On This Day

US Constitution is signed by delegates at the Philadelphia Convention

The Signing of the United States Constitution occurred on September 17, 1787, at Independence Hall in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, when 39 delegates to the Constitutional Convention, representing 12...

The Signing of the United States Constitution occurred on September 17, 1787, at Independence Hall in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, when 39 delegates to the Constitutional Convention, representing 12 states (all but Rhode Island, which declined to send delegates), endorsed the Constitution created during the four-month-long convention. In addition to signatures, this endorsement, the Constitution's closing protocol, included a brief declaration that the delegates' work has been successfully completed and that those whose signatures appear on it subscribe to the final document. Included are, a statement pronouncing the document's adoption by the states present, a formulaic dating of its adoption, along with the signatures of those endorsing it.

Events Before

  1. Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart's opera "The Marriage of Figaro" premieres in Vienna with Mozart himself conducting

    The Marriage of Figaro, K. 492, is a commedia per musica (opera buffa) in four acts composed in 1786 by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, with an Italian libretto written by Lorenzo Da Ponte.

  2. A landslide dam on the Dadu River, caused by an earthquake ten days earlier, collapses and kills 100,000 in Sichuan prov

    A landslide dam on the Dadu River, caused by an earthquake ten days earlier, collapses and kills 100,000 in Sichuan province, China

  3. US Congress unanimously chooses the dollar as the monetary unit for the United States of America

    US Congress unanimously chooses the dollar as the monetary unit for the United States of America

  4. The oldest performing musical organization in the United States is founded in Stoughton, Massachusetts, as the Stoughton

    The oldest performing musical organization in the United States is founded in Stoughton, Massachusetts, as the Stoughton Musical Society

  5. Grand Duke of Tuscany Leopold II promulgates a penal reform, making Tuscany the first state to abolish the death penalty

    Grand Duke of Tuscany Leopold II promulgates a penal reform, making Tuscany the first state to abolish the death penalty; November 30 is now commemorated as Cities for Life Day

Events After

  1. Emperor Joseph II's order for the Jews of Galicia, Austria, to adopt family names comes into effect

    Emperor Joseph II's order for the Jews of Galicia, Austria, to adopt family names comes into effect

  2. First elements of the First Fleet, carrying 736 convicts from England to Australia, arrive at Botany Bay to establish a

    First elements of the First Fleet, carrying 736 convicts from England to Australia, arrive at Botany Bay to establish a penal colony

  3. Captain Arthur Phillip and British colonists hoist the Union Flag at Sydney Cove, New South Wales, now celebrated as Aus

    Captain Arthur Phillip and British colonists hoist the Union Flag at Sydney Cove, New South Wales, now celebrated as Australia Day; referred to as Invasion Day by First Nations people

  4. US Constitution comes into effect when New Hampshire is the 9th state to ratify it

    The United States Constitution has served as the supreme law of the United States since taking effect in 1789.

  5. Prussia joins the Anglo-Dutch alliance to form the Triple Alliance to prevent the spread of the Russo-Swedish War of 178

    Prussia joins the Anglo-Dutch alliance to form the Triple Alliance to prevent the spread of the Russo-Swedish War of 1788-90

More from the 1780s

Frequently Asked Questions

What happened on September 17, 1787?
The Signing of the United States Constitution occurred on September 17, 1787, at Independence Hall in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, when 39 delegates to the Constitutional Convention, representing 12 states (all but Rhode Island, which declined to send delegates), endorsed the Constitution created during the four-month-long convention. In addition to signatures, this endorsement, the Constitution's closing protocol, included a brief declaration that the delegates' work has been successfully completed and that those whose signatures appear on it subscribe to the final document. Included are, a statement pronouncing the document's adoption by the states present, a formulaic dating of its adoption, along with the signatures of those endorsing it.
Why is US Constitution is signed by delegates at the Philadelphia Convention historically important?
In addition to signatures, this endorsement, the Constitution's closing protocol, included a brief declaration that the delegates' work has been successfully completed and that those whose signatures appear on it subscribe to the final document. Included are, a statement pronouncing the document's adoption by the states present, a formulaic dating of its adoption, along with the signatures of those endorsing it.

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