Associated Press

On Sept. 8, 1504, Michelangelo’s towering marble statue of David was unveiled in Florence, Italy.

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

In 1664, the Dutch surrendered New Amsterdam to the British, who renamed it New York.

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 1974, President Gerald R. Ford granted a “full, free, and absolute pardon” to former President Richard Nixon.

In 2022, Queen Elizabeth II, who spent more than seven decades on the British throne, died at age 96; her son became King Charles III.