TODAY IN HISTORY: Expos’ last good season halted

In 1615, the first mass in Ontario was celebrated by Father Le Caron in a Huron village near Thunder Bay.

In 1658, the first American police force was formed with the founding of the eight-man rattle watch in New Amsterdam, now New York City.

In 1842, the British Parliament created the Amalgamated Assembly of Newfoundland.

In 1851, American Isaac Singer was granted a patent on his sewing machine. Singer, a machinist, was asked to fix a sewing machine that had come into the shop and 11 days later he had designed and built a better version. His design allowed continuous and curved stitching and had an arm that allowed sewing to be done on all parts of an item. Almost all machines since have copied the basic concept.

In 1856, the legislature of Vancouver Island opened at Victoria.

In 1877, Thomas Edison reportedly first successfully demonstrated his phonograph. The date was fixed upon years later for an anniversary celebration, but subsequent research indicated the first working phonograph probably was not made until the fall of 1877. For the first demonstration, Edison recited the nursery rhyme “Mary Had a Little Lamb,” and the machine played back a recognizable reproduction of his voice.

In 1882, the Grand Trunk Railway of Canada merged with the Great Western Railway.

In 1889, the boundaries of Manitoba and Ontario were defined by an imperial act.

In 1898, Hawaii was formally annexed by the United States. The U.S. government had been leasing the naval base at Pearl Harbor since 1884. The island republic requested annexation and, in 1959, succeeded in its long campaign for full statehood.

In 1898, the peace protocol ending the SpanishAmerican war was signed.

In 1908, the first Model T rolled off the Ford Motor Company assembly line in Detroit. Also known as the "Tin Lizzie," it was introduced for sale to the public later in the year. Eventually 15 million of the cars were manufactured, putting the United States on wheels and helping to launch a manufacturing revolution.

In 1909, Fort William, now Thunder Bay, Ont., was placed under martial law as a result of riots during a strike by freight handlers. Credit for bringing the riots under control was given to Sir Samuel Benfield Steele, a legendary mounted police officer.

In 1909, the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, home to the Indianapolis 500, first opened.

In 1942, British Prime Minister Churchill met Soviet leader Josef Stalin in Moscow to reaffirm their Second World War alliance against the Axis powers.

In 1953, the Soviet Union conducted hydrogen bomb test.

In 1961, East Germany sealed off the border between eastern and western sectors of Berlin with barbed wire and barricades.

In 1964, Ian Fleming, the popular novelist and creator of “James Bond,” died.

In 1972, the United States ended its ground combat role in Vietnam with the withdrawal of the last U.S. unit.

In 1977, the first space ship designed to be reused, the American shuttle "Enterprise," flew on its own in a test flight over California's Mojave Desert.

In 1978, Canada topped the podium at the Commonwealth Games in Edmonton with a total of 45 gold medals, 31 silver and 33 bronze.

In 1981, IBM introduced its first personal computer, the model 5150.

In 1982, actor Henry Fonda died at age 77.

In 1984, the Summer Olympics closed in Los Angeles as Canada celebrated its best showing ever. Canada won 10 gold, 18 silver and 16 bronze, finishing fourth. The Games were boycotted by Soviet-bloc countries.

In 1985, Petro-Canada became the country's largest service station owner when it paid Gulf Canada $886 million for 1,800 stations and four refineries in Ontario and Western Canada.

In 1991, in a $90 million deal, SNC Group Inc. of Montreal bought the assets and contracts of Quebec's Lavalin Inc., creating the world's fifth largest engineering company.

In 1994, the baseball season ended when players went on strike to fight owners' demands for a salary cap. At 74-40, the Montreal Expos had the best record in the majors.