TODAY IN HISTORY: Reagan pardons Merle

In 1843, James Douglas of the Hudson's Bay Co. founded Victoria when he landed at Clover Point with 15 men. The company had sent Douglas to formally occupy the southern part of Vancouver Island and build a base for the company when the partition of Oregon Territory became imminent. This was done to strengthen British claims to the whole island and those claims were recognized in the 1846 partition.

In 1964, Jack Ruby was convicted of killing Lee Harvey Oswald, the accused assassin of U.S. President John F. Kennedy the previous November in Dallas. Ruby was sentenced to death. Both the conviction and death sentence were later overturned, but Ruby died in 1967 before he could be re-tried.

In 1972, California Gov. Ronald Reagan pardoned country star Merle Haggard, who had served nearly three years in San Quentin on a burglary charge.

In 1994, the B.C. Social Credit party came close to collapse after half of its six-member caucus quit to join the B.C. Reform party.

In 2004, President Vladimir Putin was reelected in Russia's presidential election.

In 2010, Victoria’s Steve Nash played in his 1,000th NBA game.

In 2010, Saskatoon's Colette Bourgonje won silver in the women's 10-km sit-ski cross-country at the Vancouver Paralympic Games.

In 2011, Christy Clark was sworn in as B.C.'s 35th premier. The former radio talk show host held the position until 2017.