1787 – Pennsylvania becomes the second state to ratify the United States Constitution, five days after Delaware became the first.
Birthdays:
1900 – Sammy Davis, Sr. American actor and dancer (d. 1988)
1915 – Frank Sinatra, American singer, actor, and producer (d. 1998)
1937 – Buford Pusser, American police officer (d. 1974)
1947 – Wings Hauser, American actor, director, and screenwriter
On this date:
1950 –Paula Ackerman, the first woman appointed to perform rabbinical functions in the United States, leads the congregation in her first services.
1985 – Arrow Air Flight 1285, a McDonnell Douglas DC-8, crashes after takeoff in Gander, Newfoundland, killing all 256 people on board, including 236 members of the United States Army’s 101st Airborne Division
The accident was investigated by the Canadian Aviation Safety Board (CASB), which determined the probable cause of the crash was the aircraft’s unexpectedly high drag and reduced lift condition, most likely due to ice contamination on the wings’ leading edges and upper surfaces, as well as underestimated onboard weight. A minority report stated that the accident could have been caused by an onboard explosion of unknown origin prior to impact.
