Today in History

Today is Sunday, Sept. 8, the 252nd day of 2024. There are 114 days left in the year.

Today in history:

On Sept. 8, 1974, one month after taking office, President Gerald R. Ford granted a “full, free, and absolute pardon” to former President Richard Nixon for any crimes committed during Nixon’s presidency.

Also on this date:

In 1504, Michelangelo’s towering marble statue of David was unveiled to the public in Florence, Italy.

In 1565, a Spanish expedition established the first permanent European settlement in North America at present-day St. Augustine, Florida.

In 1664, the Dutch surrendered New Amsterdam to the British, who renamed it New York.

In 1900, Galveston, Texas, was struck by a hurricane that killed an estimated 8,000 people; it remains the deadliest natural disaster in U.S. history.

In 1935, Sen. Huey P. Long, D-La., was fatally shot in the Louisiana State Capitol building.

In 1941, the 900-day Siege of Leningrad by German forces began during World War II.

In 1951, a peace treaty with Japan was signed by 49 nations in San Francisco.

In 1964, public schools in Prince Edward County, Virginia, reopened after being closed for five years by officials attempting to prevent court-ordered racial desegregation.

In 1986, “The Oprah Winfrey Show” began the first of 25 seasons in national syndication.

In 2016, California and federal regulators fined Wells Fargo a combined $185 million, alleging the bank’s employees illegally opened millions of unauthorized accounts for their customers in order to meet aggressive sales goals.

In 2022, Queen Elizabeth II, who spent more than seven decades on the British throne, died at age 96; her 73-year-old son became King Charles III.

Today’s Birthdays: Former Sen. Sam Nunn, D-Ga., is 86. Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., is 83. Former Secretary of Defense James Mattis is 74. Civil rights activist Ruby Bridges is 70. Author Terry Tempest Williams is 69. Basketball Hall of Famer Maurice Cheeks is 68. Actor Heather Thomas is 67. Singer Aimee Mann is 64. Actor Thomas Kretschmann is 62. Alternative country singer Neko (NEE’-koh) Case is 54. TV personality Brooke Burke is 53. Actor Martin Freeman is 53. Actor David Arquette is 53. TV-radio personality Kennedy is 52. Actor Larenz Tate is 49. Singer-songwriter Pink is 45. Actor Jonathan Taylor Thomas is 43. Rapper Wiz Khalifa is 37. MLB pitcher Gerrit Cole is 34. Actor Gaten Matarazzo (TV: “Stranger Things”) is 22.