Happy Constitution Day! Today at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, we’re honoring the document that established the framework of our government. Constitution Day was first signed into law in 2004 to commemorate one of the most influential documents in our nation’s history.

Check out some fun facts about the Constitution, which was signed 234 years ago today in Independence Hall:

  1. The U.S. Constitution is the oldest and shortest written national constitution.
  2. The first national “Thanksgiving Day” was created as a way of “giving thanks” for the Constitution.
  3. The Constitution was signed at the same place as the Declaration of Independence.
  4. While written in 1787, the government didn’t operate under the Constitution until 1789.
  5. The original, handwritten Constitution is on display at the National Archives in Washington, D.C.

Source: National Constitution Center