ON THIS DATE IN HISTORY

In 1689, blacks arrived by ship to Quebec — the first recorded use of black slaves in Canada.

In 1879, Thanksgiving Day was first observed in Canada. On Jan. 31, 1957, Parliament proclaimed Thanksgiving as a holiday on the second Monday in October.

In 1906, the first long-distance telephone line was completed from Winnipeg to Regina.

In 1987, an iceberg 225 metres thick broke away from Antarctica. Scientists estimated the iceberg had enough water to supply a city the size of Los Angeles for nearly 700 years.

In 2003, George Radwanski, the former privacy commissioner, became the first Canadian to be found guilty of contempt of Parliament in 90 years, although he escaped penalty with an apology after five months of denying any wrongdoing. He had been accused of deliberately misleading Parliament by altering documents and misrepresenting his lavish expense claims.

In 2008, late ‘80s pop star Rick Astley was voted the Best Act Ever at the MTV Europe Awards. He beat out U2, Green Day, Britney Spears and Christina Aguilera. How did Astley win? Blame it on Rickrolling, an Internet phenomenon where users click on headlines or links and are re-directed to Astley’s 1987 video for Never Gonna Give You Up.

In 2012, U.S. President Barack Obama was re-elected, blunting a mighty challenge by Republican Mitt Romney. Meanwhile, Maine and Maryland became the first states to approve same-sex marriage.