TODAY IN HISTORY

In 1580, what are believed to have been the first bombs were tossed at the town of Guelderland, Germany.

In 1603, the Elizabethan era ended in England with the death of Queen Elizabeth I. Her 45-year reign is generally regarded as a golden age where theatre and the arts flourished, and England extended its economic clout through exploration. It also flexed its muscle as a political power with the defeat of the Spanish Armada in 1588. Elizabeth’s death not only marked the end of an era, it also marked the end of the Tudor line of rulers.

In 1634, the first Roman Catholic mass in English North America was celebrated at St. Mary’s, Maryland.

In 1670, silver and copper coins were minted for use in Canada.

In 1761, German soldiers and settlers established Canada’s first Lutheran church in Halifax. In 1765, Britain enacted the Quartering Act, requiring American colonists to provide temporary housing to British soldiers.

In 1803, famed educator Egerton Ryerson was born in Norfolk County, Upper Canada. He died in Toronto in 1882. In 1837, Lower Canada, now Quebec, granted blacks the right to vote.

In 1874, escape artist Harry Houdini was born Eric Weiss in Appleton, Wis. He died in 1926.