THURSDAY, Sept. 17, 2026
Summary
On Sept. 17, several major historical events are noted, including the 1787 signing of the U.S. Constitution in Philadelphia and the 1978 signing of the Camp David Accords by Anwar Sadat, Menachem Begin, and Jimmy Carter. The list also includes the Battle of Antietam in 1862, described as the bloodiest day of the American Civil War. Other entries mention Alexandria’s conquest in 642, Leeuwenhoek’s first report of bacteria in 1683, the Red Baron’s first aerial combat in 1916, and Hitler’s postponement of Operation Sealion in 1940.
Key Facts
- In 642, Arab forces under Amr ibn al-‘As conquered Alexandria.
- In 1683, Dutch scientist Antonie van Leeuwenhoek was the first to report the existence of bacteria.
- In 1862, the Battle of Antietam, also called the Battle of Sharpsburg, became the bloodiest day in the American Civil War with 22,000 dead, wounded, or missing in the first major battle on Union soil.
642-Arab forces under Amr ibn al-'As conquer Alexandria
1683-Dutch scientist Antonie van Leeuwenhoek is the first to report the existence of bacteria
1787-U.S. Constitution is signed by delegates at the Philadelphia Convention
1862-Battle of Antietam [Battle of Sharpsburg]: Bloodiest day in the American Civil War with 22,000 dead, wounded, or missing in the first major battle on Union soil
1916-World War I flying ace, the Red Baron of the German Luftstreitkräfte, wins his first aerial combat near Cambrai, France
1940-Adolf Hitler indefinitely postpones Operation Sealion, the planned German invasion of Great Britain
1978-Anwar Sadat, Menachem Begin, and Jimmy Carter sign the Camp David Accords, frameworks for peace in the Middle East and between Egypt and Israel
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