Today in History

Today in History

Today is Sunday, Sept. 17, the 260th day of 2017. There are 105 days left in the year.

Today's Highlight in History:

On September 17, 1967, The Doors appeared on "The Ed Sullivan Show" on CBS-TV for the first -- and last -- time. The group was banned from the program after Jim Morrison ignored a producer's request to change the line, "Girl, we couldn't get much higher" to "Girl, we couldn't get much better" while singing "Light My Fire" during the live broadcast.

On this date:

In 1787, the Constitution of the United States was completed and signed by a majority of delegates attending the Constitutional Convention in Philadelphia.

In 1862, more than 3,600 men were killed in the Civil War Battle of Antietam in Maryland.

In 1937, the likeness of President Abraham Lincoln's head was dedicated at Mount Rushmore.

In 1939, the Soviet Union invaded Poland during World War II, more than two weeks after Nazi Germany had launched its assault.

In 1947, James V. Forrestal was sworn in as the first U.S. Secretary of Defense.

In 1957, two male attorneys "stood in" as actress Sophia Loren and producer Carlo Ponti were married by proxy in Ciudad Juarez, Mexico. (Legal issues later forced an annulment; the couple wed in Sevres, France, in 1966.)

In 1971, citing health reasons, Supreme Court Justice Hugo Black, 85, retired. (Black, who was succeeded by Lewis F. Powell Jr., died eight days after making his announcement.)

In 1978, after meeting at Camp David, Israeli Prime Minister Menachem Begin and Egyptian President Anwar Sadat signed a framework for a peace treaty.

In 1987, the city of Philadelphia, birthplace of the U.S. Constitution, threw a big party to celebrate the 200th anniversary of the historic document; in a speech at Independence Hall, President Ronald Reagan acclaimed the framing of the Constitution as a milestone "that would profoundly and forever alter not just these United States but the world."

In 1996, former Vice President Spiro T. Agnew died in Berlin, Maryland, at age 77.

In 1997, a U.N. helicopter slammed into a fog-shrouded mountain in central Bosnia and burst into flames, killing German diplomat Gerd Wagner, five Americans and six others. President Bill Clinton rejected a ban on land mines endorsed by 89 countries, saying the accord would jeopardize "the safety and security of our men in uniform." Comedian Red Skelton died in Rancho Mirage, California, at age 84.

In 2011, a demonstration calling itself Occupy Wall Street began in New York, prompting similar protests around the U.S. and the world.

Ten years ago: President George W. Bush nominated former federal judge Michael Mukasey to become attorney general. The Iraqi government revoked the license of Blackwater USA security firm a day after a shooting incident that had claimed the lives of civilians. During a forum at the University of Florida, Andrew Meyer, a student with a history of taping his own practical jokes, was Tasered by campus police and arrested after loudly and repeatedly trying to question Sen. John Kerry, D-Mass.

Five years ago: Republican Mitt Romney tried to head off a new distraction for his presidential campaign after a video surfaced showing him telling wealthy donors that 47 percent of all Americans "believe they are victims" entitled to help from the government that permeated their lives; Romney offered no apologies, but conceded his comments were not "elegantly stated" and were spoken "off the cuff."

One year ago: An explosion rocked Manhattan's Chelsea neighborhood, injuring 30 people; an Afghan-born New Jersey resident is facing trial in the bombing. A Somali-American went on a stabbing rampage at Crossroads Center mall in St. Cloud, Minnesota, wounding 10 people before an off-duty officer fatally shot him. Rapper Snoop Dogg received the "I Am Hip Hop" award at the 11th annual BET Hip-Hop Awards near Atlanta. Actress Charmian Carr, best known for playing Liesl von Trapp in the 1965 movie musical "The Sound of Music," died in Los Angeles at age 73.

Today's Birthdays: Sen. Charles E. Grassley, R-Iowa, is 84. Retired Supreme Court Justice David H. Souter is 78. Singer LaMonte McLemore (The Fifth Dimension) is 82. Retired U.S. Marine Gen. Anthony Zinni is 74. Basketball Hall of Fame coach Phil Jackson is 72. Singer Fee Waybill is 67. Actress Cassandra Peterson ("Elvira, Mistress of the Dark") is 66. Comedian Rita Rudner is 64. Muppeteer Kevin Clash (former voice of Elmo on "Sesame Street") is 57. Director-actor Paul Feig is 55. Movie director Baz Luhrmann is 55. Singer BeBe Winans is 55. TV personality/businessman Robert Herjavec (TV: "Shark Tank") is 54. Actor Kyle Chandler is 52. Director-producer Bryan Singer is 52. Rapper Doug E. Fresh is 51. Actor Malik Yoba is 50. Rock singer Anastacia is 49. Rock musician Keith Flint (Prodigy) is 48. Actor Matthew Settle is 48. Rapper Vinnie (Naughty By Nature) is 47. Actor-comedian Bobby Lee is 46. Actor Felix Solis is 46. Rhythm-and-blues singer Marcus Sanders (Hi-Five) is 44. Actress-singer Nona Gaye is 43. Singer-actor Constantine Maroulis is 42. NASCAR driver Jimmie Johnson is 42. Pop singer Maile Misajon (Eden's Crush) is 41. Country singer-songwriter Stephen Cochran is 38. Rock musician Chuck Comeau (Simple Plan) is 38. Actor Billy Miller is 38. Country singer Desi Wasdin (3 of Hearts) is 34. Rock musician Jon Walker is 32. Actress Danielle Brooks is 28. Actress-singer Denyse Tontz is 23.

Thought for Today: "I personally believe that each of us was put here for a purpose to build, not to destroy. If I can make people smile, then I have served my purpose for God." -- Red Skelton (1913-1997).