Author: Buzznews

U.S. President George H.W. Bush, Canadian Prime Minister Brian Mulroney and Mexican President Carlos Salinas de Gortari signed the North American Free Trade Agreement.

The first episode of television series The Simpsons, “Simpsons Roasting on an Open Fire”, airs in the United States.

Opening of Quebec Autoroute 15.

“Goldfinger”, 3rd James Bond film, starring Sean Connery and Honor Blackman premieres in London.

Beatles 1st British TV appearance (People & Places).

First contingents of Canadian First Division start arriving in England for service in World War II.

First issue of Vogue is published.

Opening of 1st legislative assembly of Lower Canada in Quebec city.

Avatar, directed by James Cameron, was internationally released.

Pop diva Céline Dion marries her long-time manager René Angélil.

O.J. Simpson becomes 1st NFL running back to rush for 2,000 yards in a season.

The Miami Dolphins became the first NFL team to go unbeaten and untied in a 14-game regular season. The Dolphins went on to defeat the Washington Redskins in Super Bowl VII.

Jimi Hendrix Experience releases its 1st single, “Hey Joe”.

Canadien rookies Jean Béliveau and Bernie Geoffrion play their first NHL game, tying the Rangers 1-1; Boom Boom scores his first career goal.

French fashion designer Christian Dior and his backer Marcel Boussac found fashion house Christian Dior.

Charlie Chaplin begins his film career at Keystone for $150 a week.

The Taj Mahal Palace & Tower hotel opens its doors to guests for the first time.

In New York, 530 buildings were destroyed by fire.

Last recorded eruption of Mount Fuji in Japan..

Mount Vesuvius in Italy erupts, burying many villages under lava flows and killing around 3,000 people.

Boeing’s new 787 Dreamliner makes its maiden flight from Seattle, Washington.

“Million Dollar Baby”, directed by Clint Eastwood and starring Hilary Swank and Morgan Freeman is released (Best Picture 2005).

The Leaning Tower of Pisa reopens after 11 years and $27,000,000 to fortify it.

Jean Perron appointed head coach of the Quebec Nordiques, after Ron Lapointe resigns to battle cancer.

Chris Haney and Scott Abbott develop the board game Trivial Pursuit.

American Psychiatric Association declares homosexuality is not a mental illness

Gemini 6 launched; makes 1st rendezvous in space (with Gemini 7).

Commons votes to adopt design for a new National Flag of Canada.

Albert Camus’ play “The Just Assassins” (“Les Justes”) premieres in Paris.

“Gone With the Wind,” based on the novel by Margaret Mitchell, premiered at Loew’s Grand Theater in Atlanta. The movie starred Vivien Leigh and Clark Gable.

“Star Wars: The Force Awakens” directed by J.J. Abrams and starring Daisy Ridley, John Boyega and Harrison Ford has its world premiere at the TCL Chinese Theatre in Los Angeles.

Muntadhar al-Zaidi throws his shoes at then-U.S. President George W. Bush during a press conference in Baghdad, Iraq.

Ben Johnson named Canada’s Male Athlete of the Year.

Israel annexes Golan Heights (occupied during the 1967 Six-Day War).

The Jackson Five made their first network television appearance in the US when they appeared on The Ed Sullivan Show.

Prime Minister of Canada, Lester B. Pearson announces that he is retiring from politics, succeeded by Pierre E. Trudeau.

The National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing (NASCAR) started its activities in Daytona Beach, Florida,

Norwegian Roald Amundsen’s expedition is the 1st to each the South Pole.

The Montgolfier brothers’ first balloon lifts off on its first test flight.

Former Iraqi President Saddam Hussein is captured near his home town of Tikrit.

Lucien Bouchard resigns his seat in the House of Commons and his Bloc québécois leadership to run for the leadership of the Parti québécois.

“Driving Miss Daisy” directed by Bruce Beresford and starring Morgan Freeman and Jessica Tandy is released (Best Picture 1990)

Eugene Cernan and Harrison Schmitt begin the third and final extra-vehicular activity (EVA) or “Moonwalk” of Apollo 17. To date they are the last humans to set foot on the Moon.

James Dean begins his career with an appearance in a Pepsi commercial.

Jean Béliveau joins the Quebec Citadelles junior hockey team; later Canadiens star.

Avalanche kills 10,000 Austrian and Italian troops in 24 hrs in Tyrol

First music store in America opens (Philadelphia).

New Zealand was discovered by Dutch navigator Abel Tasman.

Paul Martin becomes Prime Minister of Canada after resignation of Jean Chretien.

Jean Chrétien names Lise Thibault as Lieutenant Governor of Quebec; first woman and first handicapped person to hold the post.

“Rainman” directed by Barry Levinson and starring Dustin Hoffman and Tom Cruise premieres in New York (Best Picture 1989).

DC-8 crashes near Gander, Newfoundland; 258 die

Oiler Wayne Gretzky notches another NHL record, reaching his 50 goal mark in only 39 games.

“Saturday Night Fever”, a film starring John Travolta, premieres in NYC.

Arthur Ashe becomes 1st black to be ranked #1 in tennis.

Guglielmo Marconi sends the first transatlantic radio signal, from Poldhu in Cornwall to Newfoundland, Canada.

Opening of the Victoria Bridge to rail traffic, as first passenger train crosses the iron tubular structure.

1st Canadian coins circulated (1 cent, 5 cent, 10 cent & 20 cent).

Washington, DC, was established as the capital of the United States.

In Vienna, 22-year-old Ludwig van Beethoven received one of his first lessons in music composition from Franz Joseph Haydn.

World’s 1st penis transplant procedure by a team from Stellenbosch University and Tygerberg Hospital in Cape Town, South Africa.

Bernard Madoff arrested and charged with securities fraud in $50 billion Ponzi scheme.

More than 150 countries agreed at a global warming conference in Kyoto, Japan, to control the Earth’s “greenhouse gases.”

Muhammad Ali fought his last fight. He lost his 61st fight to Trevor Berbick.

“Magnum P.I.” starring Tom Selleck premieres on CBS.

Che Guevara speaks at the United Nations General Assembly in New York City. An unknown terrorist fires a mortar shell at the building during the speech..

Elvis Presley’s “Blue Hawaii” album goes #1 & stays #1 for 20 wks.

Joe DiMaggio (New York Yankees) announced his retirement from major league baseball. DiMaggio only played for the Yankees during his 13-year career.

Camilien Houde (right) re-elected Mayor of Montreal after release from Camp Petawawa.

“Mona Lisa” recovered 2 years after it was stolen from the Louvre Museum

France’s King Louis XVI goes on trial, accused of high treason and crimes against the state.

Voltaire’s “Brutus” premieres in Paris.

Uruguay becomes the first country to legalize the growth, sale, and use of marijuana.

US President Barack Obama accepts the Nobel Peace Prize in Oslo.

“Out of Africa”, based on the book by Isak Dinesen, directed by Sydney Pollack and starring Meryl Streep and Robert Redford premieres in Los Angeles (Best Picture 1986).

Expos trade Gary Carter to the New York Mets.

Superman: The Movie, directed by Richard Donner and starring Christopher Reeve, Marlon Brando, Gene Hackman and Margot Kidder premieres at the Uptown Theater in Washington, D.C..

In Oslo, Norway, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. received the Nobel Peace Prize. He was the youngest person to receive the award.

Edward VIII signs Instrument of Abdication, giving up the British throne to marry American divorcee Wallis Simpson.

Canadian Northern Railroad finishes building tunnel under Mount Royal.

The first Nobel prizes were awarded.

“Adventures of Huckleberry Finn” by Mark Twain is first published in the UK and Canada.

New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady breaks Peyton Manning’s record for most touchdown passes in NFL history (582).

“Star Wars: The Last Jedi” directed by Rian Johnson, starring Mark Hamill, Carrie Fisher, Daisy Ridley, John Boyega and Adam Driver premieres in Los Angeles.

Funeral for French rock star Johnny Hallyday draws hundreds of thousands onto Paris streets.

Britain’s Prince Charles and Princess Diana announced their separation.

Lech Wałęsa wins Poland’s 1st direct presidential election in Poland.

Pope John Paul canonizes Marie-Marguérite d’Youville, founder, in 1755, of the Sisters of Charity of the Hôpital Général (Soeurs grises or Grey Nuns).

Montreal subway trains collide, killing one passenger and destroying 36 Metro cars.

Jim Morrison arrested on stage for disturbing the peace at the New Haven Arena, Connecticut, making him the 1st rock star to be taken into custody during a performance.

“A Charlie Brown Christmas” first Peanuts animated special premieres on CBS in the US.

“Lawrence of Arabia,” by David Lean had its world premiere in London.

First post office in Canada opens in Halifax.

With the second launch of the SpaceX Dragon, SpaceX becomes the first privately held company to successfully launch, orbit and recover a spacecraft..

Mario Lemieux announced to the Pittsburgh Penguins that he planned to return to the National Hockey League (NHL) as a player at age 35. He would be the first modern owner-player in U.S. pro sports.

Russia, Byelorussia and Ukraine declared the Soviet national government to be dead. They forged a new alliance to be known as the Commonwealth of Independent States. The act was denounced by Russian President Gorbachev as unconstitutional.

Mafia mobster Frank Cotroni sentenced to 8 years in prison.

John Lennon is murdered by Mark David Chapman in front of The Dakota in New York City.

“The Deer Hunter”, starring Robert De Niro, Christopher Walken and Meryl Streep, premieres in Los Angeles (Academy Awards Best Picture 1979)

XVI Summer Olympic Games close in Melbourne, Australia; start of an Olympic tradition – amidst international tensions, athletes mingle together, parade.

US and Britain declare war on Japan, US enters World War II.

Université Laval receives a royal charter; founded by Bishop Laval in 1663 as the Seminary of Quebec; North America’s oldest French University.

Ludwig van Beethoven’s 7th Symphony in A, premieres in Vienna with Beethoven conducting.