Today in history
Hillary, a week after he became one of the first two men to reach the summit of Mount Everest. Also knighted was Col. John Hunt, who led the British expedition on the world's tallest mountain.
In 1966, leaders of the Presbyterian Church in Canada approved the ordination of women as elders and ministers. Two years later, Shirley Jeffery became the church's first female minister.
In 1976, oil billionaire J. Paul Getty died in London at age 83.
In 1981, the world's worst rail disaster saw seven coaches of an overcrowded passenger train blown off the tracks into a river in Bihar, India. At least 800 people died.
In 1984, Indian troops stormed the holiest Sikh shrine, the Golden Temple at Amritsar, killing an estimated 1,000 people.
In 1985, Brazilian police exhumed a body later confirmed to be that of Dr. Josef Mengele. His family said the notorious “Angel of Death” of the Auschwitz death camp during the Second World War had died in 1979.
In 1992, at the Earth Summit in Rio de Janeiro, participating countries agreed to set up new rules for fishing on the high seas.
In 1994, more than 35,000 Canadian, American, British, Dutch, Belgian, Polish, Norwegian, Australian and New Zealand veterans travelled to France for ceremonies marking the 50th anniversary of D-day.
In 1995, Belgian brewer Interbrew made a successful offer of $2.7 billion for John Labatt Ltd., the owner of the Toronto Blue Jays and Argonauts, Skydome (now Rogers Centre) and the brewery.
In 2003, Prime Minister Jean Chretien opened the $8-million Juno Beach Centre in Normandy, honouring the valour of Canadian soldiers who fought and gave their lives during the June 6th, 1944, D-day invasion of France. A total of 340 men died and 574 more were wounded during the assault.
In 2003, after more than five years of diplomatic efforts, Cambodia and the UN signed an agreement to create a tribunal to probe the 1975-1979 atrocities by the Khmer Rouge regime in Cambodia in which 1.7 million people were killed.
In 2006, Chuck Guite, 62, the former head of the federal sponsorship program, was found guilty of five counts of fraud totalling $1.5 million. He was sentenced to three-and-a-half years in prison.
In 2007, the Anaheim Ducks won the Stanley Cup for the first time in franchise history with a 6-2 victory over the Ottawa Senators in Game 5 of the NHL championship final.
In 2010, Canadian Sgt. Martin Goudreault, 35, was killed by an improvised explosive device as he was on foot patrol near the village of Nakhonay, about 15 kilometres southwest of Kandahar city.
In 2011, former “60 Minutes” correspondent Scott Pelley made his debut as anchor of “The CBS Evening News.”
In 2011, an Ontario Superior Court Justice ruled Ottawa sociology professor Hassan Diab should be extradited to France to face charges in the bombing of a Paris synagogue in 1980 that killed four people. Diab was extradited in Novermber 2014 when the Supreme Court of Canada announced it would not hear his appeal.
In 2015, American Pharoah handily won the Belmont Stakes to become the 12th Triple Crown winner and the first since Affirmed in 1978.
In 2015, No. 1 one-ranked Serena Williams defeated Lucie Safarova 6-3, 6-7, 6-2 for her third French Open title and 20th career Grand Slam title overall.