TODAY IN HISTORY: Trudeau new leader

In 1865, American President Abraham Lincoln was shot by John Wilkes Booth while watching a play at a Washington theatre. Lincoln, who had just led the Union side to victory in the U.S. Civil War, died the next day. He was succeeded by Vice President Andrew Johnson.

In 1912, the “Titanic” struck an iceberg south of Newfoundland’s Grand Banks during its maiden voyage from England. The luxury liner sank overnight with the loss of more than 1,500 lives. The wreckage was found on the ocean floor in 1985.

In 1960, the Montreal Canadiens became the only team to win five consecutive Stanley Cups.

In 1986, Nobel Peace Prize winner Desmond Tutu was elected Anglican Archbishop of South Africa. He became the first black head of the church in that country.

In 1992, the Supreme Court of Canada quashed David Milgaard’s 1970 conviction for murdering Saskatoon nursing aide Gail Miller. Milgaard left a Manitoba prison two days later, after the Saskatchewan government decided not to re-try him. The province later compensated Milgaard for his two decades behind bars. Larry Fisher was convicted of the murder in 1999 and sentenced to life. (Fisher died in prison on June 9, 2015 at age 65.)

In 2013, Justin Trudeau was elected leader of the federal Liberal party in a landslide, first-ballot win.

In 2014, Islamic extremist group Boko Haram abducted 276 female students from a school in northeast Nigeria - 57 girls managed to escape.