TODAY IN HISTORY

In 1040, King Duncan of Scotland was murdered by Macbeth, who became king and ruled for 17 years.

In 1811, Paraguay declared its independence.

In 1814, British General Sir Gordon Drummond’s forces were repulsed in a night attack against the American garrison at Fort Erie.

In 1848, a clause in the Act of Union, making English Canada’s official language, was repealed.

In 1861, Montreal was badly flooded. One quarter of the city was under water.

In 1877, the Northwest Council issued an edict protecting the Canadian buffalo.

In 1900, international forces entered Peking (now Beijing) to put down the Boxer Rebellion. It was aimed at ridding China of foreigners. About 250 foreigners are estimated to have been killed in the uprising, along with as many as tens of thousands of Chinese Christian converts.

In 1917, China declared war on Germany and Austria.

In 1929, the German dirigible “Graf Zepplin” began a roundthe-world flight, which was completed Sept. 4.

In 1934, millionaire brewer John Labatt of London, Ont., was kidnapped and held for ransom. He was released in Toronto on Aug. 17. Michael McCardell of Hammond, Ind., was later sentenced to 12 years in prison after pleading guilty to the crime.