ON THIS DATE IN HISTORY:
Superman debuts in 1939
In 1547, Ivan the Terrible was crowned the first czar of Russia.
In 1866, clamp-on roller skates were patented.
In 1905, the Ottawa Silver Seven routed the visiting team from Dawson City, Yukon, 23-2 to win the Stanley Cup. Frank McGee scored 14 goals in the most lopsided game in Stanley Cup history.
In 1908, the Manitoba government took over the province’s telephone system.
In 1920, prohibition began in the United States. It ended in 1933.
In 1927, 17-year-old Toronto swimmer George Young became the first person to cross the 35 kilometres from Santa Catalina Island to Los Angeles. He needed 15 hours and 45 minutes to complete the swim, which earned him $25,000.
In 1939, the first “Superman” comic strip by Toronto-born Joe Shuster appeared.
In 1944, General Dwight D. Eisenhower took command of the Allied Expeditionary Forces in London.
In 1956, the first jet flight was made across Canada from Vancouver to Dartmouth, N.S.
In 1957, the Cavern Club opened in Liverpool. Originally a jazz club, it later became famous as the place where The Beatles began their climb to fame. The group, then known as “The Silver Beatles,” began playing regular lunchtime gigs at the Cavern in 1961. Their pay was eight pounds a show.
In 1965, Prime Minister Lester Pearson and U.S. President Lyndon Johnson signed the Canada-U.S. Automotive Agreement. The Auto Pact, as it became known, provided a large measure of free trade in motor vehicles and parts between the two countries. It also produced a major boost for the Canadian auto industry over the next 35 years. The Auto Pact died Feb. 19, 2001, after the World Trade Organization ruled it violated international trade laws.
In 1969, the Soviet spaceships “Soyuz 4” and “Soyuz 5” became the first vehicles to dock in space and transfer personnel.
In 1970, Ottawa announced plans to convert the country from the Imperial to the Metric system of measurement. A special commission was appointed to oversee the introduction of metric, or the International System of Units.
In 1970, Moammar Gadhafi became ruler of Libya following a military coup.
In 1972, Justin Pierre James Trudeau, the first prime ministerial baby born in more than 100 years, was baptized at Notre-Dame Basilica in Ottawa.
In 1976, Peter Frampton’s live album “Frampton Comes Alive!” was released. It was the best selling album of the year, holding the No. 1 position for 10 weeks.
In 1980, Paul McCartney, and his wife Linda, were arrested in Tokyo after customs agents found marijuana in his luggage.
In 1991, the Persian Gulf War began when jet fighters from the U.S.-led coalition bombed Baghdad. Because of the time difference, it was the early morning of Jan. 17 in the Persian Gulf when the attack began. A defiant Iraqi president Saddam Hussein promised to wage “the mother of all battles.”
In 1992, Eric Clapton taped an all-acoustic concert for the MTV series “Unplugged.”
In 1996, Bono and Adam Clayton of U2 and Jimmy Buffett escaped injury when Jamaican police opened fire on a seaplane that had just brought them to a resort. They were in a boat being taken ashore when police fired on the plane. Police mistakenly thought the plane was involved in drug smuggling.
In 2005, a 66-year-old Romanian woman gave birth to a baby girl, becoming the oldest mother ever.
In 2009, singer Boy George was sentenced to 15 months in jail after being convicted of falsely imprisoning a male escort by handcuffing him to a wall in a London apartment.
In 2012, Singer/guitarist Matt Andersen nabbed three prizes at the Maple Blues Awards.
In 2014, Toni Tennille filed for divorce from her husband Daryl Dragon, known onstage as “The Captain,” ending their 39-year union. They were married in 1975 — the same year “Love Will Keep Us Together” earned the Grammy for record of the year. Dragon had developed familial tremors which ended his career as a keyboardist. He was totally unaware his marriage was on the rocks.