Today is Friday, Sept. 13, the 257th day of 2024. There are 109 days left in the year. Today in history: On Sept. 13, 2008, crews rescued people from their homes in an all-out search for thousands of Texans who had stayed behind overnight to face Hurricane Ike. Also on this date: In 1788, the Congress of the Confederation authorized the first national election and declared New York City the temporary national capital. In 1948, Republican Margaret Chase Smith of Maine was elected to the U.S.