TODAY IN HISTORY: Rod Stewart divorce

In 1164, Archbishop of Canterbury Thomas Becket began a six-year self-imposed exile in France. Once a close friend of England's Henry II, Becket had become an outspoken opponent of the king's royal policies.

In 1533, evangelist John Calvin was forced to flee from Paris after writing a series of Reformation pamphlets and sermons. With police on his trail, Calvin lowered himself from a window on bedsheets and escaped Paris dressed as a farmer. For the next three years, he wandered around under assumed names, finally settling in Geneva, where he became one of the leading theologians of the Reformation.

In 1796, Six Nations natives authorized Chief Brant to sell their land.

In 1869, Louis Riel seized Fort Garry in Winnipeg during the Red River Rebellion.

In 1889, North Dakota and South Dakota were made the 39th and 40th U.S. states.

In 1917, British foreign secretary Arthur Balfour issued a declaration calling for the “establishment in Palestine of a national home for the Jewish people.” This formal recognition planted a concept that eventually led to the establishment of the modern state of Israel.

In 1920, one of the first commercial radio stations in North America, KDKA in Pittsburgh, began broadcasting from a makeshift shack atop one of Westinghouse Electric's manufacturing buildings. About 1,000 listeners heard the first election results ever broadcast on radio — and learned that Warren Harding had defeated James Cox in the U.S. presidential race.

In 1924, a crossword puzzle appeared for the first time in the British newspaper “Sunday Express.”

In 1936, the Canadian Broadcasting Corp. was created to replace the Canadian Radio Broadcasting Commission. The CBC was given power to regulate private stations and also disseminate Canadian culture to counter the growing American influence in broadcasting. In 1952, it expanded beyond radio into television. The CBC provides programming in both official languages.

In 1947, wartime rationing of food, nylon, gasoline and other items ended in Canada.

In 1948, Harry S. Truman was elected president of the United States. Despite deep divisions within the Democratic party over Truman's efforts to protect civil rights, he narrowly beat Republican candidate Thomas E. Dewey, who had been favoured to win the election.

In 1963, In singer Dion walked out on a live taping of the British television show, “Ready, Steady Go,” claiming the go-go dancers were distracting him.

In 1973, Canadian country singer Stompin’ Tom Connors married Lena Welsh in a ceremony carried live across the country on CBC-TV’s “The Elwood Glover Show.”

In 1976, former Georgia Gov. Jimmy Carter became the first candidate from the Deep South since the Civil War to be elected U.S. president as he defeated incumbent Gerald R. Ford.

In 1978, the Indianapolis Racers of the World Hockey Association sold 17-year-old centre Wayne Gretzky, along with forward Peter Driscoll and goalie Eddie Mio, to the Edmonton Oilers for $850,000.

In 1982, Conservatives returned with landslide victory in the Alberta provincial election. In 1983, the first minivan rolled off Chrysler’s assembly line in Windsor, Ont.

In 1995, Ontario Education Minister John Snobelen announced that starting in 1997, Ontario high schools would drop Grade 13. Ontario was the final province to offer the extra year.

In 1999, the Alberta government agreed to pay $82 million to 247 people who underwent forced sterilization between 1929-72.

In 2000, Russian chess master Garry Kasparov lost his world championship crown to former pupil Vladimir Kramnik, failing to win a single game in the 16match tournament.

In 2003, Gene Robinson was consecrated as bishop of New Hampshire, the Anglican movement’s first openly homosexual bishop.

In 2004, Republican George W. Bush won a second term as U.S. president, defeating his Democratic rival John Kerry in a cliffhanger election.

In 2006, Rod Stewart’s divorce from Rachel Hunter was finalized, seven years after they separated. He had proposed to model Penny Lancaster during that time and had a baby with her.

In 2009, Prince Charles and his wife Camilla began their 11-day royal tour of Canada in Newfoundland. The visit, their first as a married couple, also included stops in Ontario, British Columbia and Quebec. In 2016, the Chicago Cubs completed a comeback from a 3-1 World Series deficit to capture its first championship since 1908, outlasting the Cleveland Indians 8-7 in 10 innings of a Game 7 thriller at Progressive Field.