September 8
1588: Mathematician, theologian, and philosopher Marin Mersenne born. He will be remembered as the "father of acoustics".
1637: Astrologer, mathematician, cosmologist, Qabalist and Rosicrucian apologist Robert Fludd dies.
1836: Physicist Arthur Williams Wright born. Wright will produce the first X-ray image, experiment with Röntgen rays, and make other contributions to electricity and astronomy.
1974: As a direct result of the Watergate scandal, Richard Nixon becomes the first President of the United States to resign from office. His Vice President, Gerald Ford, becomes president. US President Gerald Ford pardons former President Richard Nixon for any crimes Nixon may have committed while in office.
2004: NASA's unmanned spacecraft Genesis crash-lands when its parachute fails to open.