Today in History for Sept. 11:
On this date:
In 1541, Jacques Cartier reached the Lachine rapids above Montreal on his third voyage to Canada.
In 1672, colonial American clergyman Solomon Stoddard was ordained pastor of the Congregational church in Northampton, Mass., at age 29. He remained at this pulpit for the next 57 years. From 1727, until his death in 1729, Stoddard was assisted by his grandson, Jonathan Edwards.
In 1754, fur trader Anthony Henday became the first white man to enter what is now Alberta.
In 1777, Gen. George Washington's American troops were defeated in the "Battle of Brandywine" by a British force under Sir William Howe.
In 1847, 300 people died when a hurricane hit Newfoundland.
In 1860, Toronto's Horticultural Gardens (now known as Allan Gardens), built on land donated to the city by George Allan, was opened by Edward, Prince of Wales.
In 1888, Canadian Gov. Gen. Baron Stanley made one of the oldest surviving recordings. The message, a greeting to U.S. President Grover Cleveland, was recorded at Toronto's Industrial Exhibition (now the Canadian National Exhibition).
In 1916, the centre span of the Quebec Bridge fell into the St. Lawrence River while being set into place, killing 13 workers.
In 1944, U.S. president Franklin Roosevelt and British prime minister Winston Churchill met in Canada at the opening of second Quebec Conference. At this meeting, Roosevelt accepted Churchill's offer to send a British fleet to the Pacific to serve under American command.
In 1955, the Miss America pageant made its network TV debut on ABC. Miss California, Lee Meriwether, was crowned the winner.
In 1956, Canadian war hero Billy Bishop died in Palm Beach, Fla., at age 62. The Owen Sound, Ont.-native was the top scoring Canadian and Imperial ace of the First World War, credited with shooting down 72 German aircraft. He was also the first Canadian airman to win the Victoria Cross.
In 1958, the "USS Swordfish," the first atomic submarine, was completed.
In 1968, Charles Lavern Beasley of Dallas was charged with Canada's first hijacking after he ordered an Air Canada Viscount bound for Toronto from Moncton, N.B., to go to Cuba. Describing himself as an American black-power militant sought by the CIA, he was arrested when the plane landed at Dorval, Que., for refuelling. He was sentenced to six years in prison.
In 1970, Ford Motor Co. introduced the Pinto, a compact that would become caught up in controversy over the safety of its gas tank. (The Pinto was discontinued in 1980.)
In 1971, Nikita Khrushchev, former leader of the Soviet Union, died at age 77.
In 1973, Helen Hunley was appointed Alberta's first solicitor general.
In 1973, a military coup led by army chief Augusto Pinochet overthrew the government of Chile. President Salvador Allende was said to have shot himself, but many believed he was assassinated.
In 1987, Canadian actor Lorne Greene died in Santa Monica, Calif., at age 72. He first became known in Canada as the "Voice of Doom" for his CBC Radio newscasts during the Second World War. But the role of Ben Cartwright on TV's "Bonanza" from 1959-73 catapulted him to fame throughout the world. His gunfighter narrative "Ringo" was a surprise No. 1 hit in 1964.
In 1994, Jessica Tandy, whose acting career spanned more than 60 years and who won an Academy Award at 80 for Driving Miss Daisy, died at age 85.
In 1995, Premier Frank McKenna was given a third consecutive overwhelming victory in a New Brunswick election.
In 1997, the Scottish people voted by an overwhelming majority (74.2 per cent Yes) to restore the Scottish parliament they gave up in 1707 when they joined the United Kingdom. They also decided by a narrow margin that the parliament should have limited power to levy taxes.
In 1997, Canada's federal and provincial health ministers reached a deal for a new blood agency (Canadian Blood Services) after the federal government agreed to pay a significant amount of its setup cost. The new blood authority replaced the Canadian Red Cross Society.
In 1998, the report of Independent Counsel Kenneth Starr was made public in Washington. It alleged 11 acts by U.S. President Bill Clinton in the Monica Lewinsky affair that might constitute grounds for impeachment, including perjury and obstruction of justice.
In 2001, hijackers crashed two airplanes into New York's World Trade Center, toppling its twin 110-storey towers. Not long after, another hijacked plane slammed into the Pentagon in suburban Washington and a fourth plane crashed in Pennsylvania after passengers on board fought with hijackers. Approximately 3,000 people were killed in the four crashes, including two dozen Canadians. The attacks were blamed on Saudi millionaire Osama bin Laden, who was living in Afghanistan under the protection of that country's Taliban government. The U.S. responded by organizing an international coalition to drive the Taliban from power and find bin Laden, who was killed by U.S. Navy SEALs in Pakistan on May 2, 2011.
In 2002, quarterback Johnny Unitas, who broke nearly every passing NFL record and won three championships with the Baltimore Colts in an 18-year career, died at age 69.
In 2003, John Ritter, whose portrayal of the bumbling but lovable Jack Tripper helped make the television comedy series "Three’s Company" a smash hit in the 1970s, died at age 54.
In 2005, Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi won a landslide victory in Japan’s national elections.
In 2008, Montreal's archbishop Cardinal Jean-Claude Turcotte, 72, renounced his Order of Canada to protest Dr. Henry Morgentaler's appointment to the prestigious membership.
In 2009, a Taiwan court imposed a life sentence on former president Chen Shui-bian after convicting him of corruption.
In 2015, a massive crane collapsed in a storm and crashed onto the Grand Mosque in Mecca, killing 111 people and injuring nearly 400.
In 2016, Stan Wawrinka defeated defending champ Novak Djokovic 6-7 (1), 6-4, 7-5, 6-3 for his first U.S. Open trophy and third Grand Slam title overall.
In 2018, Nova Scotia introduced legislation banning the use of conversion therapy for LGBTQ youth under 16. Conversion therapy attempts to change a person's sexual orientation.
In 2018, a member of the Manitoba legislature and former federal cabinet minister took over the leadership of the Manitoba Party. Steven Fletcher had been kicked out of the provincial Progressive Conservative caucus for publicly breaking with the party on a number of policies, including voting against a bill to create a Crown corporation on Energy efficiency.
In 2019, Justin Trudeau began his bid for re-election by framing the 40-day campaign as a time for Canadians to make a choice: whether they want more of his sunny ways or a return to the gloomier days he says are characteristic of life under a Conservative government. NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh said the election would come down to a clear question for voters: Who can you count on? Green party Leader Elizabeth May said her party was hoping to capitalize on interest in tackling climate change, as well as a growing number of Green politicians elected in recent provincial votes. Bloc Quebecois Leader Yves-Fancois Blanchet said voters in Quebec had flirted with three parties in recent years, none of whom has done enough for the province.
In 2019, T. Boone Pickens, who amassed a fortune as an oil tycoon and corporate raider and gave much of it away as a philanthropist, died at his home in Dallas at the age of 91. Pickens made his first millions in oil, burnishing an image as a maverick, unafraid to take on giants in the oil patch. Even his name seemed to fit, like central casting's idea of what an oilman should be named. Starting in the 1980s, the Oklahoma native became known for launching hostile corporate takeover bids that often resulted in a huge payoff. His fortune soared into the billions. Among the institutions to benefit greatly from Pickens' legacies was Oklahoma State University, his alma mater. The university's football stadium bears Pickens' name.
In 2019, Anne Rivers Siddons, a bestselling Southern author known for novels "Heartbreak Hotel" and "Peachtree Road," died at 83 at her home in Charleston, South Carolina. Family members say she died of lung cancer. Siddons was born Sybil Anne Rivers on Jan. 9, 1936 in Fairburn, Georgia. She attended Auburn University in 1954 and wrote for the student newspaper, The Auburn Plainsman. Her columns in the paper in favour of integration gave her national attention and got her fired from the paper. Her 1976 novel "Heartbreak Hotel" is loosely based on the experience. Siddons published 19 novels and one collection of essays.
In 2020, the Mounties charged former Liberal MP Raj Grewal with fraud and breach of trust. They allege the former member for Brampton East took millions of dollars in personal loans without telling the federal ethics commissioner. Grewal was a rookie MP when he left the Liberal caucus in 2018 amid the beginning of the police investigation. Grewal cited personal and health reasons, and the Prime Minister's Office said at the time that he was seeking treatment for a gambling addiction.
In 2021, one-hundred and 45 Canada-bound Afghan refugees escaped to Pakistan. Canada's Immigration Ministry said all 145 had Canadian visas and would be on their way to Canada within days or weeks.
In 2021, U.S. President Joe Biden, along with former presidents Barack Obama and Bill Clinton, attended a ceremony in lower Manhattan to mark the 20th anniversary of the terrorist attacks. The 9/11 anniversary commemoration at ground zero began with a tolling bell and a moment of silence, exactly two decades after the start of the deadliest terror attack on U.S. soil.
In 2021, Liberal Leader Justin Trudeau denied that he wanted Jody Wilson-Raybould to lie as he faced new questions about the SNC-Lavalin affair following the publication of an excerpt of the former justice minister's memoir. In the excerpt published in the Globe and Mail, Wilson-Raybould alleged the prime minister wanted her to lie to Canadians about what had happened.
In 2021, charges were laid after gravel was thrown at Justin Trudeau during a Liberal campaign stop in London, Ont. Authorities said 25-year-old Shane Marshall of nearby St. Thomas faced one count of assault with a weapon.
In 2021, nineteen-year-old Canadian Leyla Fernandez didn't win the U.S. Open title, but she shot up from 73rd in the World Tennis Association rankings to a career-best 28th. The woman who beat her -- 18-year-old Emma Raducanu from England -- jumped 127 spots to a career-high No. 23. Raducanu was the youngest woman to win a major championship since a then-17-year-old Maria Sharapova won at Wimbledon in 2004.
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The Canadian Press