September 8

Today in History
• 1504 - Michelangelo's statue of David is unveiled in Florence
• 1565 - 1st permanent European settlement in the US founded at St. Augustine, Florida
• 1628 - Dutch privateer Piet Heyn captures Spanish silver fleet in the Bay of Matanzas, Cuba
• 1664 - Dutch surrender colony of New Netherlands (including New York) to 300 English soldiers
• 1727 - A barn fire during a puppet show in Burwell in Cambridgeshire, England kills 78 people
• 1756 - Kittanning Expedition:s 30-40 Lenape Indians killed by Pennsylvania Provincial troops
• 1883 - Northern Pacific RR's last spike driven at Independence Creek, Montana
• 1892 - 1st appearance of "Pledge of Allegiance" (Youth's Companion)


Holidays - Traditional and Obscure
• Actors' Day
• National 401(k) Day
• National Ampersand Day
• Our Lady of Meritxell Day
• Pardon Day
• Star Trek Day
• World Literacy Day
• World Physical Therapy Day

Birthdays
• 828 - Ali al-Hadi, 10th Shia Imam
• 1157 - Richard the Lionheart, King of England (1189-99)
• 1207 - Sancho II, King of Portugal (1223-47)
• 1633 - Ferdinand IV, King of the Romans
• 1779 - Mustafa IV, 29th Sultan of Ottoman Empire (1807-08)
• 1815 - Alexander Ramsey, American politician (1st Governor of Minnesota Territory)
• 1852 - Gojong, Emperor Gwangmu of Korea (1897-1907)
• 1873 - David O. McKay, 9th President of Latter-day Saints