1565

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

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.

1935

U.S. Sen. Huey P. Long, D-La., was fatally shot in the Louisiana State Capitol building.

1941

The 900-day Siege of Leningrad by German forces began during World War II.

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.