Parliament discusses WWI in private session

In 1492, King Ferdinand and Queen Isabella of Spain granted Christopher Columbus a commission to seek a westward passage to Asia.

In 1521, Martin Luther went before the Diet of Worms to face charges stemming from his religious writings.

In 1610, English explorer Henry Hudson sailed from London. Two months later, he reached what is now the Hudson Strait in the Arctic.

In 1754, French troops from Montreal captured the British fort at the confluence of the Ohio and Allegheny rivers. The city of Pittsburgh now stands on the site.

In 1790, American scientist and statesman Benjamin Franklin died.

In 1851, the square-rigged ship “Marco Polo” was launched in Saint

John, N.B. It was used mainly to carry immigrants from England to Australia, setting records that earned it the reputation as the fastest ship in the world.

In 1855, the city of Charlottetown was incorporated. In September 1864, it played host to the Charlottetown Conference on Atlantic Union, which turned into the discussions that led to confederation.

In 1856, Quebec City was made the seat of the Canadian government. It remained there until Ottawa became the capital three years later.

In 1892, Alexander Mackenzie, Canada’s second prime minister (1873-78), died at age 70.

In 1918, the federal Parliament held its first private session to discuss

First World War developments.

In 1919, New Brunswick women were granted the right to vote in provincial elections.

In 1941, Yugoslavia surrendered to Nazi troops during the Second World War.

In 1961, about 1,500 Cuban exiles, trained by the CIA, launched the disastrous “Bay of Pigs” invasion of Cuba in a failed attempt to overthrow Fidel Castro’s government.

In 1964, Jerrie Mock of Columbus, Ohio, became the first woman to complete a solo airplane flight around the world.

In 1969, Sirhan Sirhan was convicted in Los Angeles of the murder of U.S. Senator Robert Kennedy the previous June.