TODAY IN HISTORY:

In 73 AD, rather than face defeat at the hands of the Romans, Jews in the fortress of Masada committed mass suicide.

In 1775, the first society for the abolition of North American slavery was organized by Quakers in Philadelphia.

In 1828, the first edition of Webster’s Dictionary of the English Language was published.

In 1865, American President Abraham Lincoln was shot by John Wilkes Booth while watching a play at a Washington theatre. Lincoln, who had just led the Union side to victory in the U.S. Civil War, died the next day. He was succeeded by Vice President Andrew Johnson.

In 1871, Parliament passed a bill to create a uniform Canadian currency.

In 1912, the “Titanic” struck an iceberg south of Newfoundland’s Grand Banks during its maiden voyage from England. The luxury liner sank overnight with the loss of more than 1,500 lives. The wreckage was found on the ocean floor in 1985.

In 1939, John Steinbeck’s “The Grapes of Wrath” was first published.

In 1945, the Canadian Army completed its liberation of the Netherlands during the Second World War by occupying the city of Arnhem. On the Pacific front, Allied planes firebombed Tokyo and damaged the Imperial Palace.

In 1956, Ampex Corp. demonstrated its first commercial videotape recorder.

In 1960, the Montreal Canadiens became the only team to win five consecutive Stanley Cups. The Canadiens blanked the host Toronto Maple Leafs 4-0 to take the NHL final in four straight games. It was the last game for legendary Habs winger Maurice “The Rocket” Richard.

In 1981, the first test flight of a space shuttle ended when “Columbia” landed in California.

In 1983, the first cordless telephone was introduced. It could operate up to 180 metres from its base.