Today is Wednesday, Sept. 8, the 251st day of 2010. There are 114 days left in the year.
Today's Highlight in History:
On Sept. 8, 1935, Sen. Huey P. Long, D-La., "The Kingfish" of Louisiana politics, was shot and mortally wounded inside the State Capitol in Baton Rouge; he died two days later at age 42. The assailant was identified as Dr. Carl Weiss, who was gunned down by Long's bodyguards.
On this date:
In 1504, Michelangelo's towering marble statue of David was unveiled to the public in Florence, Italy.
In 1892, an early version of "The Pledge of Allegiance," written by Francis Bellamy, appeared in "The Youth's Companion."
In 1900, Galveston, Texas, was struck by a hurricane that killed an estimated 8,000 people.
In 1930, Scotch cellophane tape made its debut as a sample of the tape was shipped to a Chicago firm which specialized in wrapping bakery goods in cellophane. 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 49 nations in San Francisco.
In 1960, American runner Wilma Rudolph won the third of her three gold medals at the Rome Olympics as she and teammates Barbara Jones, Martha Hudson and Lucinda Williams prevailed in the women's 4 x 100-meter relay.
In 1974, President Gerald R. Ford granted an unconditional pardon to former President Richard Nixon.
Today's Birthdays: Comedian Sid Caesar is 88. Ventriloquist Willie Tyler is 70. Actor Alan Feinstein is 69. Pop singer Sal Valentino (The Beau Brummels) is 68. Author Ann Beattie is 63. Cajun singer Zachary Richard (ree-SHARD') is 60. Musician Will Lee ("Late Show with David Letterman") is 58. Actress Heather Thomas is 53. Singer Aimee Mann is 50. Pop musician David Steele (Fine Young Cannibals) is 50. Actor Thomas Kretschmann is 48. Rhythm-and-blues singer Marc Gordon (Levert) is 46. Gospel singer Darlene Zschech (chehk) is 45. Alternative country singer Neko Case is 40. TV personality Brooke Burke is 39. Actor Martin Freeman is 39. Actor Henry Thomas is 39. Actor David Arquette is 39. Rock musician Richard Hughes (Keane) is 35. Actor Larenz Tate is 35. Actor Nathan Corddry is 33. Rhythm-and-blues singer Pink is 31. Actor Jonathan Taylor Thomas is 29.
Thought for Today: "Fools act on imagination without knowledge, pedants act on knowledge without imagination." — Alfred North Whitehead, English philosopher and mathematician (1861-1947).
Nordic Festival Puts North Korea in Spotlight
'Rumor Has It' Adele's Rolling in the Grammys
Grohl, Grammy Nominees Cut Up on the Red Carpet
Greece Passes New Austerity Deal Amid Rioting
Coroner: Houston Autopsy Results Weeks Away
Raw Video: Greek Rioting Ahead of Austerity Vote
Raw Video: Child Rescued After Kosovo Avalanche
Pop Music Superstar Whitney Houston Dies at 48
Whitney Houston's Church Mourns Her Passing
Reaction to Houston's Death at Clive Davis Party
79 Turtles Seized at Shanghai Airport
Severe Cold Wreaks Havoc in China
Fuel Removal Under Way on Capsized Italian Ship
Police: Houston Found Dead in Her Hotel Room
Paul Suffers Narrow Loss to Romney in Maine
Palin Brings Anti-Washington Message to CPAC
Obama Scraps Birth Control Mandate
Navy Names Ship for Gabrielle Giffords
Uzbek Man Pleads Guilty in Plot to Kill Obama
Marines: No Punishment for Nazi-like Flag
