THIS DATE IN history

May 17

In 2004, Massachusetts became the first U.S. state to legalize same-sex marriage joining Ontario, British Columbia and Quebec, along with the Netherlands and Belgium, as the only places worldwide where same-sex marriages were allowed.

In 2005, high-profile Tory MP Belinda Stronach defected to the federal Liberals and joined the cabinet as human resources minister. The move helped Prime Minister Martin’s minority Liberal government survive a narrow budget vote in the Commons.

In 2006, Capt. Nichola Goddard, of the 1st Royal Canadian Horse Artillery based in Shilo, Man., was killed in action, 24 kilometres west of Kandahar city, Afghanistan, during a lengthy firefight with Taliban insurgents. She was the first-ever female Canadian soldier killed in combat.