Today in history

In 1942, the loss of the Canadian destroyer “Ottawa,'' with 113 men listed as dead or missing, was announced after a German submarine attack during the Second World War.

In 1949, the Federal Republic of Germany formally came into existence.

In 1956, George Drew, a former premier of Ontario, resigned as the leader of the federal Progressive Conservatives.

In 1964, Malta became independent after 164 years of British rule.

In 1970, “NFL Monday Night Football” debuted on ABC television as the Cleveland Browns defeated the visiting New York Jets 31-21.

In 1971, cigarette manufacturers in Canada announced the end of broadcast advertising, effective Jan. 1, 1972.

In 1981, the U.S. Senate unanimously confirmed the nomination of Sandra Day O'connor to become the first female justice on the Supreme Court.

In 1982, National Football League players began a 57-day strike, their first regular-season walkout ever.

In 1987, NFL players went on a 24-day strike, mainly over the issue of free agency. The 24-day walkout prompted football owners to hire replacement players.

In 1988, Montreal Conservative MP Suzanne Blais-grenier became an independent after being removed from caucus following her allegation of kickbacks on government contracts in Quebec.

In 1991, the Soviet republic of Armenia voted overwhelmingly to dissolve its 71-year union with the Soviet Union.

In 1993, the Toronto Blue Jays beat the Chicago White Sox 6-3 to win their second consecutive American League championship in six games. The Jays went on to beat Philadelphia in the World Series, also in six games.

In 1995, the Supreme Court of Canada struck down the federal law that banned tobacco advertising, arguing the law went too far and violated the industry's constitutional right to free speech. Two years later, in 1997, the federal government passed a new law which stopped most tobacco advertising and denied companies the right to sponsor sporting and cultural events. In August, 2005, the Quebec Court of Appeal struck down the part of the law which prohibits tobacco companies from using their corporate names to sponsor events.

In 1995, the Canadian government announced the design for a new $2 coin. (It went into circulation on Feb. 19, 1996.)

In 1998, U.S. sprint star Florence Griffith Joyner, considered the greatest female sprinter in world history, died at age 38 of a heart attack in Mission Viejo, Calif. She was a triple gold medalist at the 1988 Summer Olympic Games in Seoul. She smashed the world records for the 100 and 200-metre runs at the Olympics. She also won a gold medal anchoring the U.S. 4x100-metre relay team.

In 1998, the U.S. Congress released raw footage of President Bill Clinton's grand jury testimony and 2,800 pages of evidence detailing his relationship with Monica Lewinsky in explicit detail.

In 1998, Cal Ripken Jr.'s major league baseball consecutive-game streak ended at 2,632 when he elected to sit out a game against the New York Yankees. The Baltimore third baseman eclipsed Yankee great Lou Gehrig's ironman record of 2,130 straight games on Sept. 6, 1995. Ripken's amazing run began May 30, 1982.

In 1999, the strongest earthquake in 64 years in Taiwan killed more than 2,000 people and destroyed hundreds of buildings and homes across the island.

In 2003, NASA'S aging “Galileo” spacecraft deliberately plunged into Jupiter's turbulent atmosphere, bringing a fiery conclusion to a 14-year exploration of the solar system's largest planet and its moons.

In 2006, Prime Minister Stephen Harper made his maiden address to the UN General Assembly in New York. He appealed for more help in Afghanistan, saying the future of the United Nations depended on success there.

In 2007, the Rev. Rex Humbard, whose televangelism ministry once spanned the globe, died in Atlantis, Fla., at age 88.

In 2010, hurricane Igor ripped across eastern Newfoundland with a savagery that forced flooded, wind-battered towns to declare states of emergency, isolating some communities as rivers overflowed and washed away roads. It dumped nearly 240 mm of rain in some areas and caused over $150 million in total damages. Military personnel and equipment arrived on Sept. 25 and spent 10 days helping Newfoundlanders rebuild.

In 2013, 61 civilians, including two Canadians, were killed in a raid on Nairobi's Westgate Mall by the Somalibased, al-qaida-linked group al-shabab. It took Kenyan forces four days to end the hostage-taking and siege.