TODAY IN HISTORY: Churchill speech stirs Commons

In 1384, the English religious reformer John Wycliffe died of a stroke. He was a bold critic of the Pope and the Roman Catholic Church and believed the Church should return to the Scriptures. Under his direction, the entire Bible was translated into English for the first time.

In 1813, British troops and Canadian militia raided Black Rock and Buffalo. The raid was in retaliation for an attack 18 days earlier when Brig.-Gen. George McClure's American troops burned the Canadian settlements of Niagara and Queenston. The two American villages were burned and four schooners were destroyed by the British troops.

In 1824, Upper Canada Legislature in York (now Toronto) was destroyed by fire.

In 1851, Asa Griggs Candler was born. He’s known for purchasing the formula for Coca-Cola in 1887.

In 1853, the United States and Mexico signed a treaty under which the U.S. agreed to buy some 45,000 square miles of land from Mexico for $10 million in a deal known as the Gadsden

Purchase. The area covered by the agreement is located in present-day southern Arizona and southwestern New Mexico.

In 1907, the Mills Commission issued its final report concluding that Abner Doubleday invented baseball — a finding few sports historians embrace.

In 1911, Sun Yat-sen was elected the first provisional president of China.

In 1912, a train was used to carry wheat in Canada for the first time.

In 1922, Vladimir Lenin proclaimed the establishment of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics — the USSR.

In 1936, the United Auto Workers union staged its first “sit-down” strike, at the Fisher Body Plant No. 1 in Flint, Mich.

In 1941, a famous photo of British Prime Minister Winston Churchill — scowling after his ubiquitous cigar was taken away — was snapped in Ottawa by Canadian photographer Yousuf Karsh. Also that day, Churchill gave an electrifying speech to Canada's Parliament. The public galleries were filled to hear Churchill declare that the countries must work together for “the total and final extirpation of the Hitler tyranny, the Japanese frenzy and the Mussolini flop.”

In 1953, Admiral began selling the first colour television sets for consumers. The price was US$1,175.

In 1972, the United States halted its heavy bombing of North Vietnam.

In 1981, Wayne Gretzky became the first NHL player to score 50 goals in fewer than 50 games in one season. In just his 39th game, Gretzky notched his 50th goal on an empty-netter that capped a five-goal night as the Edmonton Oilers downed the visiting Philadelphia Flyers 7-5.

In 1986, four players with the Swift Current Broncos of the Western Hockey League died when the team bus crashed en route to a game in Regina.

In 1988, the Canada-U.S. free-trade agreement was given approval by the Senate and received royal assent.

In 2006, former Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein, 69, was hanged in Baghdad.