TODAY IN HISTORY:
In 1944,
Lt.-Gen Henry Crerar became commander of the First Canadian Army during the Second World War. The largest field unit ever formed by Canada also included British, Dutch, Belgian and Polish troops.
In 1945,
U.S. forces breached more than a dozen points of the Siegfried Line, the line of defence built by Germany along its western frontier. In Ottawa, Prime Minister William Lyon Mackenzie King announced Canada supported the general plan for a world security organization.
an attempt was made to kidnap Princess Anne by a gunman who fired six shots at her car. Ian Ball was later arrested and charged.
the quiz show “Jeopardy” debuted on NBC. The original version, hosted by Art Fleming, ran until 1975. It was revived as a syndicated show in 1984 with Canadian-born Alex Trebek as host.
Stephen Harper was elected the first leader of the new Conservative Party at the party's convention in Toronto, exactly two years after beating out Stockwell Day as leader of the Canadian Alliance party. The Alliance had merged with the Progressive Conservatives in the hope that a united right could defeat the Liberals, but that party, under Prime Minister Paul Martin, won a federal election in June.
two separate roadside bombings in different districts north and west of Kandahar City in Afghanistan claimed the lives of four Canadian soldiers and wounded eight others. Master Cpl. Scott Vernelli and Cpl. Tyler Crooks, both of November Company, 3rd Battalion, Royal Canadian Regiment, died in the Zhari district while Trooper Jack Bouthillier and Trooper Corey Joseph Hayes, both of the Royal Canadian Dragoons, were killed in the Shah Wali Kot district. All of the soldiers were based in Petawawa, Ont.
Canadian freestyle skier
Jennifer Heil capped her career with a silver medal in the dual moguls at the final World Cup of the season. She won Olympic gold at the Turin Games in 2006, picked up a pair of world championship titles and earned a staggering 58 World Cup medals.
disgraced former junior hockey coach Graham James was sentenced to two years in prison following his second conviction for sexually abusing players.
former Beatles drummer Ringo Starr received his long-awaited knighthood from Prince William. He used his real name Richard Starkey for the big event.
In 1974,
In 1964,
In 2004,
In 2009,
In 2011,
In 2012,
In 2018,
(We’ll Meet Again, White Cliffs of Dover)
Singer
Dame Vera Lynn
is 103. Director-comedian Carl Reiner is 98. Actor is 89. Country singer is 83. Former Canadian prime minister
is 81.
Hockey Hall of Famer
Actor
Hal Linden
Tommy Hunter
Mulroney
William Hurt
Bobby Orr
Spike Lee
Slim Jim Phantom
Director Drummer
Cats
Actor-comedian
(Broadcast News, Kiss of the Spider Woman, Big Chill)
(Malcolm X)
(She’s Sexy+17)
Trailer Park Boys)
(Barney Miller)
is 59.
Robb Wells
is 49.
Brian
is 72.
is 70. is 63. of the Stray
(Ricky on