In History, Today on September 8

Queen Elizabeth II, the longest-reigning monarch in British history, passed away at Balmoral Castle in Scotland, marking the end of a 70-year reign.

A powerful earthquake with a magnitude of 8.2 struck off the southern coast of Mexico, causing significant damage and resulting in at least 98 deaths.

NASA launched the OSIRIS-REx spacecraft, its first mission to return samples from an asteroid, specifically Bennu, to Earth.

Queen Elizabeth II became the longest-reigning monarch in British history, surpassing the previous record set by her great-great-grandmother Queen Victoria, by having ruled for 63 years and 216 days.

NASA announced that the MAVEN spacecraft had successfully entered Mars' orbit. The Mars Atmosphere and Volatile EvolutioN (MAVEN) mission was designed to study the Martian atmosphere and its interactions with solar winds.

The Transportation Security Administration (TSA) of the United States announced plans to implement changes to airport screening procedures for pilots and flight attendants, shifting away from searches commonly applied to passengers and focusing resources on higher-risk individuals.

The San Bruno pipeline explosion occurred in San Bruno, California, when a natural gas pipeline owned by Pacific Gas and Electric Company exploded, killing eight people and destroying 38 homes.

Private equity firm Blackstone Group purchases commercial real estate company, the Hilton Hotels Corporation, for approximately $26 billion, marking one of the largest such deals in the hotel industry.

Two major studies published in the medical journal 'The Lancet' outline the effectiveness of artemisinin-based combination therapies (ACTs) for treating malaria, marking a significant advancement in combating the disease.

NASA's Genesis spacecraft crash-landed in Utah after its parachute failed to deploy, but scientists were able to recover some of the solar wind samples it collected.

The United Nations General Assembly adopted the Declaration of Commitment on HIV/AIDS, a landmark document aimed at combating the global HIV/AIDS epidemic.

The United Nations Millennium Summit, one of the largest gatherings of world leaders, concludes after being held in New York City. During the summit, world leaders adopt the Millennium Declaration, setting out eight Millennium Development Goals to reduce poverty, hunger, and disease by 2015.

USAir Flight 427 crashes on approach to Pittsburgh International Airport, killing all 132 on board.

The Republic of Macedonia becomes independent from Yugoslavia.

The Oprah Winfrey Show is broadcast nationally for the first time.

U.S. President Gerald Ford pardons former President Richard Nixon for any crimes he may have committed while in office.

The first episode of Star Trek airs on NBC.

The Treaty of San Francisco is signed by 48 nations, officially ending the state of war between Japan and the Allied Powers.

Italy surrenders to the Allies during World War II.

The Siege of Leningrad by German forces begins during World War II.

3M began marketing Scotch Transparent Tape.

Germany was admitted to the League of Nations.

Honda Point disaster: Seven U.S. Navy destroyers run aground off the California coast.

The first six Football League matches ever are played in England.

The Union forces began the siege of Fort Sumter as part of the American Civil War, following earlier attempts to recapture it.

The American whaling ship Essex, which would later inspire Herman Melville’s novel ‘Moby-Dick’, departs Nantucket for the Pacific Ocean.

The Tonquin, an American merchant ship, leaves New York City to set up a fur trading post for the Pacific Fur Company at the mouth of the Columbia River in present-day Oregon, USA.

The Battle of Lake George was fought in the British American colony of New York as part of the French and Indian War, resulting in a strategic victory for the British and their Iroquois allies.

The Treaty of The Hague was signed between England, the Holy Roman Empire, and the Dutch Republic to secure a mutual defense against France and Spain.

The Dutch surrender New Amsterdam to the English, who rename it New York.

The Spanish establish the first permanent European settlement in the continental United States at St. Augustine, Florida.

Michelangelo's statue of David is unveiled in Florence.

Charles V of France, also known as Charles the Wise, dies. His reign was marked by the recovery of territories lost to England during the early stages of the Hundred Years' War and significant administrative reforms.

Stephen Uroš IV Dušan declares himself King of Serbia. Under his reign, the Serbian Kingdom would expand greatly, setting the stage for the formation of the Serbian Empire.

The Treaty of Benevento was concluded between Pope Adrian IV and the King of Sicily, William I, establishing peace between the Papal States and the Kingdom of Sicily.

The Battle of Ethandun is fought, where Alfred the Great of Wessex defeats the Viking Great Heathen Army, leading to the Treaty of Wedmore and the establishment of the Danelaw in England.

The Great Heathen Army, a coalition of Norse warriors, landed in East Anglia, beginning a series of invasions and battles in England.

The Battle of Huoyi took place, where Li Yuan, the future founder of the Tang Dynasty, defeated the Sui forces, marking a significant step in his rebellion against the Sui Dynasty.

The Siege of Jerusalem ends as Roman forces succeed in capturing the city, marking the conclusion of the first Jewish-Roman War.