Today is Sunday, Sept. 8, the 252nd day of 2024. There are 114 days left in the year. Today in history: On Sept. 8, 1974, one month after taking office, President Gerald R. Ford granted a “full, free, and absolute pardon” to former President Richard Nixon for any crimes committed during Nixon’s presidency. Also on this date: In 1504, Michelangelo’s towering marble statue of David was unveiled to the public in Florence, Italy. In 1565, a Spanish expedition established the first permanent European settlement in North America at present-day St.