Today is Saturday, Sept. 8, the 252nd day of 2012. There are 114 days left in the year.

Today's Highlight in History:

On Sept. 8, 1892, an early version of "The Pledge of Allegiance," written by Francis Bellamy, appeared in "The Youth's Companion."

On this date:

In 1504, Michelangelo's towering marble statue of David was unveiled to the public in Florence, Italy.

In 1565, a Spanish expedition established the first permanent European settlement in North America at present-day St. Augustine, Florida.

In 1761, Britain's King George III married Princess Charlotte of Mecklenburg-Strelitz, just a few hours after meeting her for the first time.

In 1900, Galveston, Texas, was struck by a hurricane that killed an estimated 8,000 people.

In 1921, Margaret Gorman, 16, of Washington, D.C., was crowned the first "Miss America" in Atlantic City, N.J.

In 1935, Sen. Huey P. Long, D-La., was shot and mortally wounded inside the Louisiana State Capitol; he died two days later. (The assailant was identified as Dr. Carl Weiss, who was gunned down by Long's bodyguards.)

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 1971, the John F. Kennedy Memorial Center for the Performing Arts made its official debut in Washington, D.C., with a performance of Leonard Bernstein's (BUHRN'-stynz) "Mass."

In 1974, President Gerald R. Ford granted an unconditional pardon to former President Richard Nixon.

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.

Ten years ago: The government reported that violent crime rate had dropped by ten percent the previous year, reaching lowest level since 1973. Pete Sampras beat Andre Agassi 6-3, 6-4, 5-7, 6-4 to win his 14th Grand Slam title and the U.S. Open for the fifth time.

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