1688 - First lottery held at Montreal

1692 - Founding of the Hôpital Général de Québec

1759 - First Spanish trading ship arrives at Montreal

1768 - The Wesley Chapel on John Street in NY City, first Methodist church building to be erected in the American colonies, was dedicated

1811 - Jane Austen's Sense and Sensibility is published anonymously

1869 - Georges-Édouard Desbarats publishes first issue of the Canadian Illustrated News in Montreal; makes the world's first use of half-tone photo reproduction technique in a newspaper

1871 - Philadelphia Athletics beat Chicago for first National Assn baseball pennant
 
1876 - The Ontario College of Art opened in Toronto

1888 - First ballpoint pen patented

1911 - The Evangelical Lutheran Seminary of Canada opened on the campus of present day Waterloo Univeristy

1918 - Cease fire in World War I; armistice follows on November 11

1929 - Nova Scotia ends prohibition in favour of government control of liquor

1935 - Creation of the Quebec Power Commission

1938 - As part of a series of radio dramas based on famous novels, Orson Welles and the Mercury Players produced H.G. Wells' "War of the Worlds." However, many listeners believed the simulated news bulletins, describing a Martian invasion of New Jersey, to be real

1943 - Toronto Maple Leafs rookie Gus Bodnar scores 15 seconds into his first NHL game as the Leafs beat the New York Rangers 5-2

1947 �?Store post office in Ospringe closed as rural mail delivery started

1963 - The Lamborghini 350GTV debuted at the Turin auto show

1971 - John Bassett closes 95-year old 'Toronto Telegram' because of mounting losses; Canada's fourth largest newspaper first published April 18, 1876 as the Evening Telegram

1973 - Tom Seaver becomes first non-20-game winner to win Cy Young award

1974 - Muhammad Ali KOs George Foreman in 8th round in Kinshasa, Zaire

1975 - John Bucyk, Boston, became 7th NHLer to score 500 goals

1975 - Prince Juan Carlos becomes Spain's acting head of state after General Francisco Franco, the dictator of Spain since 1936, concedes that he is too ill too govern

1976 - Jane Pauley becomes news co-anchor of the Today Show

1978 - Anne Murray's 'You Needed Me' reaches #1 on the Billboard singles chart

1988 - Philip Morris paid out $13.1 billion to take over fellow industry giant Kraft, making it the world's single biggest producer of consumer goods

1991 - Canadian Forces Hercules C-130 crashes on Ellesmere Island in the high Arctic while on a routine supply mission; 5 of the 13 passengers die from injuries or hypothermia before rescuers can reach them over 33 hours later

1995 - By a bare majority of 50.6 percent to 49.4 percent, citizens of the province of Quebec vote to remain within the federation of Canada

 

Birthdays

1735 - John Adams, Braintree Massachusetts - second US President
1786 - Philippe Aubert de Gaspé, Quebec City - author: Les Anciens Canadiens
1820 - Sir John William Dawson, Pictou NS - geologist: founded the Royal Society of Canada
1821 - Feodor Mikhailovich Dostoevski - Russian author
1839 - Alfred Sisely, Paris France - Impressionist painter: Molesey Weir, Hampton Court
1885 - Ezra Pound, Hailey Idaho - poet: Cantos
1893 - Charles Atlas - body builder
1896 - Ruth Gordon, Massachusetts - actress: Rosemary's Baby, Harold & Maude
1911 - Jim Coleman - sports reporter: Canada's first sports journalist with a nationally syndicated column
1917 - Ruth Hussey, Providence RI - actress: Another Thin Man, Phila Story
1918 - Ted Williams - baseball player: Boston Red Sox
1928 - William Campbell, Newark NJ - actor: Jerry-Cannonball, Luke-Dynasty
1930 - Stanley J. Sadie, London England - musicologist: editor of New Grove Dictionary of Music and Musicians
1931 - Dick Gautier, Los Angeles - actor: Hymie-Get Smart, Mr Terrific
1932 - Louis Malle, France - film director: Atlantic City, Black Moon, Viva Maria
1939 - Grace Slick, Chicago - singer: Jefferson Airplane-White Rabbit
1940 - Ed Lauter, Long Beach NY - actor: Sheriff Cain-BJ & the Bear
1943 - Joanna Shimkus, Halifax NS - actress: Marriage of a Young Stockbroker; married actor Sydney Poitier
1945 - Henry Winkler, NY City - actor: Fonz-Happy Days, Night Shift
1950 - Phil Chenier - NBA player: Washington Bullets
1951 - Harry Hamlin, Pasadena California - actor: Michael Kuzak-LA Law
1953 - Kathleen Cody, Bronx NY - actress: Charley & the Angel

 

 

 

One Liners

 

Consciousness: That annoying time between naps

 

Age is important only if you're cheese or wine.

Microbiology Lab: Staph Only!

Air Pollution is a mist-demeanor

What if there were no hypothetical questions?

 

He's so dense, light bends around him.

 

I used to be schizophrenic, but we're OK now.

 

If he were any more stupid, he'd have to be watered twice a week.

 

A Mother mouse and her baby were walking by a cave when a bat flew out.  "Look Ma!" said the youngster, "An Angel."  

 

Adults are just kids who owe money.