TODAY IN HISTORY: Louis Reil hanged

In 1885, Metis leader Louis Riel was hanged in Regina for his involvement in the Northwest Rebellions.

In 1941, troops from the Quebec-based Royal Rifles of Canada and the Winnipeg Grenadiers arrived in Hong Kong to beef up the colony’s British garrison. Japanese troops invaded the island of Hong Kong on Dec. 18 and the garrison surrendered a week later. Of the 1,975 Canadians sent to Hong Kong, 557 died in action or in Japanese prison camps.

In 1960, Patsy Cline recorded the song “I Fall to Pieces” in Nashville. It reached No. 1 on the Billboard country singles chart.

In 1983, Margaret Trudeau filed for divorce from Pierre Trudeau on the grounds of long-term separation. The couple had wed in 1971 and, after several well-publicized differences, separated in 1977, with Pierre retaining custody of their three sons.

In 1990, Northern Dancer, the first Canadian-bred horse to win the Kentucky Derby, died at age 29, euthanized at a Maryland breeding farm after a severe attack of colic.

In 1994, Robert Latimer, a Saskatchewan farmer who killed his severely disabled 12-year-old daughter, was found guilty of second-degree murder. The conviction was overturned and a new trial was ordered. On Nov. 5, 1997, a second jury returned the same verdict. The Supreme Court ruled in 2001 that Latimer must serve the minimum sentence of 10 years in prison. He started serving day parole in March 2008 and was granted full parole on Dec. 6, 2010.