TODAY IN HISTORY: O Canada in concert
In 1880, “O Canada,” with music by
Calixa Lavallee and French lyrics by Judge A.B. Routhier, was performed for the first time at the Skaters’ Pavilion in Quebec
City. Three bands, playing together, performed “O Canada” during a banquet at a St-Jean Baptiste Day banquet. Canada’s future national anthem was reported to have been received enthusiastically. It finally became the national anthem in 1980. Also on this date in history:
In 541, Attila the Hun laid siege to Orleans, France.
In 1099, the Order of St. John of Jerusalem, parent body of St. John Ambulance, was founded. It is the oldest order of chivalry in the Commonwealth.
In 1497, explorer John Cabot sighted the North American coast — either Newfoundland or Cape Breton.
In 1509, Henry VIII was crowned king of England to start a tumultuous 38-year reign. Best know for his six wives, Henry split the Church of England from the Roman Catholic Church in his efforts to divorce his first wife, Catherine of Aragon. He changed religious ceremonies, made himself head of the Church of England and dissolved the monasteries. Despite his efforts to leave a male heir, he sired only one son, Edward, who lived only six years after Henry.
In 1534, French explorer Jacques Cartier discovered Prince Edward Island.
In 1611, English explorer Henry Hudson, his son and several sick men were set adrift by mutineers in what is now Hudson Bay.
In 1944, RCAF Flight Lieutenant David Hornell won a posthumous Victoria Cross after his anti-submarine patrol plane tangled with a German U-boat near the Shetland Islands, off Scotland. Hornell and his crew sank the sub with depth charges but had to ditch their plane. They were rescued the next day from a life raft, but Hornell died of hypothermia.
In 1957, “Front Page Challenge” made its debut. Intended as a 13-week summer replacement program, it became North America’s longest-running game-interview television program of its kind. The CBC cancelled the show in 1995.
In 1968, golfer Sandra Post of Oakville, Ont., won the LPGA Championship, beating Kathy Whitworth in an 18-hole playoff in Sutton, Mass. Post was the first nonAmerican and the first LPGA Tour rookie to capture the major title.
In 1968, a Montreal St-Jean Baptiste Day celebration exploded into a riot in front of Prime Minister Pierre Trudeau. Around 300 people were arrested and 130 were treated in hospital for injuries. Trudeau refused to leave the reviewing stand, even after a thrown bottle narrowly missed his head. He led the Liberals to victory in the next day’s federal election.
In 1995, Neil Young filled in for Pearl Jam at a concert in San Francisco after lead singer Eddie Vedder quit after six songs because of the flu.Young had already been scheduled to perform as a guest at the show. He played for 90 minutes, mixing classics with songs from his latest album, “Mirror Ball.” The next day, “Pearl Jam” cancelled the remaining dates on its 15-city tour. The band cited scheduling difficulties caused by its dispute with Ticketmaster, which Pearl Jam accused of price gouging.
In 2003, Russian President Vladimir
Putin arrived in London for a historic fourday state visit. He was the first Russian leader to pay a state visit to Britain in 129 years.
In 2010, the longest tennis match in history ended as American John Isner defeated Frenchman Nicolas Mahut 6-4, 3-6, 6-7 (7), 7-6 (3), 70-68 in their first round match at Wimbledon. Their 183-game match took 11 hours and 5 minutes and was spread over three days, beating the previous record of 112 and 6:33. The 138 games and eight hours and 11 minutes of the fifth set alone, also set records. Isner had 112 aces in the match and Mahut 103 — both smashing the old mark of 78.