By The Associated Press

Today in History

Today is Tuesday, Sept. 8, the 252nd day of 2020. There are 114 days left in the year.

Todayís Highlight in History:

On Sept. 8, 1974, President Gerald R. Ford granted a ìfull, free, and absolute pardonî to former President Richard Nixon covering his entire term in office.

On this date:

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

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

In 1761, Britainís 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 ìThe Pledge of Allegiance,î written by Francis Bellamy, appeared in ìThe Youthís Companion.î It went: ìI pledge allegiance to my Flag and the Republic for which it stands, one nation, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all.î

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

In 1935, Sen. Huey P. Long, a Louisiana Democrat, 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 Longís bodyguards.)

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

In 1943, during World War II, Gen. Dwight D. Eisenhower announced Italyís surrender; Nazi Germany denounced Italyís decision as a cowardly act.

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, ìThe Oprah Winfrey Showî began the first of 25 seasons in national syndication.

In 2005, Congress hastened to provide an additional $51.8 billion for relief and recovery from Hurricane Katrina; President George W. Bush pledged to make it ìeasy and simple as possibleî for uncounted, uprooted storm victims to collect food stamps and other government benefits.

In 2014, 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. (A neutral arbitrator vacated the suspension two months later, but Rice never played in the NFL again.)