TODAY IN HISTORY: Queen knits scarf for Canadian

In 614, Persians seized Jerusalem and captured the True Holy Cross that St. Helena had placed there after finding it. It would be years before the Christians would recapture it.

In 1045, Pope Gregory VI was elected the 148th successor of Peter. He was credited with forming the first pontifical army.

In 1778, France allied herself with the rebellious American colonies against Britain.

In 1788, Vancouver Island was claimed for Spain by Capt. Esteban Martinez.

In 1814, a small British and Canadian fleet destroyed the United States naval base at Oswego, N.Y. The Americans were outnumbered by more than two to one. The victory re-established British control of Lake Ontario for the remainder of the War of 1812.

In 1821, former French emperor Napoleon Bonaparte died in exile on the Atlantic island of St. Helena at the age of 51.

In 1836, Europe's first railway began operating in Belgium.

In 1893, panic swept the New York Stock Exchange. Factors including the bankruptcy of a major railway and shrinking national gold reserves were blamed.

In 1900, Pte. Richard R. Thompson of Ottawa was awarded the Queen’s scarf for gallantry during the Boer War. Knitted by Queen Victoria, the scarf was awarded only seven times. Queen Victoria crocheted five Scarves of Honour during the war in South Africa for presentation to “soldiers in Forces of her Overseas Dominions.” Thompson’s scarf is on permanent loan to the National War Museum.

In 1904, Cy Young pitched the American League's first perfect game as the Boston Americans defeated the Philadelphia Athletics, 3-0.

In 1912, the first issue of the Soviet Communist party newspaper "Pravda" was published.

In 1925, schoolteacher John T. Scopes was charged in Tennessee with violating a state law that prohibited teaching the theory of evolution. (Scopes was found guilty, but his conviction was later set aside).

In 1950, waves caused by 80-km/h winds broke through dikes surrounding Winnipeg. The water inundated the Manitoba capital, forcing one-third of the population to leave their homes. The flooding left one person dead and caused $100 million in damage.

In 1955, West Germany became a sovereign state.

In 1961, astronaut Alan Shepard became the first American in space, making a 15-minute suborbital flight.

In 1973, New Brunswick-born jockey Ron Turcotte rode Secretariat to victory in the Kentucky Derby in a record time of one minute, 59.4 seconds. Secretariat, considered by many to be the greatest race horse ever, went on to become the first Triple Crown winner in 25 years.

In 1980, Canada's Cliff Thorburn defeated Alex Higgins to become the first player from outside the British Isles to win the world pro snooker title.

In 1981, IRA hunger striker Bobby Sands died in a Belfast prison after refusing food for 66 days.

In 1983, German investigators said the “Hitler diaries” found by Stern magazine were fakes.

In 1988, broadcasting history was made with the first live broadcast from the top of Mount Everest.