September 17 in history — What Happened Today in History

Vanessa Williams becomes the first black Miss America.

After weeks of strikes at the Lenin Shipyard in Gdańsk, Poland, the nationwide independent trade union Solidarity is established.

Former Nicaraguan President Anastasio Somoza Debayle is killed in Asunción, Paraguay.

The Camp David Accords are signed by Israel and Egypt.

The Space Shuttle Enterprise is unveiled by NASA.

Bangladesh, Grenada and Guinea-Bissau join the United Nations.

The Battle of Chawinda is fought between Pakistan and India.

The world's first retractable roof stadium, the Civic Arena, opens in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.

Northwest Orient Airlines Flight 706 crashes during takeoff from O'Hare International Airport in Chicago, Illinois, killing all 37 people on board.

The People's Liberation Army Air Force Airborne Corps (Then known as the PLAAF 1st Ground Forces Brigade) is founded.

The Republic of India formally recognised the State of Israel.

The Canadian steamship SS Noronic burns in Toronto Harbour with the loss of over 118 lives.

The Lehi (also known as the Stern gang) assassinates Count Folke Bernadotte, who was appointed by the United Nations to mediate between the Arab nations and Israel.

The Nizam of Hyderabad surrenders his sovereignty over the Hyderabad State and joins the Indian Union.

World War II: Allied airborne troops parachute into the Netherlands as the "Market" half of Operation Market Garden and British XXX Corps advances into the Netherlands as the "Garden" half of the Operation.

World War II: Soviet troops launch the Tallinn Offensive against Germany and pro-independence Estonian units.

World War II: German forces are attacked by the Allies in the Battle of San Marino.

World War II: A decree of the Soviet State Committee of Defense restores compulsory military training.

World War II: Soviet forces enter Tehran during the Anglo-Soviet invasion of Iran.

World War II: Due to setbacks in the Battle of Britain and approaching autumn weather, Hitler postpones Operation Sea Lion.

World War II: The Soviet invasion of Poland begins.

World War II: German submarine U-29 sinks the British aircraft carrier HMS Courageous.

The Niagara Gorge Railroad ceases operations after a rockslide.

A speech by Laureano Gómez leads to the escalation of the Leticia Incident.

The Kurdish Ararat rebellion is suppressed by the Turks.

The Okeechobee hurricane strikes southeastern Florida, killing more than 2,500 people.

The Border Protection Corps is established in the Second Polish Republic for the defence of the eastern border against armed Soviet raids and local bandits.

The National Football League is organized as the American Professional Football Association in Canton, Ohio.

Na In-woo, South Korean actor

Denyse Tontz, Salvadoran-American actress and singer

Sofiane Boufal, Moroccan footballer

Sophie Howard, Scottish footballer

Alfonzo McKinnie, American basketball player

Danny Ramirez, American actor

José Ramírez, Dominican baseball player

Ryo Ishikawa, Japanese golfer

Mena Massoud, Egyptian-Canadian actor

Egor Yakovlev, Russian ice hockey player

Pixie Geldof, English model and singer

Sean Scannell, English footballer

Marcus Semien, American baseball player

Sigge Parling, Swedish footballer (born 1936)

Ingrīda Andriņa, Latvian actress (born 1944)

Dettmar Cramer, German footballer and manager (born 1925)

Vadim Kuzmin, Russian physicist and academic (born 1937)

David Willcocks, English organist, composer, and conductor (born 1919)

George Hamilton IV, American singer-songwriter and guitarist (born 1937)

Andriy Husin, Ukrainian footballer and manager (born 1972)

Wakachichibu Komei, Japanese sumo wrestler (born 1939)

Charles Read, Australian air marshal (born 1918)

Peter von Bagh, Finnish historian, director, and screenwriter (born 1943)

China Zorrilla, Uruguayan actress (born 1922)

Kristian Gidlund, Swedish drummer and journalist (born 1983)

Larry Lake, American-Canadian trumpet player and composer (born 1943)