TODAY IN HISTORY: Same sex marriage

In 1650, the Jesuits closed their mission in Huronia, now Midland, Ont., which had been established in 1623. They returned to Quebec carrying the bleached bones of two martyrs, Fathers Jean de Brebeuf and Jerome Lalament, who had been tortured and killed by the Iroquois.

In 1692, during the Salem, Mass., witch trials, Bridget Bishop became the first of 19 suspected witches to be hanged.

In 1884, Louis Riel left a teaching post in Montana for Canada to lead what was to become the Northwest Rebellion. He had been teaching at the Catholic mission of

St. Peter’s on the Sun River for about a year, but the job paid poorly and he didn’t have time to pursue such interests as politics.

In 1872, the Governor General’s “Foot Guards Band” made its debut in Ottawa. The volunteer militia band participated in the opening of Madison Square Garden in New York in 1925 and at the opening of the Peace Bridge between Buffalo, N.Y., and Fort Erie, Ont., in 1937. The band still performs in the Ottawa area.

In 1935, Alcoholics Anonymous was founded in Akron, Ohio, by William Wilson and Dr. Robert Smith.

In 1937, Sir Robert Borden, Canada’s prime minister from 1911-20, died of heart failure at age 82.

In 1940, Italy declared war on France and Britain. The same day, Canada declared war on Italy.

In 1956, John Lennon met Paul McCartney for the first time, at a church bazaar in Liverpool.

In 1957, John Diefenbaker’s Conservatives ended 22 years of Liberal rule in Ottawa with a stunning election victory. Diefenbaker formed a minority government 11 days later, and remained in power until 1963.

In 1965, Bob Dylan recorded “Like a Rolling Stone” at Columbia Records’ studios in New York. Dylan’s turn to rock proved popular in this case, with the song reaching No. 2 on the Billboard chart.

In 1985, Canadian publishing magnate Conrad Black bought 14 per cent of London’s “Daily Telegraph” newspaper for $17 million. Black later purchased majority control of the paper.

In 1985, socialite Claus von Bulow was acquitted by a jury in Providence, R.I., at his retrial on charges he had tried to murder his heiress wife, Martha “Sunny” von Bulow.

In 1996, original KISS members — Gene Simmons, Paul Stanley, Peter Criss and Ace Frehley — performed together in full makeup for the first time in 17 years, at KROQ’s weenie roast in Irvine, Calif., as a warmup to their “Alive Worldwide Reunion Tour” that kicked off in Detroit on June 28. The set list on that tour consisted of only songs from their 1970s heyday.

In 2001, Stompin’ Tom Connors demanded an apology from the Canadian Country Music Association for inducting him into its Hall of Fame and making him a life member against his wishes. Connors had long accused the industry group of failing to support Canadian performers.

In 2003, Michael Leshner and Michael Start became Canada’s first same-sex couple to legally wed. Their quick civil ceremony in Toronto came just hours after Ontario’s Court of Appeal pronounced the Canadian law on traditional marriage unconstitutional.

In 2010, a free concert in New York by up-and-coming Canadian rapper Drake and boy band Hanson was cancelled. Organizers were anticipating about

10,0000 people but nearly 20,000 showed up and many became unruly.

In 2016, Detroit Red Wings legend

Gordie Howe, who set scoring records that stood for decades, died at age 88. “Mr. Hockey” played 32 pro hockey seasons and won the NHL scoring title and MVP award six times each. He was 52, and a grandfather, when he finally retired in 1980, eight years after already being inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame.

In 2017, unseeded 20-year-old Jelena Ostapenko beat third-seeded Simona Halep in the French Open women’s final for her first career title.

In 2019, Ottawa announced its intention to ban single-use plastics as early as 2021. The details of how such a ban would be implemented weren’t unveiled but the government said it would conduct research to determine the best course of action, which it says would be grounded in scientific evidence. Less than 10 per cent of plastic used in Canada gets recycled, and without any change in habits, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said Canadians would be throwing out 11-billion dollars worth of plastic products by 2030. The products could include such single-use items as drinking straws, water bottles, plastic bags, cutlery, stir sticks and fast food containers.