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Brian Mulroney signs free trade accord with Ronald Reagan.
NY Islander, Mike Bossy, scores his 500th goal.
The musical “Annie” closed on Broadway at the Uris Theatre after 2,377 performances.
Senator John F. Kennedy, announces his candidacy for the US Presidency.
Montreal Wanderers’ hockey arena burns down.
Royal Bank of Canada takes over the Quebec Bank, founded in 1882.
Willis Carrier receives a US patent for the world’s first air conditioner.
The euro became currency for 11 Member States of the European Union. Coins and notes were not available until January 1, 2002.
VH-1 made its broadcasting debut.
Fire in a recreation club kills 48 New Year’s Eve celebrants in the northern Quebec mining town of Chapais.
Fidel Castro overthrew the government of Fulgencio Batista, and seized power in Cuba.
The Declaration by United Nations is signed by twenty-six nations.
Alcatraz Island officially became a Federal Prison.
Building of Panama Canal begins.
The Irish Parliament votes to join the Kingdom of Great Britain, forming the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland.
Glassblower Daniel Gabriel Fahrenheit proposes system for making thermometers and the Fahrenheit temperature scale.
Last gladiator competition in Rome.
The euro became currency for 11 Member States of the European Union. Coins and notes were not available until January 1, 2002.
North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) goes into effect.
VH-1 made its broadcasting debut.
Fidel Castro overthrew the government of Fulgencio Batista, and seized power in Cuba.
Ho Chi Minh begins offensive against French troops in Indo China.
The Declaration by United Nations is signed by twenty-six nations.
Alcatraz Island officially became a Federal Prison.
Building of Panama Canal begins.
The Irish Parliament votes to join the Kingdom of Great Britain, forming the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland.
Glassblower Daniel Gabriel Fahrenheit proposes system for making thermometers and the Fahrenheit temperature scale.
Last gladiator competition in Rome.
Russian President Boris Yeltsin resigned. Prime Minister Vladimir Putin was designated acting president.
Pittsburgh Penguins’ Mario Lemieux becomes the only National Hockey League player to score goals in five different ways: even strength, shorthanded, power play, penalty shot, and empty net, during an 86 win over the New Jersey Devils.
Def Leppard drummer Rick Allen loses his arm in a car crash.
Evel Knievel fails in his attempt to jump the Caesar’s Palace Fountain, Las Vegas, breaking his pelvis, femur, wrist, hip and both ankles
The Beach Boys play their debut gig under that name
U.S. President Truman officially proclaimed the end of hostilities in World War II.
Charles Darrow patents the board game Monopoly, goes on to be the 1st millionaire game designer.
In London, the BBC first broadcast the chimes of Big Ben.
Marie Curie receives her second Nobel Prize, this time in Chemistry, for her work with radioactivity
First New Year’s Eve celebration held in Times Square (then Longacre Square), in New York City.
Queen Victoria chooses the town of Ottawa as the new capital of Canada.
Former President of Iraq Saddam Hussein is executed.
In the 39th game of his third NHL season, Wayne Gretzky scores five goals, giving him 50 on the year and setting a new NHL record previously held by Maurice Richard and Mike Bossy, who earlier had each scored 50 goals in 50 games.
Frank Sinatra first records “My Way” with lyrics were written by Paul Anka and based on the French song “Comme d’habitude”.
The first color TV sets went on sale for about $1,175.
Astronomer Edwin Hubble formally announces existence of other galactic systems at meeting of the American Astronomical Society.
The Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR) was formed.
Fire destroys Ursuline convent at Quebec.
7-time world F1 motor racing champion Michael Schumacher suffers a serious head injury in a ski accident in the French Alps; his condition still remains unclear.
The New England Patriots become the first team in NFL history to finish the regular season 16-0.
Hong Kong began killing 1.25 million chickens, the entire population, for fear of the spread of ‘bird flu’.
NHL star Wayne Gretzky named Male Athlete of the Decade by the Associated Press; Martina Navratilova the Woman Athlete.
NHL officials wear new vertically striped black-and-white sweaters for the first time.
Canada recognizes Israel.
During World War II, Germany began dropping incendiary bombs on London.
The first performance of William Shakespeare’s Macbeth took place at the Lyceum Theatre.
Bowling ball invented.
Founding of the Mission Huronne de l’Ancienne-Lorette; many refugees from Huronia.
Andrea Bocelli makes his classical debut singing at a concert at Teatro Romolo Valli in Reggio Emilia.
Paul Rose, his brother Jacques Rose, and Francis Simard captured in farmhouse near Montreal; suspected FLQ terrorists, kidnappers and murderers of Quebec Labour Minister Pierre Laporte.
Beatles’ “White Album” goes #1 & stays #1 for 9 weeks.
Canadiens’ right winger Maurice Richard the first player in NHL history to score eight points in one game.
Montreal’s Georges Vezina becomes the first NHL goalie to record an assist during the Canadiens’ 6-3 win over the Toronto Arenas.
“Cyrano de Bergerac,” the play by Edmond Rostand, premiered in Paris, France.
The Lumière brothers perform for their first paying audience at the Grand Cafe in Boulevard des Capucines, marking the debut of the cinema.
Mexico’s independence was recognized by Spain.
Mario Lemeiux (Pittsburgh Penguins) returned to the National Hockey League (NHL) as a player after over 3 years of retirement.
Wayne Gretzky (Edmonton Oilers) scored his 100th point in the 34th game of the season.
Spain adopted a new constitution and became a democracy after 40 years of dictatorship.
Leonard Cohen releases his debut album “Songs of Leonard Cohen” on Columbia Records.
James Barrie’s play “Peter Pan” premiered in London.
Charles Darwin set out on a voyage to the Pacific aboard the HMS Beagle. Darwin’s discoveries during the voyage helped him form the basis of his theories on evolution.
Under the Indian Ocean, a 9.0 magnitude earthquake sent 500-mph waves across the Indian Ocean and Bay of Bengal. The tsunami killed at least 230,000 people in a dozen countries, including Sri Lanka, Indonesia, Sumatra, Thailand and India.
Doug Jarvis, 31, sets NHL record of 916 consecutive games.
Time’s Man of the Year is for the first time a non-human, the personal computer.
Horror film “The Exorcist” based on book by William Peter Blatty, starring Linda Blair, premieres – 1st horror film to be nominated for Best Picture
The Beatles’ “I Want to Hold Your Hand” and “I Saw Her Standing There” are released in the United States, marking the beginning of Beatlemania on an international level.
Babe Ruth of the Boston Red Sox is sold to the New York Yankees by owner Harry Frazee.
Soviet President Mikhail S. Gorbachev went on television to announce his resignation as leader of a Communist superpower that had already gone out of existence.
Ousted Romanian President Nicolae Ceausescu and his wife, Elena, were executed following a popular uprising.
Opening of the Boulevard Métropolitain for traffic; Montreal’s cross-town artery.
Richard Starkey (later better known as Ringo Starr) receives his first drum set
New cross on Mount Royal first illuminated.
Astronomer Anders Celsius introduces Centigrade temperature scale.
Samuel de Champlain dies at Quebec, age 68.
1st definite date Christmas was celebrated on Dec 25th
