ON THIS DAY
On this day in history September 17-23
September 17, 2017 - September 23, 2017 - Graphics show birthdays and anniversaries on each day for the week.This week features the constitution of the United States, the first female space tourist, Pope Francis’s visit to Cuba, the offensive of Syrian and Russian forces to retake Aleppo, the Boeing B-29 bomber, the war between Iraq and Iran and the formation of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.
September 18, 2006: Anousheh Ansari, a U.S. citizen of Iranian origin, became the world’s first female space tourist when she blasted off aboard a Russian Soyuz rocket to the ISS
September 19, 2015: Pope Francis began a visit to Cuba and the U.S., highlighting his role as a peace-broker between the two countries since the start of his pontificate
September 20, 2016: Syrian and Russian forces launched a major offensive to retake all remaining rebel-held areas of Aleppo, forcing the UN to suspend all aid convoys
September 21, 1942: The Boeing B-29 bomber made its maiden flight. The plane, known as the Superfortress, carried out the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki in 1945
September 22, 1980: A simmering border conflict between Iran and Iraq over control of the Shatt al-Arab waterway flared into full-scale war when Iraqi troops invaded Iran
September 23, 1932: Having conquered almost all of central Arabia, Abdul-Aziz ibn Saud united his dominions into the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, with himself as king