Today’s Featurse:

  • 1813 War of 1812 - American Invasion Fleet Captures York
  • 1942 Second World War - King Released from Conscription Pledge.
  • 1963 Prime Minister Lester Pearson officially opens l’Exposition universelle de Montréal - Expo ‘67

List of Facts for April 27

  • 1644 Wheat planted in Canada for the First time. Montréal, Québec
  • 1763 Pontiac’s Rising - Pontiac holds council of war at Rivière à l’Écorce to promote an armed uprising against the British. Using the teachings of Delaware prophet names Neolin to inspire his listeners, he convinced a number of Ottawas, Ojibwas, Potawatomis, and Hurons to join him in an attempt to seize Fort Detroit and expel the Europeans. See May 1. Detroit Michigan
  • 1813 Invasion force of 1,700 US troops under Zebulon Pike and Henry Dearborn assaults the town of York; Roger Sheaffe and 600 defenders withdraw to Kingston; Americans torch Upper Canada’s parliament buildings, and depart May 8 after burning and looting the town. Pike is killed in an ammunition explosion. Britain will retaliate a year later by raiding Washington, and setting fire to the White House. Toronto, Ontario See: Eli Player’s Diary on the Battle of York (CanText)
  • 1831 Steamship Royal William launched at Québec City; in 1833, became the first Canadian vessel to cross the Atlantic entirely under steam power. Québec, Québec
  • 1838 Governor Lord Gosford revokes martial law in Montréal; 501 people in the city are in jail for treasonous activities; invoked the previous year because of the rebellion. Montréal, Québec
  • 1846 John A. Macdonald from Kingston gives his maiden speech in the Assembly of the Province of Canada. Toronto, Ontario
  • 1846 U.S. Congress votes to terminate the joint occupancy agreement on Oregon. Washington, DC
  • 1880 Alexander Mackenzie resigns as Liberal Party leader; the former PM is succeeded by Edward Blake. Ottawa, Ontario
  • 1893 Three men are injured and two carts are smashed in one of Edmonton’s First traffic accidents on the corner of Jasper Avenue and 101st Street. Edmonton, Alberta
  • 1896 Politics - Prime Minister Mackenzie Bowell resigns; calls his opponents in the Cabinet “a nest of traitors” when they withdrew support over his handling of the Manitoba Schools Question; ex-Head of the Orange Lodge, he is not able to deal with religious factions in the Conservative Party; succeeded by Sir Charles Tupper. Ottawa, Ontario
  • 1903 Standard Pyritic Smelting Company, having sold its Boundary Falls smelter to the Montreal and Boston Copper Company, votes itself into extinction.
  • 1908 Canada sends team of 84 athletes to the 4th Olympic Games opening this day in London; attracts 22 nations and a total of 2056 competitors; Canada will win three golds, in Lacrosse, Shooting (Walter Ewing) and the 200m Race (Robert Kerr); events last until Oct. 31. London, England
  • 1915 Mathers Commission begins its investigation of the Legislative Building scandal. Winnipeg, Manitoba
  • 1928 Prince Edward Island changes to driving on the right hand side of the road. PEI
  • 1942 Mackenzie King released from 1940 election pledge with a 63.7% victory in the conscription plebiscite, giving him a mandate to impose overseas conscription ‘if necessary’; Québec votes 72% against; other provinces vote 80% in favour. Ottawa, Ontario
  • 1943 First application for the incorporation of a co-operative farm project in Saskatchewan is made. Saskatchewan
  • 1957 Steamer Moyie retired at Kaslo, BC.
  • 1960 Government announces $15 million Colombo Plan contribution to Pakistan. Ottawa, Ontario
  • 1963 Old Waldie sawmill at Castlegar, BC, burns while being salvaged.
  • 1963 Prime Minister Lester Pearson officially opens l’Exposition universelle de Montréal - Expo ‘67; Canada’s First world’s fair runs until October 29, 1967. Montréal, Québec
  • 1973 Beryl Plumptre chairs new Food Prices Review Board. Ottawa, Ontario
  • 1977 Parti Québecois government proposes the Charter of the French Language as Bill One in the National Assembly; to make French the working language in Québec and limit the use of English. Québec, Québec
  • 1979 Canada Post issues stamp commemorating Kluane National Park and Reserve in the southwest Yukon.
  • 1983 Nolan Ryan of the Astros strikes out Montréal Expo pinch-hitter Brad Mills in the eighth inning as the Astros beat the Expos 4-2; breaks Walter Johnson’s 56 year old record of 3,508, to become major league baseball’s all-time strikeout king. Houston, Texas
  • 1987 Edmonton Oilers 4, Winnipeg Jets 2; Oilers win Division Finals 4 games to 0.
  • 1990 Québec women celebrate the 50th Anniversary of the vote for women in the province. Montréal, Québec
  • 1992 Lina Haddad, age 27, gives birth to Quebec’s First quintuplets - three boys and two girls. Montreal, Quebec
  • 1992 Toronto Blue Jays trade Jeff Kent to the NY Mets for pitcher David Cone; Cone later moves back to New York with the Yankees. Toronto, Ontario
  • 1999 St. Cyrll’s Roman Catholic Church in Bellevue, Alberta, and the Holy Spirit Church in Coleman, Alberta, closed.
  • 2004 Air Canada flight 109, a Halifax to Vancouver 767, is escorted by two CF-18s after a suspicious threat is received by North American Aerospace Defense Command.
  • 2004 Deputy Prime Minister of Canada Anne McLellan introduces new $690 million national security and foreign security initiative.