On Sept. 8, 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 1892 an early version of the Pledge of Allegiance appeared in “The Youth’s Companion.”
In 1900 about 8,000 people died when a hurricane and tidal wave struck Galveston, Texas.
In 1921 Margaret Gorman of Washington was crowned the first Miss America in Atlantic City.
In 1930 the comic strip “Blondie,” created by Chic Young, was first published. 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 48 other nations in San Francisco.
In 1966 the science-fiction TV series “Star Trek” premiered on NBC; the situation comedy “That Girl,” starring Marlo Thomas, premiered on ABC.
In 1974 President Gerald Ford granted an unconditional pardon to former President Richard Nixon.
In 1985 Pete Rose of the Cincinnati Reds tied Ty Cobb’s career record for hits with a single for No. 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 a USAir Boeing 737 crashed into a ravine as it was approaching Pittsburgh International Airport, killing all 132 people on board.
In 1995 Bosnia’s warring sides reached a compromise in Geneva, agreeing to divide the nation into two states: one for the rebel Serbs and another for the Muslims and Croats.
In 1998 Mark McGwire of the St. Louis Cardinals broke Roger Maris’ record for home runs in a single season, hitting No. 62 off Cubs pitcher Steve Trachsel.
In 2000 the head of the Bureau of Indian Affairs apologized for the federal agency’s “legacy of racism and inhumanity” that included massacres, forced relocations of tribes and attempts to wipe out Indian cultures.
In 2001 Venus Williams won her second consecutive U.S. Open title by beating her sister Serena 6-2, 6-4 in the first prime-time women’s Grand Slam final.
In 2005 Congress hastened to provide an additional $51.8 billion for relief and recovery from Hurricane Katrina.
