TODAY IN HISTORY: Greatest misquote in Canadian history
In 1535, Francisco Pizarro, Spanish conquistador, founded Lima, Peru.
In 1562, the Council of Trent, a counter-reformation commission established by the Vatican and headquarterd in the northern Italian city, reconvened after a decade-long break following the revolt of Protestant princes against Emperor Charles V. In the meantime, all hope of reconciliation between Roman Catholics and Protestants had vanished.
In 1778, English navigator Captain James Cook reached the Hawaiian Islands, which he dubbed the “Sandwich Islands.”
In 1854, the other half of one of the most important conversations in history was born. American engineer Thomas A. Watson was summoned by Alexander Graham Bell via the first telephone on March 10, 1876.
In 1882, A. A. Milne, the English author best known for his children’s classic “Winnie the Pooh,” was born. His first collection of Pooh stories were published in 1926. Milne died in England in 1956 at the age of 74.
In 1904, Prime Minister Sir Wilfrid Laurier delivered perhaps the most misquoted speech in Canadian history. Laurier told the Canadian Club of Ottawa the 19th century was the century of the United States, then added, “I think we can claim that it is Canada that shall fill the 20th century.” To this day, Laurier is often quoted — erroneously — as saying, “the 20th century belongs to Canada.”
In 1912, British explorer Robert Falcon Scott reached the South Pole. Delayed by sickness and bad weather, he and four companions arrived to learn they’d been beaten to the Pole by a month by Norwegian Roald Amundsen. Heartbroken by not being the first to the South Pole, Scott and his men later died on the return journey.
In 1917, the Canadian government introduced income tax as a temporary wartime measure.
In 1919, the Paris Peace Conference to end the First World War opened in Versailles, France. The conference was charged with remaking the map of Europe as well as dealing with the devastation of the war.
In 1943, the Soviet Union announced it broke the Nazi siege of Leningrad that began in September 1941.
In 1957, a trio of B-52’s completed the first non-stop, round-the-world flight by jet planes, landing at March Air Force Base in California after more than 45 hours aloft.
In 1960, Prime Minister John Diefenbaker confirmed that Canada would control the use of nuclear weapons stored in this country. But Diefenbaker told the Commons that the nuclear weapons would be under U.S. ownership.
In 1967, Yellowknife was named the capital of the Northwest Territories.
In 1971, the Quebec government required English-language schools in the province to teach French as a second language.
In 1973, “Pink Floyd” began recording “Dark Side of the Moon,” (above) which would become the longest-charting record in Billboard magazine's history. It remained on the Billboard 200 album chart for more than 14 years until mid-1988 for a record 741 consecutive weeks. It has sold over 50 million copies worldwide.
In 1974, Paul Rodgers and Simon Kirke of Free, Mick Ralphs from Mott the Hoople and Boz Burrell from King Crimson got together to form Bad Company. Their debut album, recorded in just 10 days, contained the No. 5 single “Can’t Get Enough.”
In 1985, Ontario Premier William Davis announced that a sports stadium with a retractable roof would be built in downtown Toronto at a cost of $150 million. The SkyDome, which opened in 1989, ended up costing $500 million. The stadium was renamed the Rogers Centre in 2005 after Rogers Communications Inc. acquired it for $25 million.
In 1987, Andre Bissonette was forced to resign as secretary of state for transport over an apparent $3 million land speculation deal in the minister’s St. Jean-sur-Richleau riding linked to a federal defence project. He was later acquitted of criminal charges.
In 1988, residents of Prince Edward Island voted 59.4 per cent in favour of a bridge or tunnel connecting them to the mainland. The Confederation Bridge opened on May 31, 1997.
In 1990, Washington, D.C. Mayor Marion Barry was arrested in an FBI sting operation on drug-possession charges. Barry was later convicted of a misdemeanour and served a brief jail term before regaining office.
In 1991, three people were crushed to death at an AC/DC concert in Salt Lake City. Two 14-year-old boys and a 19-yearold woman died after they were pinned at the bottom of a pile of fans who rushed the stage during the opening minutes of the show. Witnesses say the band played three more songs before stopping, despite signals from security guards and chants from the crowd of “stop the concert.”
In 1994, country star Reba McEntire announced that anyone who turned in a gun in each city where she performed that year would get a free ticket to her show. That prompted a Tulsa, Okla., pawnshop owner to offer a 10-per-cent discount on a gun for anyone who brought in one of McEntire's albums or concert tickets.
In 1996, major league baseball approved regular-season inter-league play for the 1997 season, the first since 1900.
In 2000, Industry Minister John Manley announced the federal government would kick in 25 per cent of an aid package for Canadian NHL teams. The rest of the money was to come from other levels of government and the league. But the offer touched off a storm of criticism and was withdrawn a few days later.
In 2001, the Supreme Court of Canada ruled Saskatchewan farmer Robert Latimer must serve at least 10 years in prison for the second-degree murder of his 12-year-old severely disabled daughter in 1993. (On Dec. 6, 2010, he was granted full parole.)
In 2002, the Canadian dollar closed at a record low 62.02 cents US.
In 2010, Zakaria Amara, the main organizer of a plot to set off three massive bombs at the Toronto Stock Exchange and other high-profile targets in Ontario, was sentenced to life in prison. Earlier, Amara’s accomplice, 22year-old Saad Gaya, was sentenced to 12 years in prison. The two were among 18 men and youths rounded up in 2006 and charged in what became known as the Toronto 18 terror plot.
In 2016, guitarist Glenn Frey, who co-founded the Eagles and formed one of history’s most successful songwriting teams with drummer Don Henley died of complications from rheumatoid arthritis and pneumonia. He was 67.