Today's Highlight in History:
On September 17th, 1920, the American Professional Football Association -- a precursor² of the National Football League -- was formed in Canton, Ohio (the site where the Pro¹ Football Hall of Fame was later built).
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, Union forces hurled³ back a Confederate invasion of Maryland in the Civil War Battle of Antietam.

In 1939, the Soviet⁴ Union invaded Poland, more than two weeks after Nazi⁵ Germany launched its assault.

In 1947, James V. Forrestal was sworn in as the first US Secretary of Defense⁶ as a new National Military Establishment unified⁷ America's armed forces.

In 1948, the United Nations mediator⁸ for Palestine, Count Folke Bernadotte, was assassinated⁹ in Jerusalem by Jewish extremists.

In 1972, "M*A*S*H" premiered on CBS TV.

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 1980, former Nicaraguan president Anastasio Somoza (suh-MOH'-sah) was assassinated in Paraguay.

In 1988, opening ceremonies for the Summer Olympics took place in Seoul, South Korea.

In 1994, Heather Whitestone of Alabama was crowned "Miss America," the first deaf contestant¹⁰ to win the title.

Ten years ago: Defense Secretary Dick Cheney sacked Air Force chief of staff General Mike Dugan for openly discussing contingency¹¹ plans to launch massive air strikes against Baghdad and target Iraqi President Saddam Hussein personally. Supreme¹² Court nominee¹³ David H. Souter concluded three days of testimony¹⁴ before the Senate Judiciary Committee.

Five years ago: Hong Kong held its last legislative¹⁵ election before the 1997 takeover by China, with some of Beijing's fiercest critics the big winners.

One year ago: President Clinton lifted restrictions¹⁶ on trade, travel and banking¹⁷ imposed on North Korea a half-century earlier, rewarding it for agreeing to curb¹⁸ missile tests.