Constitution Day 2023

September 17, 2023

Constitution Day is an annual celebration of the signing of the United States Constitution on September 17, 1787. Read below to learn some fun facts about the Constitution!

Did you know?

A look at the Constitution in Numbers…

2

Only two U.S. Presidents signed the Constitution: George Washington and James Madison.

81 and 26

At 81 years of age, Benjamin Franklin was the oldest person to sign the Constitution. Jonathan Dayton of New Jersey was the youngest person to sign the Constitution at the age of 26.

4

The original Constitution is comprised of four sheets, 28-3/4 inches by 23-5/8 inches each. The original copy of the U.S. Constitution is kept in the National Archives Building in Washington, DC.

30

Jacob Shallus, a Pennsylvania General Assembly clerk, was paid $30 (approximately $1,027 today) to “pen” the Constitution at the 1787 Convention.

6

55 delegates attended the Constitutional Convention, and 39 delegate signatures were included in the Constitution. 56 individuals signed the Declaration of Independence in 1776. Six individuals signed both the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution, they included: Benjamin Franklin, George Read, Roger Sherman, Robert Morris, George Clymer, and James Wilson.

17

The Bill of Rights was added to the Constitution on December 15, 1791. The Constitution has been amended only 17 times since 1791!

4,543

The Constitution contains only 4,543 words (including signatures). It is the shortest written Constitution of any major government in the world. It can be read in approximately 30 minutes!

Join the 2023 Celebration!

Join the College of Law on Friday, September 15 at Noon for the annual Constitution Day Lecture. This year’s lecture, “Prosecuting Presidents,” will be held at the Law Building Max L. Rowe Auditorium. Click here to learn more!

Learn More!