Today in History

Today in History

Today is Thursday, Sept. 8, the 252nd day of 2016. There are 114 days left in the year.

Today's Highlights in History:

On Sept. 8, 1966, the science-fiction series "Star Trek" premiered on NBC; the situation comedy "That Girl," starring Marlo Thomas, debuted on ABC.

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 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.)

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

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: A Senate report faulted intelligence gathering in the lead-up to the 2003 U.S. invasion of Iraq, and said Saddam Hussein regarded al-Qaida as a threat rather than a possible ally, contradicting assertions President George W. Bush had used to build support for the war. A suicide car bomber struck a convoy of U.S. military vehicles in Kabul, Afghanistan, killing 16 people, including two American soldiers.

Five years ago: Addressing a joint session of Congress, President Barack Obama challenged a reluctant Congress to urgently pass a larger-than-expected $450 billion jobs plan to "jolt an economy that has stalled." Ten oil workers were forced to abandon a crippled 94-foot research vessel in the Gulf of Mexico and pile into a life raft during Tropical Storm Nate; by the time rescuers arrived three days after, three of the men had died, and a fourth died later at a hospital.

One year ago: After resisting apologizing for using a personal email account run on a private server to conduct government business as secretary of state, Hillary Clinton shifted course, telling ABC News, "That was a mistake. I'm sorry about that. I take responsibility." Kim Davis, the Rowan County, Kentucky, clerk jailed for refusing to issue marriage licenses to gay couples, was released after five days behind bars, emerging to a hero's welcome from thousands of supporters. United Airlines abruptly replaced CEO Jeffrey Smisek as a federal investigation continued into whether the airline had given preferential treatment to David Samson, former chairman of the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, the agency that operated the New York-area airports. (Samson later admitted using his position to get personal favors from United; Smisek has not been charged with any criminal wrongdoing.)

Today's Birthdays: Ventriloquist Willie Tyler is 76. Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., is 75. Actor Alan Feinstein is 75. Pop singer Sal Valentino (The Beau Brummels) is 74. Author Ann Beattie is 69. Cajun singer Zachary Richard is 66. Musician Will Lee is 64. Actress Heather Thomas is 59. Singer Aimee Mann is 56. Pop musician David Steele (Fine Young Cannibals) is 56. Actor Thomas Kretschmann is 54. Rhythm-and-blues singer Marc Gordon (Levert) is 52. Gospel singer Darlene Zschech is 51. Alternative country singer Neko Case is 46. TV personality Brooke Burke-Charvet is 45. Actor Martin Freeman is 45. Actor David Arquette is 45. TV-radio personality Kennedy is 44. Rock musician Richard Hughes (Keane) is 41. Actor Larenz Tate is 41. Actor Nathan Corddry is 39. Rhythm-and-blues singer Pink is 37. Singer-songwriter Eric Hutchinson is 36. Actor Jonathan Taylor Thomas is 35. Rapper Wiz Khalifa is 29. Dance music artist AVICII is 27.

Thought for Today: "Try to learn something about everything and everything about something." -- T.H. Huxley, English biologist and author (1825-1895).