TODAY IN HISTORY

Today is Friday, Sept. 8, the 251st day of 2017. There are 114 days left in the year.

Today’s Highlight in History:

On September 8, 1892, an early version of “The Pledge of Allegiance,” written by Francis Bellamy, appeared in “The Youth’s Companion.” It went: “I pledge allegiance to my Flag and the Republic for which it stands, one nation, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all.”

On this date:

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

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 1974, President Gerald R. Ford granted a “full, free, and absolute pardon” to former President Richard Nixon covering his entire term in office.

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.

Today’s Birthdays: Ventriloquist Willie Tyler is 77. Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., is 76. Secretary of Defense James Mattis is 67. Cajun singer Zachary Richard (reeSHARD’) is 67. Rhythm-and-blues singer Marc Gordon (Levert) is 53. Actor David Arquette is 46. Rock musician Richard Hughes (Keane) is 42. Actor Larenz Tate is 42.. Rhythm-and-blues singer Pink is 38. Actor Jonathan Taylor Thomas is 36. Rapper Wiz Khalifa is 30.

Thought for Today: “Censorship is the height of vanity.” — Martha Graham, American modern dance pioneer (1893-1991).