Today’s highlights

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.

On this date

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

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

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

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.

1951: A peace treaty with Japan was signed by 49 nations in San Francisco.1

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

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. Basketball Hall of Famer Maurice Cheeks is 68. Actor Heather Thomas is 67. Singer Aimee Mann is 64. Actor Martin Freeman is 53. Actor David Arquette is 53. Singer-songwriter Pink is 45. Actor Jonathan Taylor Thomas is 43.