On this day: July 17

TWA Flight 800 Breaks Apart Off Long Island, 1996

On July 17, 1996, TWA Flight 800, a Boeing 747 en route from New York to Paris, exploded and crashed into the Atlantic near Long Island shortly after takeoff, killing all 230 people on board and prompting a lengthy federal investigation.

Senate Holds Public Hearings on Organized Crime, 1950

On July 17, 1950, the U.S. Senate began a series of public hearings into organized crime, aiming to expose racketeering networks and clarify links between criminal syndicates and public institutions.