Nixon was pardoned for Watergate scandal, deadliest hurricane hit Galveston, first gay man in US military stood for gay rights, and other events happened on this day in history.
US President Nixon has been pardoned for his role in the Watergate scandal. (1974) US President Gerald R. Ford, who took office when Nixon resigned, granted Nixon an unconditional pardon for crimes he may have committed while in office. The executive’s pardon was met with controversy, but President Ford defended his decision, saying he wanted to end the Watergate scandal that had divided the nation. He later received the Profile in Courage Award for grace from the John F. Kennedy Library Foundation.
The United States Pledge of Allegiance was recited for the first time. (1892) The Pledge which was written by Baptist minister Francis Bellamy was also published on this day in the children’s magazine The Youth’s Companion. The school began having the children recite the promise on October 12 of that year.
The deadliest hurricane in US history hit Galveston, Texas. (1900) The Galveston hurricane claimed more than 8,000 lives, making it the deadliest in United States history and the third-deadliest of any Atlantic Ocean hurricane in world history.
Internet users have seen the first lawsuits for downloading shared music content. (2003) The Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) began filing copyright lawsuits for illegally downloaded MP3 music files. The RIAA had already begun suing file sharing sites in an attempt to shut them down. This new strategy involved suing individual users, many of whom were children.
Italy’s surrender to Allied forces in World War II was announced by US President Dwight D. Eisenhower. (1943) Under the leadership of Benito Mussolini, Italy had allied with Hitler since 1936. Mussolini was relieved of his power in July 1943. Marshal Pietro Badoglio assumed leadership and entered into negotiations with President Eisenhower, who led to a secret surrender on 3 September.
Michelangelo’s David sculpture unveiled. (1504) Renaissance statue was unveiled in Florence, Italy at the Palazzo della Signoria. The statue was transferred in 1873 to the Galleria dell’Accademia for conservation; it is still displayed there today.
Spanish settlers established St. Augustine, Florida, the oldest continuously occupied European settlement in North America. (1565) Pedro Menéndez de Avilés founded the city, which is also the oldest port in the United States.
The Treaty of San Francisco was signed by 48 countries. (1951) Treaty established peace between the 47 nations and Japan, ending the Pacific War.
The first gay man in the US military has taken a stand for gay rights. (1975) Leonard Matlovich, a US Air Force technical sergeant and decorated Vietnam War veteran, poses in uniform for the cover of Time magazine with the headline: “I’m a Gay Man.” In October 1975, Matlovich was given a general discharge after refusing to sign a document in which he agreed “never to practice homosexuality again.”
Invisible tape made its first appearance. (1930) Packaging company 3M began marketing its new brand of clear tape, changing present packaging practices around the world.
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