Constitution Signed: American Democracy Established
Delegates in Philadelphia ink their names to a document that replaced a failing confederation with a durable federal government. This act established the framework for American democracy, creating a system of checks and balances that still governs the nation today.
September 17, 1787
239 years ago
Key Figures & Places
What Else Happened on September 17
Remistus had been magister militum — essentially commander of the Western Roman army — but by 456 that title meant less than it once had. A Gothic force besiege…
Alfonso VII was three years old when his father died, and his mother was immediately pressured to remarry and cede control. He spent his childhood under the pro…
The Battle of Myriokephalon sees the Byzantine Empire clash with the Seljuk Turks, resulting in a significant defeat that alters the power dynamics in Anatolia.
Emperor Manuel I Komnenos had been pushing into Anatolia for years, reclaiming territory, winning battles, dreaming of a restored empire. Then at Myriokephalon …
Mary of Hungary was crowned 'king' — not queen, but king — in September 1382, because the Hungarian nobility didn't have a mechanism for a female ruler and refu…
Piotr Dunin’s forces crushed the Teutonic Order at the Battle of Świecino, shattering the Knights' military dominance in the region. This victory forced the Ord…
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