Today In History

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

In 1900: Galveston, Texas, was struck by a hurricane that killed about 6,000 people.

In 1930: The comic strip “Blondie” first appeared.

In 1935: Sen. Huey P. Long, “The Kingfish” of Louisiana politics, was shot and mortally wounded; he died two days later.

In 1939: President Franklin D. Roosevelt declared a “limited national emergency” in response to the outbreak of war in Europe.

In 1974: President Ford granted an unconditional pardon to former President Nixon.

In 1975: Boston’s public schools began their court-ordered citywide busing program amid scattered incidents of violence.