When was the first gravitational-wave event from neutron stars detected?

GW170817 was detected on 17 August 2017 by LIGO and Virgo. It came from the merger of two neutron stars and was also seen in light across the electromagnetic spectrum, including gamma rays, visible light, and radio waves. This was the first event that linked gravitational waves with a kilonova, a powerful cosmic explosion that creates heavy elements such as gold and platinum. The discovery helped explain where some of the universe’s heaviest elements come from.