September 17

1787: The U.S. Constitution was completed and signed. 1854: Auto manufacturer David Buick was born. 1901: The first U.S. patent for a mercury vapor lamp issued to Peter Hewitt of NY City. 1911: The first transcontinental airplane flight began, taking Cal Rogers 82 hours to fly from NY City to Pasadena, CA. 1916: Oswald "Mike" Villard Jr., inventor of over-the-horizon radar, was born. 1935: Sir Watson-Watt, the father of radar, applied for a patent for his radar concept. 1953: In New Orleans, LA, Carolyn Anne and Catherine Anne Mouton were the first Siamese twins to be successfully separated by surgery. 1959: The X-15 rocket plane made its first powered flight. 1962: U.S. space officials announced the selection of Neil Armstrong and eight others as new astronauts. 1972: M*A*S*H premiered on CBS TV. 1976: NASA publicly unveiled the space shuttle Enterprise.