TODAY IN HISTORY: Liberation of The Netherlands
In 1903, the Wright brothers applied for a patent on their airplane.
In 1936, the Detroit Red Wings won the longest game in NHL history. Mud Bruneteau’s goal at 16:30 of the sixth overtime period gave the Wings a 1-0 victory over the visiting Montreal Maroons. The Stanley Cup semifinal game ended at 2:25 a.m. on March 25th.
In 1944, what became known as “The Great Escape” took place when 76 Allied prisoners escaped from a German prisoner-of-war camp through a man-made tunnel. Only three of the escapees made it home — 50 were captured and murdered and 23 were returned to prison camps. The story inspired the 1963 movie starring Steve McQueen.
In 1945, Canadian troops began the liberation of the Netherlands during the Second World War. Cpl. Fred Topham won the Victoria Cross for bravery as Canadian paratroopers and air support joined in the Allies’ crossing of the Rhine River.
In 1958, Elvis Presley entered the U.S. Army. After receiving the standard G.I. haircut, he was quoted as saying “Hair today, gone tomorrow.”
In 1973, the 20,000-tonne freighter “Anita” disappeared without a trace in the Bermuda Triangle.
In 1975, the beaver became Canada’s official symbol.
In 1980, Roman Catholic Archbishop Oscar Romero, a vocal opponent of the military in El Salvador, was assassinated while saying mass in a small chapel at a hospital called La Divina Providencia in San Salvador. Several men, believed to be part of a death squad, were arrested for the murder but were later released.
In 1983, the first artificial-heart transplant patient died. American doctor Barney Clark lived with the implant for 112 days.
In 1989, the second-worst offshore oil spill in U.S. history occurred as the supertanker Exxon Valdez ran aground in Alaska’s Prince William Sound and began leaking 41 million litres of crude. (The worst was the Deepwater Horizon oil platform disaster in the Gulf of Mexico in April 2010.)
In 1990, “Black Velvet,” taken from the selftitled debut album by Toronto rocker Alannah Myles, reached No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart in the U.S.
In 1994, Wayne Gretzky of the Los Angeles Kings scored his 802nd career regular season goal, overtaking Gordie Howe as the greatest goal-scorer in NHL history. Gretzky scored in the second period of a home game against the Vancouver Canucks. Gretzky retired after the 1998-99 season with 894 career regular season goals (and a NHL record 122 playoff goals).
In 2002, at the 74th Academy Awards, Halle Berry won best actress, Denzel Washington best actor – the first time black actors had taken both top acting awards.
In 2011, Canadian fighter jets took part for the first time in air attacks to help enforce the UN’s no fly zone over Libya. They helped drive tanks loyal to Libyan dictator Moammar Gadhafi out of Misrata. The Canadian raid reportedly destroyed an ammunition depot.
In 2016, former CBC radio host Jian Ghomeshi was acquitted on all four charges of sexual assault and one count of choking. Justice William Horkins said he could not rely on the three complainants given their changing and shifting memories and evidence.
In 2020, Canada’s chief medical health officer said the ratio of travel-related to community transmission of COVID-19 is about equal, representing a fundamental shift in the spread of the virus in Canada.
In 2020, the federal government rolled out a $30 million ad campaign focused on social distancing and good personal hygiene to help fight COVID-19. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau also announced that Canada is spending $192 million on developing and producing vaccines for the coronavirus.