Today in History

Today is Tuesday, Sept. 8, the 251st day of 2015. There are 114 days left in the year.

Today's Highlight in History:

On Sept. 8, 1935, Sen. Huey P. Long, D-La., was shot and mortally wounded inside the Louisiana State Capitol; he died two days later. (The assailant was identified as Dr. Carl Weiss, who was gunned down by Long's bodyguards.)

On this date:

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

In 1761, Britain's King George III married Princess Charlotte of Mecklenburg-Strelitz a few hours after meeting her for the first time.

In 1892, an early version of "The Pledge of Allegiance," written by Francis Bellamy, appeared in "The Youth's Companion."

In 1900, Galveston, Texas, was struck by a hurricane that killed an estimated 8,000 people.

In 1921, Margaret Gorman, 16, of Washington, D.C., was crowned the first "Miss America" in Atlantic City, New Jersey.

In 1934, more than 130 people lost their lives in a fire aboard the liner SS Morro Castle off the New Jersey coast.

In 1945, Bess Myerson of New York was crowned Miss America in Atlantic City, New Jersey, becoming the first Jewish contestant to win the title.

In 1954, the Southeast Asia Treaty Organization (SEATO) was founded in Manila by the United States, France, Britain, New Zealand, Australia, the Philippines, Thailand and Pakistan.

In 1966, the science-fiction TV series "Star Trek" premiered on NBC; the situation comedy "That Girl," starring Marlo Thomas, premiered on ABC.

In 1974, President Gerald R. Ford granted a "full, free, and absolute pardon" to former President Richard Nixon covering his entire term in office.

In 1985, Pete Rose of the Cincinnati Reds tied Ty Cobb's career record for hits, singling for hit number 4,191 during a game against the Cubs in Chicago.

In 1994, USAir Flight 427, a Boeing 737, crashed into a ravine as it was approaching Pittsburgh International Airport, killing all 132 people on board.

Ten years ago: Congress hastened to provide an additional $51.8 billion for relief and recovery from Hurricane Katrina; President George W. Bush pledged to make it "easy and simple as possible" for uncounted, uprooted storm victims to collect food stamps and other government benefits. Tropical Storm Ophelia strengthened into a hurricane as it stalled 70 miles off the northeast Florida coast. (Ophelia ended up brushing the North Carolina Outer Banks.)

Five years ago: BP took some of the blame for the Gulf oil disaster in an internal report, acknowledging among other things that it had misinterpreted a key pressure test of the well, but also assigned responsibility to its partners on the doomed rig. Israel Tal, a decorated war hero and creator of Israel's renowned "Merkava" tank, died at age 86. Allen Dale June, one of the 29 original Navajo code talkers of World War II, died in Prescott, Arizona, at age 91.

One year ago: The European Union shied away from slapping new economic sanctions on Russia right away over its actions in eastern Ukraine, saying the punitive measures would come into force "in the next few days" depending on how well a cease-fire agreement in eastern Ukraine held. Croatia's Marin Cilic won his first Grand Slam title by beating Japan's Kei Nishikori 6-3, 6-3, 6-3 at the U.S. Open. Ray Rice was let go by the Baltimore Ravens and suspended indefinitely by the NFL after a video was released showing the running back striking his then-fiancee, Janay Palmer, in an elevator in February 2014. S. Truett Cathy, the billionaire founder of the Chick-fil-A restaurant chain, died in suburban Atlanta at age 93.

Today's Birthdays: Ventriloquist Willie Tyler is 75. Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., is 74. Actor Alan Feinstein is 74. Pop singer Sal Valentino (The Beau Brummels) is 73. Author Ann Beattie is 68. Cajun singer Zachary Richard is 65. Musician Will Lee is 63. Actress Heather Thomas is 58. Singer Aimee Mann is 55. Pop musician David Steele (Fine Young Cannibals) is 55. Actor Thomas Kretschmann is 53. Rhythm-and-blues singer Marc Gordon (Levert) is 51. Gospel singer Darlene Zschech is 50. Alternative country singer Neko Case is 45. TV personality Brooke Burke-Charvet is 44. Actor Martin Freeman is 44. Actor David Arquette is 44. TV-radio personality Kennedy is 43. Rock musician Richard Hughes (Keane) is 40. Actor Larenz Tate is 40. Actor Nathan Corddry is 38. Rhythm-and-blues singer Pink is 36. Singer-songwriter Eric Hutchinson is 35. Actor Jonathan Taylor Thomas is 34. Rapper Wiz Khalifa is 28. Dance music artist AVICII is 26.

Thought for Today: "We shall seek the truth and endure the consequences." -- Charles Seymour, American educator and historian (1884-1963).

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