TODAY IN HISTORY: St. Patrick dies

In 461, tradition says St. Patrick, the patron saint of Ireland, died.

In 1233, millions of mice invaded the area of Freising, Germany, forcing the evacuation of entire towns. In 1765, St. Patrick's Day was celebrated for the first time in Canada, in Quebec City.

In 1942, U.S. General Douglas MacArthur reached Australia to lead Allied forces in the southwest Pacific during the Second World War. He'd been ordered to flee the Philippines on a harrowing boat trip just before its capture by Japan. On March 20th, at Terowie, South Australia, MacArthur made his famous speech in which he said “I came out of Bataan and I shall return.”

In 1966, the “Gemini 8” capsule, with astronauts Neil Armstrong and Dave Scott aboard, began to spin violently. It made an emergency landing in the Pacific.

In 1968, the “Bee Gees” made their U.S. TV debut on “The Ed Sullivan Show,” singing “To Love Somebody” and their current hit “Words.”

In 1969, Golda Meir was sworn in as Israel's first woman prime minister. She served until 1974.

In 1973, “Pink Floyd's” concept album “Dark Side of the Moon” debuted on the Billlboard 200 Album chart. It stayed on for a record 741 straight weeks until April 1988. (It has re-entered the chart over the years after several re-issues and as of mid-February 2018 sits at a total of 937 weeks.) It resurfaced when Billboard created the Top Pop Catalog Album chart in March 1991, and has been a mainstay at just over 1,200 weeks.

In 1985, U.S. President Ronald Reagan travelled to Quebec City for the “Shamrock Summit” — a 24-hour meeting on acid rain with Prime Minister Brian Mulroney.

In 1987, the House of Commons passed a motion supporting free trade with the United States, despite opposition from the Liberals and the New Democrats.

In 1996, the Montreal Canadiens played their first game in the Molson Centre (now Bell Centre). They defeated the New York Rangers 4-2.

In 1999, Tim Johnson was fired as Blue Jays manager for lying about his Vietnam service. He was replaced by Jim Fregosi.

In 2009, after 146 years, the Seattle Post-Intelligencer published its final print edition, becoming an online-only paper.

In 2010, the puck Sidney Crosby used to score the winning goal in Canada's 3-2 overtime thriller over the U.S. in the Olympic men's hockey final in Vancouver on Feb. 28 was installed at the Hockey Hall of Fame in Toronto.