Category: Éphémérides (anglais)

COVID-19 recorded global death toll passes 1 million with over 33 million known cases (Johns Hopkins).

SpaceX unveils spacecraft Starship, designed to travel to Mars and the solar system and land back on earth.

NASA scientists announce the discovery of flowing water on Mars.

SpaceX launches the first private spacecraft, the Falcon 1 into orbit.

“Star Trek: The Next Generation,” starring Patrick Stewart debuts on syndicated TV.

“Physical” single released by Olivia Newton-John (Billboard Song of the Year 1982).

“Songs in the Key of Life” 18th studio album by Stevie Wonder is released (Billboard Song of the Year 1977).

Paul Henderson scores on Vladislav Tretiak with 34 seconds remaining in regulation time, giving Team Canada a 6-5 victory over the USSR hockey all-stars, and a 4-3-1 victory in the eight game Summit Series.

Beatles’ “Hey Jude” single goes #1 and stays #1 for 9 weeks.

Sir Alexander Fleming notices a bacteria-killing mold growing in his laboratory, discovering what later became known as penicillin.

The first around-the-world flight was completed by two U.S. Army planes when they landed in Seattle, WA. The trip took 175 days.

Toronto becomes capital of Ontario

Smallpox epidemic breaks out in New France.

Atlanta Braves right fielder Ronald Acuña Jr. reacts after stealing his 70th base of the season during a game against the Chicago Cubs in Atlanta, Georgia. Acuña is the only player in Major League Baseball history to steal 70 bases and hit 40 home runs during a single season.

Lorde releases her debut studio album “Pure Heroine”.

The Google internet search engine retrospectively claims this as its birthday.

Mark McGwire (St. Louis Cardinals) set a major league baseball record when he hit his 70th home run of the season.

Gilles Villeneuve signs a 2 year contract to drive Formula One with Ferrari.

“The Way We Were” single released by Barbra Streisand (Billboard Song of the Year 1974)

NY Yankee Lou Gehrig hits 1st of his 493 HRs

Radio station CKAC starts broadcasting at Montreal.

Henry Ford’s first Ford Model T automobile leaves the Piquette Plant in Detroit, Michigan.

The physics journal Annalen der Physik publishes Albert Einstein’s paper “Does the Inertia of a Body Depend Upon Its Energy Content?”, introducing the equation E=mc².

Two men went over the 176-foot-high Niagara Falls in a barrel. Jeffrey Petkovich and Peter Debernardi were the first to ever survive the Horshoe Falls.

The video game Fortnite: Battle Royale is released, eventually becoming one of the most popular games worldwide.

TV Period drama “Downton Abbey” premieres in the UK created by Julian Fellowes, starring Hugh Bonnevillle and an ensemble cast

Canada’s Ben Johnson stripped of his 100 Metre Olympic Gold Medal and world record following a positive drug test; forced by the lOC to return the medal and disqualified from the games.

Britain & China initial agreement return Hong Kong to China in 1997

“Knight Rider”, starring David Hasselhoff, debuts on NBC.

Concorde makes its first non-stop crossing of the Atlantic in record-breaking time.

The Beatles release “Abbey Road” album.

Queen Elizabeth decorates the Beatles with Order of the British Empire.

“Gilligan’s Island” premiered on CBS-TV. The show aired for the last time on September 4, 1967.

The first televised debate between presidential candidates Richard M. Nixon and John F. Kennedy took place in Chicago, IL.

1st edition of Tintin (Kuifje), publishes until June 1993.

Comedian Bill Cosby sentenced to 3-10 years in jail for 2004 sexual assault, first celebrity to be jailed in the #MeToo era.

World’s largest radio telescope at 500m wide in Guizhou Province, China begins operating.

Bono, David Evans, his brother Dik and Adam Clayton respond to an advertisement posted by fellow student Larry Mullen Jr. to form a rock band, which would eventually become U2.

Montreal Expos baseball team play their last game at Montreal’s Jarry Park; move into Olympic Stadium – the Big O.

Pink Floyd’s concept album “Wish You Were Here” reaches No. 1 in the US, goes on to sell 13 million copies.

Scientists first report that freon gases from aerosol sprays are destroying the ozone layer.

Jean Drapeau founds his Montreal Civic Action Party/ le parti de l’Action Civique de Montréal.

Transatlantic telephone cable goes into operation from Newfoundland (Canada) to Oban (UK).

The first major league double header was played. It was between the Worcester and Providence teams.

Canada defeats US in first international cricket match.

The Pacific Ocean was discovered by Spanish explorer Vasco Nunez de Balboa.

Hurricane Fiona hit eastern Canada. It was the costliest storm in Atlantic Canada’s history, causing over $660 million in damage.

NFL players kneal, lock arms or stay in their dressing room during the anthem in protests against comments made by President Donald Trump.

“The Big Bang Theory” created by Chuck Lorre and Bill Prady and starring Johnny Galecki, Jim Parsons and Kaley Cuoco premieres on CBS.

Rock band Nirvana release their 2nd studio album “Nevermind”.

CompuServe launches the first consumer internet service, which features the first public electronic mail service.

1st broadcast of “Love Boat” on ABC-TV.

“Jailhouse Rock” single released by Elvis Presley (Billboard Song of the Year 1957).

Molson family acquires Montreal Canadiens hockey club.

American fast food restaurant chain “KFC” [Kentucky Fried Chicken] opens its first franchise in Salt Lake City, Utah.

The Honda Motor Company is founded.

Babe Ruth played his last game as a New York Yankee player.

NHL’s Toronto St Patricks become Maple Leafs.

Building of Notre-Dame church in Quebec.

Christopher Columbus embarks on his 2nd expedition to the New World, setting sail with a fleet of 17 ships and about 1200 men.

The great Roger Federer plays his last tennis match on September 23 at the Laver Cup in London. He ends his career with 20 Grand Slam titles.

Climate activist Greta Thunberg scolds world leaders “How Dare You” for not addressing climate change at the UN Climate Action Summit in New York.

“Modern Family” premieres on ABC, starring Ed ‘Neill and Sofia Vergara.

Quebec hockey player Manon Rhéaume plays in goal for Tampa Bay Lightning; first woman to play in a NHL exhibition game, and on one of the 4 major professional sports teams.

Canadian Ben Johnson sets world record in the 100 metre sprint at the Summer Olympic Games in 9.79 seconds against arch-rival, American Carl Lewis; later stripped of gold medal after testing positive for banned anabolic steroids.

Bob Marley’s last concert at Stanley Theatre Pittsburgh

1st broadcast of “Marcus Welby MD” on ABC-TV.

The first gas murder experiments are conducted at Auschwitz. concentration camp.

General de Gaulle forms government in exile in London

Quebecker Joseph Tremblay the first Canadian soldier to dies at the front in World War I.

Roland Garros of France becomes the first to fly in an airplane across the Mediterranean (from St. Raphael France to Bizerte, Tunisia).

The Phantom of the Opera (original title: Le Fantôme de l’Opéra, is first published.

Nintendo Koppai (Later Nintendo Company, Limited) founded by Fusajiro Yamauchi to produce and market the playing card game Hanafuda.

1st baseball team, NY Knickerbockers organize, adopt rule code.

Volkswagen admits that 11 million cars have been wrongly programmed to appear to emit lesser emissions than they are.

“Lost” created by J.J. Abrams and starring Matthew Fox and Evangeline Lilly debuts on ABC in the US.

“The West Wing” created by Alan Sorkin and starring Martin Sheen, Rob Lowe and Richard Schiff, debuts on NBC.

Friends, an American television sitcom, which originally aired on NBC from September 22, 1994, to May 6, 2004.

“Baywatch” starring David Hasselhoff and Pamela Anderson debuts on NBC.

Sitcom “Family Ties” starring Michael J. Fox premieres on NBC.

The TGV railway service Paris-Lyon is inaugurated.

TV dama “Charlie’s Angels” starring Farrah Fawcett, Kate Jackson and Jaclyn Smith debuts on ABC.

Running of the first Player’s Grand Prix at Mont Tremblant.

Expo 67 breaks attendance record of 42,973,561 set at the 1958 World’s Fair in Brussels.

First vehicle traffic across the new Quebec Bridge.

The first issue of National Geographic Magazine is published.

US President Abraham Lincoln says he will free slaves in all states on Jan 1.

French First Republic formed by the National Convention, stripping the French king of his powers

Moliere’s “L’amour Medecin” premieres in Paris (Versailles).

Discovery of the first brainless animal that sleeps, the jellyfish Cassiopea, research published in “Current Biology” by Caltech scientists

The new Ottawa Senators hockey team play their first home exhibition game in the Civic Centre. Ottawa is finally back in the NHL after 58 years; the old Stanley Cup winning Senators moved to St. Louis in 1934.

“Monday Night Football” created by Roone Arledge, premieres on ABC – Browns 31, Jets 21.

Jimmy Hendrix changes spelling of his name to Jimi.

Opening of Place des Arts, despite demonstrations by separatists; new concert hall.

“Perry Mason” TV series starring Raymond Burr premieres on CBS-TV.

In his last fight, undefeated world heavyweight boxing champion Rocky Marciano KOs light heavyweight Archie Moore in the 9th round at Yankee Stadium, NYC

J.R.R. Tolkien’s “The Hobbit” was first published.

First cowboy film “Kit Carson” premieres in US.

The French National Convention voted to abolish the monarchy.

Students from 185 countries stage the world’s largest-ever protest on climate change culminating in Manhattan rally led by Greta Thunberg.

“New Girl”, starring Zooey Deschanel, debuts on Fox.

“The Cosby Show” premiered on NBC-TV, which aired for eight seasons until April 30, 1992.

The National Football League players begin a 57-day strike.

“Blizzard of Ozz”, the debut solo album by English rock musician Ozzy Osbourne, is released in the United Kingdom.

RMS Queen Elizabeth 2 is launched at John Brown & Company, Clydebank, Scotland. It is operated by the Cunard Line.

The first Cannes Film Festival premiered. The original premier was delayed in 1939 due to World War II.

“Star Spangled Banner”, the national anthem of the United States, published as a song, lyrics by Francis Scott Key, tune by John Stafford Smith

Ferdinand Magellan sets sail from Sanlúcar de Barrameda with about 270 men on his expedition to circumnavigate the globe.

On September 19, the state funeral of Queen Elizabeth II took place at Westminster Abbey in London, in front of her family and dignitaries from around the world.

“ER” premieres on NBC, created by Michael Crichton, starring George Clooney, Anthony Edwards and Noah Wyle.

“Doogie Howser, M.D.”, starring Neil Patrick Harris as a teenage physician, debuts on ABC.

U.S. health officials announced that AZT, though an experimental drug, would be made available to AIDS patients.

8.1 earthquake in Mexico City kills an estimated 10,000 and leaves 250,000 homeless

Scott Fahlman posts the first documented emoticons 🙂 and 🙁 on the Carnegie Mellon University Bulletin Board System.

“Ordinary People” directed by Robert Redford and starring Donald Sutherland, Mary Tyler Moore and Judd Hirsch is released (Best Picture 1981).

Terry Fox invested as a Companion of the Order of Canada. The one-legged cancer victim whose marathon run across Canada raised millions of dollars for cancer research is the youngest so honoured.

“The Mary Tyler Moore” show premieres on CBS.

Chubby Checker’s “The Twist” hits #1 on the Billboard Hot 100.

Dalida is the first artist to be awarded a gold record in France for 300,000 sales of “Bambino”..

“Adventures of Superman” TV series starring George Reeves premieres in syndication in the US.

Beginning of the Bombay plague epidemic when Dr.Acacio Gabriel Viegas detects the first case in Mandvi. Goes on to spread and kill 12 million in India.

New Zealand becomes the first country to grant all women the right to vote.

Melville R. Bissell patented the carpet sweeper.

Jacques Boisdon opens Quebec’s first licensed tavern; forbidden to open when church services being held.