Today in History

Today in History

Today is Friday, Sept. 8, the 251st day of 2017. There are 114 days left in the year.

Today's Highlight in History:

On September 8, 1892, an early version of "The Pledge of Allegiance," written by Francis Bellamy, appeared in "The Youth's Companion." It went: "I pledge allegiance to my Flag and the Republic for which it stands, one nation, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all."

On this date:

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

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

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 1966, the science-fiction series "Star Trek" premiered on NBC; the situation comedy "That Girl," starring Marlo Thomas, debuted 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 1987, former Democratic presidential candidate Gary Hart admitted during an interview on ABC's "Nightline" that he had committed adultery, and said he had no plans to resume his White House bid.

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: Sheriff's deputies in Logan County, West Virginia, removed Megan Williams, a 20-year-old black woman, from a house in Big Creek, where she'd endured what authorities described as days of torture. (Seven white men and women pleaded guilty in connection with the case. In a strange twist, Williams recanted her accusations in 2009; however, one of the defendants, Frankie Brewster, said, "It did happen.") Top-ranked Justine Henin overwhelmed Svetlana Kuznetsova 6-1, 6-3 to win her second U.S. Open women's title and seventh Grand Slam championship.

Five years ago: Strong storms pummeled the East Coast, spawning a pair of tornadoes in the New York City boroughs of Brooklyn and Queens, while temperatures at Washington Dulles International Airport plunged 25 degrees in one hour, falling from 89 degrees to 64. A suicide bomber struck near NATO headquarters in Kabul, killing at least six Afghan civilians in an attack that officials blamed on the Haqqani network.

One year ago: 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. U.S. aviation safety officials took the extraordinary step of warning airline passengers not to turn on or charge a new-model Samsung smartphone, the Galaxy Note 7, during flights following numerous reports of the devices catching fire. Serena Williams was upset in the U.S. Open semifinals for the second year in a row, beaten 6-2, 7-6 (5) by 10th-seeded Karolina Pliskova of the Czech Republic. Greta Zimmer Friedman, identified as the woman in an iconic photo seen kissing an ecstatic sailor in Times Square celebrating the end of World War II, died in Richmond, Virginia, at age 92.

Today's Birthdays: Ventriloquist Willie Tyler is 77. Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., is 76. Actor Alan Feinstein is 76. Pop singer Sal Valentino (The Beau Brummels) is 75. Author Ann Beattie is 70. Secretary of Defense James Mattis is 67. Cajun singer Zachary Richard is 67. Musician Will Lee is 65. Actress Heather Thomas is 60. Singer Aimee Mann is 57. Pop musician David Steele (Fine Young Cannibals) is 57. Actor Thomas Kretschmann is 55. Rhythm-and-blues singer Marc Gordon (Levert) is 53. Gospel singer Darlene Zschech is 52. Alternative country singer Neko Case is 47. TV personality Brooke Burke-Charvet is 46. Actor Martin Freeman is 46. Actor David Arquette is 46. TV-radio personality Kennedy is 45. Rock musician Richard Hughes (Keane) is 42. Actor Larenz Tate is 42. Actor Nathan Corddry is 40. Rhythm-and-blues singer Pink is 38. Singer-songwriter Eric Hutchinson is 37. Actor Jonathan Taylor Thomas is 36. Rapper Wiz Khalifa is 30. Dance music artist AVICII is 28. Actor Gaten Matarazzo (TV: "Stranger Things") is 15.

Thought for Today: "Censorship is the height of vanity." -- Martha Graham, American modern dance pioneer (1893-1991).