Calendar for September 8th, 2012

International Literacy Day

Born 1157: King Richard I of England (the Lion-Hearted)

1504: Michelangelo's David statue was unveiled in Florence, Italy

1565: The first permanent settlement in what is now the United States was established at St. Augustine, Florida, by Don Pedro Menendez de Aviles

Died 1784: Ann Lee (Shaker leader)

Born 1841: Antonin Dvorak (composer)

1860: The steamer Lady Elgin collided with the schooner Augusta on Lake Michigan

1883: The eastern and western lines of the Northern Pacific Railway were joined in Gold Creek, Montana

Born 1886: Siegfried Sassoon (poet)

Born 1911: Euell Gibbons (author)

1921: Margaret Gorman of Washington, D.C., became the first Miss America

Born 1922: Sid Caeser (actor)

Born 1925: Peter Sellers (actor)

Born 1932: Patsy Cline (country music singer)

1934: Cruise ship S.S. Morro Castle burned near Asbury Park, New Jersey

Died 1949: Richard Strauss (composer)

1952: Percy Saltzman became the first meteorologist to appear on Canadian television. Known for his entertaining presentations, Percy wrote vigorously on a chalkboard map while reporting on air and ended each broadcast by tossing and catching his chalk.

Died 1965: Dorothy Dandridge (actress)

1966: Original Star Trek series debuted on television

Born 1971: David Arquette (actor)

1971: John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts made its public debut, Washington, D.C.

Born 1971: Henry Thomas (actor)

1974: Stunt motorcyclist Evel Knievel made a failed attempt to jump the Snake River canyon in Idaho. He was propelled by a red, white and blue rocket-powered motorcycle, designed by rocket scientist Robert Truax.

Born 1979: Pink (singer)

Died 1981: Roy Wilkins (civil rights leader)

Born 1981: Jonathan Taylor Thomas (actor)

2004: The Genesis return capsule, which had collected solar wind atoms in fragile disks, crashed in the desert after its parachutes failed to deploy

Died 2010: Rich Cronin (singer)