It happened on a… August 15

Italy’s Morandi Bridge collapses in Genoa, taking 30 vehicles with it and killing 43.
Jamaican sprint star Usain Bolt wins coveted 100m Olympic 100m gold medal in 9.81 at Rio de Janeiro Olympics – first man to win the event 3 times.
Montreal awarded National League baseball franchise; birth of the Expos.
CFL Winnipeg Blue Bombers defeat Edmonton Eskimos 29-21 in first Canadian Football League game.
V-J Day, Japan surrenders unconditionally to end WW II.
Mackenzie King opens Quebec Conference attended by Winston Churchill and Franklin Roosevelt; start to discussion and planning of the invasions of Italy and Europe.
VII Summer Olympic Games open in Antwerp, Belgium; first time Olympic Oath voiced, doves released to symbolise peace.
Bell Telephone Company installs first push-button pay phone in a Montreal drugstore; connections made only after 5¢ deposit; made by Northern Electric, today’s Nortel.
Gold was discovered in Canada’s Yukon Territory. Within the next year more than 30,000 people rushed to the area to look for gold.
Abraham Lincoln receives the first group of African Americans to confer with a US president.
Italy’s Morandi Bridge collapses in Genoa, taking 30 vehicles with it and killing 43.
Jamaican sprint star Usain Bolt wins coveted 100m Olympic 100m gold medal in 9.81 at Rio de Janeiro Olympics – first man to win the event 3 times.
Montreal awarded National League baseball franchise; birth of the Expos.
CFL Winnipeg Blue Bombers defeat Edmonton Eskimos 29-21 in first Canadian Football League game.
V-J Day, Japan surrenders unconditionally to end WW II.
Mackenzie King opens Quebec Conference attended by Winston Churchill and Franklin Roosevelt; start to discussion and planning of the invasions of Italy and Europe.
VII Summer Olympic Games open in Antwerp, Belgium; first time Olympic Oath voiced, doves released to symbolise peace.
Bell Telephone Company installs first push-button pay phone in a Montreal drugstore; connections made only after 5¢ deposit; made by Northern Electric, today’s Nortel.
Gold was discovered in Canada’s Yukon Territory. Within the next year more than 30,000 people rushed to the area to look for gold.
Abraham Lincoln receives the first group of African Americans to confer with a US president.
American swimmer Michael Phelps ends his career at the Rio Olympics as part of the winning 4×100 medley relay, his record 23rd gold medal.
28th Olympic Games opens at Athens, Greece.
South Park’s first episode is aired.
“Bonnie and Clyde”, directed by Arthur Penn and starring Warren Beatty and Faye Dunaway, is released.
Berlin was divided by a barbed wire fence to halt the flight of refugees. Two days later work on the Berlin Wall began.
Elvis Presley releases music single “Don’t Be Cruel”.
Walt Disney’s “Bambi” opened at Radio City Music Hall in New York City, NY.
The first taxicab started on the streets of New York City.
King Louis XVI of France is formally arrested by the National Tribunal, and declared an enemy of the people.
American swimmer Michael Phelps ends his career at the Rio Olympics as part of the winning 4×100 medley relay, his record 23rd gold medal.
28th Olympic Games opens at Athens, Greece.
South Park’s first episode is aired.
Valery Fabrikant sentenced to life in prison for his murder Aug. 24, 1992 of four Concordia University professors.
“Bonnie and Clyde”, directed by Arthur Penn and starring Warren Beatty and Faye Dunaway, is released.
Berlin was divided by a barbed wire fence to halt the flight of refugees. Two days later work on the Berlin Wall began.
Elvis Presley releases music single “Don’t Be Cruel”.
Walt Disney’s “Bambi” opened at Radio City Music Hall in New York City, NY.
The first taxicab started on the streets of New York City.
King Louis XVI of France is formally arrested by the National Tribunal, and declared an enemy of the people.
NASA launches the Parker Space Probe, its first mission to the Sun and its outermost atmosphere, the corona.
Major League Baseball players go on strike. This will force the cancellation of the 1994 World Series. Montreal Expos are having their best season to date, with 74 wins and 40 losses.
The U.S., Canada, and Mexico announced that the North American Free Trade Agreement had been created after 14 months of negotiations.
IBM unveiled its first PC.
French Marshal Philippe Petain gives full support to Nazi Germany.
Henry Ford’s company builds the first Model T car.
Hawaii is formally annexed to US.
Thomas Edison invented the phonograph and made the first sound recording.
The town of Chicago is incorporated (population 350).
NASA launches the Parker Space Probe, its first mission to the Sun and its outermost atmosphere, the corona.
Major League Baseball players go on strike. This will force the cancellation of the 1994 World Series. Montreal Expos are having their best season to date, with 74 wins and 40 losses.
The U.S., Canada, and Mexico announced that the North American Free Trade Agreement had been created after 14 months of negotiations.
IBM unveiled its first PC.
French Marshal Philippe Petain gives full support to Nazi Germany.
Henry Ford’s company builds the first Model T car.
Hawaii is formally annexed to US.
Thomas Edison invented the phonograph and made the first sound recording.
The town of Chicago is incorporated (population 350).
Start of construction of the Hôtel-Dieu hospital at Quebec.
President Vladimir Putin announces Russia has become the 1st country to grant regulatory approval to a Covid-19 vaccine, called “Sputnik V”, despite no scientific data being published or phase 3 trials having even begun.
Airbnb is founded by Brian Chesky, Joe Gebbia and Nathan Blecharczyk.
Al-Qaeda formed at a meeting between Osama bin Laden, Ayman al-Zawahiri and Dr Fadl in Peshawar, Pakistan.
Funeral of Pope Paul VI held in the Vatican.
“C’est Chic” 2nd studio album by Chic is released featuring single “Le Freak” (Billboard Album of the Year 1979).
Beatles launch “Apple Records” label.
Elvis Presley releases “Don’t Be Cruel”.
The first major league baseball game to be televised in color was broadcast. The Brooklyn Dodgers defeated the Boston Braves 8-1.
Alcatraz, in San Francisco Bay, received federal prisoners for the first time.
Babe Ruth becomes the first baseball player to hit 500 home runs in his career with a home run at League Park in Cleveland, Ohio.
A patent for the sprinkler head was given to Harry S. Parmelee.
President Vladimir Putin announces Russia has become the 1st country to grant regulatory approval to a Covid-19 vaccine, called “Sputnik V”, despite no scientific data being published or phase 3 trials having even begun.
Airbnb is founded by Brian Chesky, Joe Gebbia and Nathan Blecharczyk.
Al-Qaeda formed at a meeting between Osama bin Laden, Ayman al-Zawahiri and Dr Fadl in Peshawar, Pakistan.
“C’est Chic” 2nd studio album by Chic is released featuring single “Le Freak” (Billboard Album of the Year 1979).
Funeral of Pope Paul VI held in the Vatican.
Beatles launch “Apple Records” label.
Elvis Presley releases “Don’t Be Cruel”.
The first major league baseball game to be televised in color was broadcast. The Brooklyn Dodgers defeated the Boston Braves 8-1.
Alcatraz, in San Francisco Bay, received federal prisoners for the first time.
Babe Ruth becomes the first baseball player to hit 500 home runs in his career with a home run at League Park in Cleveland, Ohio.
A patent for the sprinkler head was given to Harry S. Parmelee.
Laurent Berman first licensed practicing notary in New France.
Financier Jeffrey Epstein found dead of an apparent suicide in his jail cell in New York, while awaiting trail for sex trafficking charges.
Google announces its restructure as Alphabet, a holding company with Google, YouTube, Android and Chrome as subsidiaries.
Michael Jackson buys ATV Music (every Beatle song) for $47 million.
“Off the Wall” 5th studio album by Michael Jackson is released (Billboard Album of the Year 1980).
Los Angeles premiere of Alfred Hitchcock’s “Psycho” starring Anthony Perkins and Janet Leigh.
Construction began on the St. Lawrence Seaway.
The day after the atomic bombing of Nagasaki, Japan announced they would surrender. The only condition was that the status of Emperor Hirohito would remain unchanged.
Alexander Graham Bell makes the world’s first long-distance call from Brantford to the Bell homestead in Paris.
The Musée du Louvre is officially opened in Paris, France.