Today in History for Sept. 8, 2014

Sept. 8, 1565 - A Spanish expedition established the first permanent European settlement in North America at present-day St. Augustine, Fla.

Sept. 8, 1863 - At the Second Battle of Sabine Pass, a small Confederate force thwarts a Federal invasion of Texas at the mouth of the Sabine River on the Texas-Louisiana border.

Sept. 8, 1863 - Union General William Rosecrans approached Chattanooga, Tenn. from the west and began crossing Lookout Mountain. The next day Union troops captured the city with only minor skirmishing.

Sept. 8, 1864 - Destruction of over 50 Confederate boats at Salt House Point, Mobile Bay, Ala. Beginning of a three day Federal expedition from Mobile Bay to Bon Secour and Fish River, Ala., and the destruction of the immense salt works at Bon Secour and barracks at Camp Anderson.

Sept. 8, 1888 – “Jack the Ripper” claimed his second victim, Annie Chapman.

Sept. 8, 1900 - The powerful “Hurricane of 1900” hit the city of Galveston, Texas, causing an estimated 8,000 deaths.

Sept. 8, 1912 – Steve Blackwell, his son, J.T. Blackwell, Gus Baggett, G.E. Bradley and Jas. Ryals were placed in the Conecuh County Jail on charges of murdering John Lowrey earlier that day near Repton.

Sept. 8, 1914 – William A. Burnett, “a former well known citizen of Evergreen and Castleberry,” died at his home in Pollard after a “lingering illness.”

Sept. 8, 1952 – “The Old Man and the Sea,” the Pulitzer Prize-winning novel by Ernest Hemingway, is first published.

Sept. 8, 1955 – Evergreen High School opened for the 1955-56 school year.

Sept. 8, 1960 - NASA's George C. Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, which grew out of the Army's Redstone Arsenal, was dedicated by President Dwight D. Eisenhower. Among many contributions to the U.S. space program, center director Wernher von Braun and his team developed the Saturn rockets that launched American astronauts to the moon in 1969.

Sept. 8, 1961 – Evergreen opened the 1961 football season with a 21-0 loss to Escambia County High School in Atmore.

Sept. 8, 1961 – Three Thomasville women died from injuries in an afternoon accident at the intersection of Highway 31 and Highway 84 North. The accident occurred when a 1961 Dodge car driven by Mrs. Gene L. Doyle of Thomasville collided with a loaded dump truck. Passengers in the car included Mrs. Russell B. Smith and Mrs. Bessie M. Hayes. All three were transported to the Conecuh County Hospital, but none survived.

Sept. 8, 1964 – Monroe County schools opened for their first full day of classes for the 1964-65 school year.

Sept. 8, 1965 - Bert Campaneris became the first major league baseball player to play all nine positions in one game.

Sept. 8, 1966 - NBC-TV aired the first episode of "Star Trek" entitled "The Man Trap."

Sept. 8, 1973 - Hank Aaron hit his 709th home run.

Sept. 8, 1974 - Evel Knievel attempted (unsuccessfully) to vault across the mile-wide Snake River Canyon in a rocket-like contraption he called the "Sky Cycle."

Sept. 8, 1986 - Herschel Walker made his start in the National Football League (NFL) after leaving the New Jersey Generals of the USFL.

Sept. 8, 1998 - St. Louis Cardinals slugger Mark McGwire hits his 62nd home run of the year, breaking Roger Maris’ record for most home runs in a single season.

Sept. 8, 2002 - The NFL's Houston Texans played their first regular season game. They beat the Dallas Cowboys, 19-10.