Highlights of the day

  • 1939 Joe Schuster from Toronto publishes his first self-titled Superman comic strip; the Man of Steel had been a character in Action Comics.

List of Facts for January 16

  • 1624 Family - Marguérite Martin baptised, daughter of farmer/apothecary Abraham Martin and Marguerite Langlois. Quebec, Quebec
  • 1637 Religion - The Company of New France receives a grant to establish a nunnery and Jesuit church and seminary at Québec. Québec, Québec
  • 1642 Fur Trade - Isaac de Razilly’s interests in the Razilly-Condonnier company is conveyed to Charles d’Aulnay. Paris, France
  • 1733 Smelting - Founding of company of associates to exploit the St. Maurice ironworks (Forges de St-Maurice). Trois-Rivières, Québec
  • 1800 Crime - John Bliss fights the First duel in New Brunswick against Samuel Stuart. Fredericton, New Brunswick
  • 1813 Media - Anthony Holland edits and publishes the First issue of The Acadian Recorder newspaper. Halifax, Nova Scotia
  • 1814 War of 1812 - British troops start week-long raid on the towns of Madrid, Salmon River, Malone and Four Corners; retaliation for US raids in Canada. Madrid, New York
  • 1821 Media - Chauncey Beach founds The Brockville Recorder newspaper. Brockville, Ontario
  • 1847 Colin Ferrie elected First Mayor of Hamilton. Hamilton, Ontario
  • 1869 Media - First issue of the Montréal Star newspaper. Montréal, Québec
  • 1883 Football - Founding of the Québec Rugby Football Union; one of the precursors of the CFL. Montréal, Québec
  • 1893 Election - The secret ballot is used for the First time in a Territorial election. Saskatchewan
  • 1898 Curling - Regina hosts the First Territorial Bonspiel. Regina, Saskatchewan
  • 1905 Hockey - Frank McGee scores 14 goals as the Ottawa Silver 7 beat the Dawson City Nuggets 23-2 for the Stanley Cup; the biggest point spread in Cup playoff history; McGee’s tally is an all-time Cup record; Yukon team had trekked almost 7, 000 km on foot and by dogsled, boat and train to be able to play in the tournament. Ottawa, Ontario
  • 1906 Military - Last British soldiers leave Canada, as Britain turns over control of its naval bases and garrisons to Canada; those in Esquimault,, BC left earlier; some Royal Canadian Rifles officers and NCOs have moved over to the Canadian forces to train militia. Halifax, Nova Scotia
  • 1908 Communications - Manitoba Government Telephones begins operating; it is the First such public utility in North America. Winnipeg, Manitoba
  • 1917 First World War - HMCS Acadia commissioned as a patrol vessel. Halifax, Nova Scotia
  • 1919 Prohibition - US Volsted Act enforces the Eighteenth Amendment to the U.S. Constitution which prohibited the manufacture and sale of alcohol; Canada becomes a centre of smuggling; rescinded on December 5, 1933. Washington, DC
  • 1920 External Affairs - Canada attends the First meeting of the new League of Nations in Paris; the US not yet a member. Paris, France
  • 1931 Health - Smallpox ban (quarantine) on the town of Barons is lifted after 24 days. Barons, Alberta
  • 1939 Media - Joe Schuster from Toronto publishes his first self-titled Superman comic strip; the Man of Steel had been a character in Action Comics. New York, New York
  • 1942 Duke of Connaught dies; former Governor General of Canada. London, England
  • 1945 Second World War - Department of National Defence reports Canadian casualties from the start of the Second World War to Nov 30, 1944, at 78 985, including 28, 040 killed. Ottawa, Ontario January 16 - Second World War - RCAF Squadrons Nos. 435 and 436 fly their second operational mission to air-drop cargo, or deliver it by jungle airstrip, for General Sir William Slim’s troops, battling the Japanese on the Burma Road. Chindwin River, Myanmar
  • 1958 Politics - Lester Pearson chosen as Liberal Party leader on First ballot, replacing Louis St. Laurent; gets 1074 votes, to Paul Martin, Sr.’s 305. Ottawa, Ontario
  • 1960 Hockey - Gordie Howe of the Detroit Red Wings gets a goal and an assist to pass Rocket Richard as the NHL’s leading scorer to date. Detroit, Michigan
  • 1961 Foreign Aid - Opening of Canada-India nuclear plant, gift to India under Colombo Plan. India
  • 1962 Cinema - Canadian film producer Harry Saltzman and his partner Cubby Broccoli start shooting on the James Bond flick, ‘Dr No ‘. Bahamas
  • 1964 Terrorism - FLQ terrorists hold up an armory and get away with weapons. Montréal, Québec
  • 1965 Trade - Lester Pearson signs the Canada-US Automotive Agreement with US President Lyndon Johnson; the Auto Pact sets up free trade on new cars, trucks, buses, tires and car parts manufactured in either country. Washington, DC
  • 1965 Music - Chad Allen and the Expressions re-release their hit single Shakin’ All Over under their new name - The Guess Who; it is the band’s First record under that name. Winnipeg, Manitoba
  • 1970 Trade Minister Jean-Luc Pépin tables a white paper in Parliament suggesting Canada convert from the Imperial to the International (Metric) System of measurement; Cabinet will accept policy, and set up commission to oversee the change. Ottawa, Ontario
  • 1973 Media - Ottawa born actor Lorne Greene stars in the last episode of TV western Bonanza, set on the Ponderosa Ranch in Nevada; played family patriarch and three-time widower Ben Cartwright, with his three disparate sons (each by a different mother) - Adam (Pernell Roberts), Hoss (Dan Blocker) and Little Joe (Michael Landon); the show ran for 14 seasons. Hollywood, California
  • 1974 Energy - Start of construction of the Sarnia-Montréal pipeline. Sarnia, Ontario
  • 1977 Task Force on Canadian Unity (Commission Pépin-Robarts) holds hearings in Montréal. Montréal, Québec
  • 1981 Music - Gordon Delamont dies; teacher and composer for over 30 years; pupils included Peter Appleyard, Hagood Hardy and Moe Koffman; known for his Ontario Suite composition, written for the Ontario Pavilion at Expo ‘67. Toronto, Ontario
  • 1994 Skating - Josée Chouinard wins the womens’ gold medal at the Canadian Figure Skating Championships.
  • 1994 Music - Canadian rocker Bryan Adams plays before 2, 500 people in Saigon; First Western entertainer to perform in Vietnam since the end of the Vietnam War in 1975. Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam
  • 1997 External Affairs - Canadian Maurice Strong named senior UN advisor on reforming the United Nations. New York, New York
  • 1997 Crime - Ontario Premier Mike Harris announces sweeping changes to Ontario municipalities to control speeding. Toronto, Ontario
  • 1997 Media - World Trade Organization rejects Canada’s excise tax on split run publications as a way of promoting Canadian magazines; the tax hits Canadian companies who run ads in American magazines that print an extra run with Canadian advertising. Geneva, Switzerland
  • 2001 Justice - Alberta government announces that an Alberta lawyer’s civil lawsuit against Stockwell Day while a Minister in the Ralph Klein Cabinet had cost the Alberta taxpayers $792,000; Day later announced he would pay $60,000 towards the cost. Edmonton, Alberta
  • 2004 Politics - Race begins in Nunavut general election. Nunavut
  • 2005 State Visit - Prime Minister Paul Martin begins a nine-day trip to Asia in Indonesia surveying the aftermath of the Indian Ocean tsunami damage; also travels to Sri Lanks, India, Japan and China.
  • 2008 Opening of 2008 Canadian Figure Skating Championships; to January 20. Vancouver, BC