TODAY IN HISTORY: OK Blue Jays

In 1199, King Richard I died in the Limousin region of France at age 41 after being mortally wounded by an arrow.

In 1250, Louis IX of France, later dubbed Saint Louis, was captured by Egyptian Muslims during his ill-fated Crusade.

In 1506, the renowned Christian missionary Francis Xavier, later to become a disciple of Ignatius Loyola, a teacher in India and a saint, was born in the Spanish kingdom of Navarre.

In 1933, alcohol became legal in the United States as Prohibition ended.

In 1939, Italy invaded Albania, which offered only token resistance. A few days later, Italy annexed the country.

In 1945, Americans sank six Japanese warships near Okinawa in the Ryukya Islands.

In 1977, the Toronto Blue Jays played their inaugural regular season game. After a pre-game snowstorm at Exhibition Stadium, the Blue Jays got two home runs from first baseman Doug Ault in beating the visiting Chicago White Sox 9-5.

In 1988, Alice Cooper simulated hanging himself during a London concert. A safety rope snapped, and Cooper dangled by the neck for several seconds before being rescued by a stage hand.

In 1998, singer George Michael was arrested in Beverly Hills for allegedly committing a lewd solo act in a park restroom. He later confirmed he was gay and that he’d been similarly “reckless” before. The “Faith” singer pleaded no contest and was fined $810, banned from the park, and ordered to take counselling and perform community service.

In 2010, a deal between Ottawa and northern aboriginals put 3.3 million hectares of land off the east arm of Great Slave Lake in the Northwest Territories firmly on the road to becoming Canada’s next national park.

In 2013, Halifax-area teenager Rehteah Parsons was taken off life support after a suicide attempt three days earlier. Her family said Parsons, 17, struggled with depression after a photograph of her alleged sexual assault by four boys at a house party in 2011 was distributed online.