TODAY IN HISTORY: The first-ever car insurance, 1897

In 1897, the Travelers Insurance Company of Hartford, Conn., issued the first car insurance policy to Dayton, Ohio, resident Gilbert J. Loomis, a mechanic who built a one-cylinder car. He paid $7.50 for $1,000 of liability on a policy that covered any damage caused to people and property.

In 1930, Cairine Wilson was appointed Canada’s first woman senator.

In 1946, a royal commission was appointed to evaluate evidence taken from the Soviet embassy in Ottawa by cipher clerk Igor Gouzenko, telling of Soviet espionage in Canada. The commission confirmed five months later that a spy ring had been operating in Canada, aimed at atomic bomb secrets and other information.

In 1963, the Conservative government of John Diefenbaker was toppled by a Commons vote of 142-111. The resulting election saw the Liberals form a minority government under Lester Pearson.

In 1966, Sgt. Barry Sadler’s “Ballad of the Green Berets” entered the U.S. charts on its way to No. 1. Released at the height of the Vietnam War, it became one of the fastest sellers in the modern record business. The song was originally recorded for distribution to American troops, but RCA had Sadler record it with a full complement of studio musicians. Sadler soon resumed his military career, and was not heard from again until 1978 when he shot dead his girlfriend’s exboyfriend and served 30 days in prison. In 1988, he suffered permanent brain damage when he shot himself — apparently accidentally — while riding in a taxi to his home in Guatemala. He was 49 when he died of heart failure Nov. 5, 1989.

In 1973, construction began on Toronto’s CN Tower. The $52 million, 553.3-metre structure opened in 1976, making it — at the time — the world’s tallest free standing completed structure on land.

In 1980, before more than 21,000 fans in Detroit, the legendary Gordie Howe played in his 23rd and final NHL All-Star game. The 51-year-old Howe retired at the end of the season.

In 1981, Anne Murray won four Juno awards. Her “Can I Have This Dance” tied for best single with “Echo Beach” by “Martha and the Muffins.” Prime Minister Pierre Trudeau inducted Joni Mitchell into the Juno Hall of Fame.

In 1983, after being expelled from Bolivia, former Gestapo official Klaus Barbie was taken to Lyon, France, to stand trial for war crimes. In 1987, he received a life term for deporting thousands of French Jews to death camps. Barbie died in 1991.

In 1987, Defence Minister Perrin Beatty announced that Canada would begin allowing women into almost every job in the military, including combat roles, on a trial basis.

In 1991, Quebec and Ottawa signed an immigration accord giving Quebec exclusive responsibility for selecting immigrants.

In 1997, after months of international pressure, Switzerland’s three largest banks donated $96 million to a fund for Holocaust victims and their heirs. The banks had been accused of hoarding Jewish assets left in their trust during the Second World War. The restitution effort was spearheaded by Canadian businessman Edgar Bronfman, the head of the World Jewish Congress. The fund eventually swelled to more than $250 million with contributions from other Swiss businesses.

In 2009, Todd Hardy, 51, resigned as leader of the Yukon’s New Democrats, because of leukemia. He died July 28, 2010.

In 2010, NDP Leader Jack Layton announced that he had been diagnosed with prostate cancer. (He died Aug. 22, 2011).

In 2015, a jury in Britain found former glam rock singer Gary Glitter guilty of a string of sex abuse offences against three young girls in the 1970s. The 70year-old Glitter - whose real name is Paul Gadd - was later sentenced to 16 years prison.

In 2017, New England quarterback Tom Brady led the biggest comeback in Super Bowl history as the Patriots erased a 25-point deficit to force the first-ever overtime, win the coin toss and drive down the field for the game-ending touchdown in a 34-28 victory over the Atlanta Falcons in Super Bowl 51. Brady set Super Bowl records for: yards passing (446), pass attempts (62), completions (43), MVP awards (4), and quarterback wins (5).