September 17, 1908, a broken propeller turned an Army demonstration flight into aviation's first fatal crash, killing Lt. Thomas Selfridge.
On September 17, 1862, a single day's fighting near Sharpsburg left some 23,000 men dead, wounded, or missing—the deadliest day in American history.
On September 17, 1787, after a summer of secret debate, 39 delegates signed the document that still frames American government.
