IT HAPPENED ON THIS DAY IN HISTORY

— In 1752, a government pamphlet in Halifax became the first book published in Canada. — In 1907, the worst mining disaster in U.S. history occurred as 362 men and boys died in a coal mine explosion in Monongah, West Va. — In 1907, the first recorded flight in Canada took place when Thomas Selfridge rose about 51 metres into the air in a kite designed by Alexander Graham Bell. — In 1917, much of Halifax was destroyed after the French munitions ship Mont Blanc exploded in Halifax harbour. More than 1,800 died and 9,000 were injured in the explosion, which occurred after the Norwegian relief ship Imo collided with the Mont Blanc, which was carrying a cargo of some 2,250 tonnes of explosives. Property damage was estimated at $35 million. — In 1921, Agnes Macphail, a 30-year-old teacher, became Canada’s first female MP. —In 1927, Ottawa city council approved the installation of the city’s first automatic traffic light. — In 1965, Pope Paul VI announced plans for an extraordinary jubilee period to be celebrated by the Roman Catholic Church from Jan. 1 to May 29, 1966. — In 1971, Prime Minister Pierre Trudeau and U.S. President Richard Nixon met in Washington to discuss economic policy. — In 1982, the Supreme Court of Canada ruled in a unanimous decision that Quebec never had a veto over amendments to Canada’s Constitution, thus rejecting one of the province’s historical claims to special status. — In 1989, Marc Lepine, 25, went on a shooting rampage at the University of Montreal, killing 14 women and wounding nine others. He then shot himself. The Montreal Massacre prompted a toughening of Canada’s gun control laws. — In 1990, the Supreme Court of Canada upheld mandatory retirement in a landmark decision. Although the court found forced retirement violates the principle of equality, it said the practice is justified under a section of the Constitution that permits limits on individual rights for the sake of a greater benefit to society at large. — In 1990, Ottawa and Tampa Bay were granted NHL expansion franchises. — In 1992, Ralph Klein was elected leader of the Alberta Progressive Conservative Party. — In 1998, “Endeavour’s” astronauts connected the first two building blocks of the International Space Station in the shuttle cargo bay. — In 1998, five surviving Canadian veterans of the First World War, all nearly 100 years old, were bestowed with France’s highest honour, the Legion of Honour.