Today:
1504: Michelangelo’s statue of David was unveiled in the Piazza della Signoria in Florence, Italy.
1565: The first permanent European settlement in North America was established by the Spanish at St. Augustine, Florida.
1664: The Dutch surrendered New Amsterdam to the English, who renamed it New York.
1900: A powerful hurricane struck Galveston, Texas, resulting in the deadliest natural disaster in U.S. history, with an estimated 6,000 to 12,000 fatalities.
1941: The Siege of Leningrad began during World War II, as German forces surrounded the Soviet city.
1951: The Treaty of San Francisco was signed by Japan and 48 other nations, formally ending the Pacific War.
1966: The first episode of the iconic science fiction television series “Star Trek” aired on NBC.
1974: President Gerald Ford granted a full and unconditional pardon to former President Richard Nixon for any crimes he might have committed while in office.
1986: “The Oprah Winfrey Show” premiered in national syndication, going on to become one of the most successful talk shows in television history.
2022: Queen Elizabeth II, the longest-reigning monarch in British history, died at the age of 96.