Today in History for Oct. 28:
On this date:
In 312, Roman emperor Constantine defeated the army of Maxentius, a contender to the throne, at Milvian Bridge, after trusting in a vision he had seen of the cross inscribed with the words, "In this sign conquer." Constantine was converted soon after and became the first Roman emperor to embrace the Christian faith.
In 1492, Christopher Columbus discovered the island of Cuba on his first voyage to the New World.
In 1636, Harvard University was founded, the first university in the U.S.
In 1726, "Gulliver's Travels" was first published.
In 1790, the Nootka Convention concluded, ending Spain's claim to what is now the Pacific coast of Canada.
In 1830, Josiah Henson, a U.S. slave, reputed to be the original character for Uncle Tom in Harriet Beecher Stowe's novel "Uncle Tom's Cabin," escaped to Upper Canada. He lived the rest of his life at Dresden, Ont., where he became the pastor of a church.
In 1858, Rowland Hussey Macy opened his first New York store at Sixth Avenue and 14th Street in Manhattan.
In 1886, the Statue of Liberty, a gift to the United States from the people of France, was unveiled. The imposing 46-metre figure of a woman holding a torch was designed by sculptor Frederic Auguste Bartholdi, and cost $250,000.
In 1891, the Supreme Court of Canada ruled that the Manitoba Separate Schools Act was unconstitutional.
In 1909, English painter Francis Bacon, whose paintings included images of distorted and sometimes mutilated human figures, was born. He died April 28, 1992.
In 1914, scientist Jonas Salk, who developed the first polio vaccine, was born. He died in 1995.
In 1918, Czechoslovakia was formed from parts of the Austro-Hungarian Empire. It was formally recognized as a new republic by the Treaty of St Germain. A constitution was established in 1920.
In 1922, following the Fascist seizure of Fiume, Bologna and Milan, Benito Mussolini began his march on Rome.
In 1940, Italy invaded Greece in the Second World War.
In 1954, the RCMP patrol vessel "St. Roch" arrived in Vancouver on its last voyage. The ship was transferred to a museum.
In 1954, American author Ernest Hemingway was awarded the Nobel Prize for literature.
In 1958, Angelo Giuseppe Roncalli, cardinal and patriarch of Venice, was elected pope, taking the name John XXIII. As pope, he stressed the pastoral duties of church officials and promoted social reforms. He also convened a influential council, Vatican II, that studied how to renew and reform the Roman Catholic Church.
In 1962, the Cuban Missile Crisis ended six days after it began. U.S. President John F. Kennedy imposed a naval blockade around the island on Oct. 22. On the 28th, Soviet leader Nikita Khrushchev informed the United States that he had ordered the dismantling of Soviet missile bases in Cuba. Kennedy praised Khrushchev for his "statesmanlike decision."
In 1965, Pope Paul VI issued a decree absolving Jews of collective guilt for the crucifixion of Jesus Christ.
In 1971, Britain's House of Commons approved entry into the European Common Market.
In 1977, Solicitor General Francis Fox told the House of Commons that the RCMP had entered a Montreal office of the Parti Quebecois in 1973, without a warrant, to copy party membership lists. The revelation was one of several incidents of RCMP activities that led to a Commons debate Nov. 15 on the force's security service.
In 1982, Spain's Socialist Workers Party won a solid majority in parliamentary elections. Felipe Gonzalez became the country's first socialist premier since General Francisco Franco's fascists won the civil war of the 1930s.
In 1988, the French government ordered pharmaceutical company Groupe Roussel Uclaf to resume distribution of the abortion-inducing drug known as "RU 486." The company had withdrawn the drug two days earlier after protests from anti-abortion groups.
In 1991, Prime Minister Brian Mulroney withdrew his name from candidacy for the post of UN secretary general.
In 1995, more than 300 people died in a subway train fire in a tunnel in central Baku, Azerbaijan.
In 1998, Winnipeg became the first major Canadian city to elect an openly gay mayor. Glen Murray defeated his main opponent by more than 10,000 votes. Some church leaders had urged their congregations to cast a moral vote against Murray, a nine-year city council veteran.
In 2000, B.C. Lions quarterback Damon Allen broke Ron Lancaster's all-time CFL pass yardage record of 50,535 yards. Allen broke the record during a win over Hamilton, the team coached by Lancaster. Allen retired in 2008 with 72,381, making him, at the time, the all-time leader in pro football history. (Montreal Alouettes quarterback Anthony Calvillo surpassed Allen on Oct. 10, 2011.)
In 2003, MPs approved legislation paving the way for limited use of human embryos in medical research. The measure was part of a wide-ranging bill that would also regulate human assisted reproduction and ban human cloning.
In 2005, U.S. financier Jerry Zucker launched a $1.1 billion bid to take over the Hudson's Bay Co.
In 2006, former world and Canadian heavyweight boxing champion Trevor Berbick, who once beat Muhammad Ali, was murdered in Jamaica. He was 52. (A 21-year-old nephew and another man were later convicted.)
In 2009, Lt. Justin Boyes, 26, was killed by an improvised explosive device in Afghanistan's Panjwaii district. Boyes belonged to the 3rd Battalion Princess Patricia's Canadian Light Infantry based in Edmonton.
In 2010, Nissan announced it was recalling 2.14 million vehicles in the U.S., Japan, Europe and Asia for an ignition problem that may stall the engine.
In 2011, Commonwealth leaders, including Prime Minister Stephen Harper, agreed to new royal succession rules, where the first-born, regardless of gender, would inherit the throne. A ban was also lifted on a monarch being married to a Roman Catholic.
In 2012, a powerful 7.7-magnitude earthquake shook the north-central coast of British Columbia in the Haida Gwaii area. Tsunami warnings were issued along the B.C. coast and as far away as Hawaii, though there were no reports of major damage.
In 2012, the San Francisco Giants won their second World Series title in three years, beating the Detroit Tigers 4-3 in extra innings to complete a four-game sweep.
In 2013, Penn State announced it was paying $59.7 million to 26 young men over claims of child sexual abuse at the hands of former assistant football coach Jerry Sandusky.
In 2014, Orbital Sciences Corp.'s unmanned commercial supply ship bound for the International Space Station exploded just six seconds after liftoff at Wallops Island, Va. It was the first catastrophic launch in NASA's commercial spaceflight effort.
In 2016, Justice Malcolm Rowe was formally appointed to the Supreme Court of Canada -- the first justice appointed under a new process brought in by the Trudeau government in which people were asked to apply for the job and be vetted by an independent advisory board.
In 2017, former Alberta PC Leader and federal cabinet minister Jason Kenney was elected leader of the province's newly created United Conservative Party, formed in July when Alberta's Progressive Conservatives and the Wildrose Party voted to merge.
In 2017, ice dancers Scott Moir and Tessa Virtue won their seventh Skate Canada International title, Kaetlyn Osmond won the women's singles title and Meagan Duhamel and Eric Radford won the pairs.
In 2018, far-right congressman Jair Bolsonaro was elected president of Brazil, winning 55 per cent of the vote in a second-round runoff with leftist candidate Fernando Haddad.
In 2018, English soccer club Leicester City said Thai owner Vichai Srivaddhanaprabha was among five people who died when a helicopter crashed next to the stadium.
In 2019, the U.K. was granted another extension to its divorce date with the EU. European Council president Donald Tusk made the announcement on Twitter, saying the bloc has agreed to the requested delay and set the new date for January 31st next year. Tusk's announcement came as European Union diplomats met in Brussels to sign off on the delay for Britain's departure, which had been set for October 31st.
In 2020, long-time Conservative MP and cabinet minister Don Mazankowski died at 85. Mazankowski served in several cabinet positions including finance and agriculture under Brian Mulroney and transport under Joe Clark. Mulroney once called Mazankowski his "minister of everything.'' He served 25 years in Parliament starting in 1968.
In 2020, the House of Commons gave approval in principle to a bill to ban so-called conversion therapy, a discredited practice to turn LGBTQ people "straight.'' But the 308-7 vote exposed divisions within Conservative ranks. Conservative Leader Erin O'Toole voted in favour of the bill, but seven of his MPs voted no and two abstained. Others voted yes, but hope it will be amended.
In 2020, a report from Canada's chief public health officer focusing on the first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic said Canada ranked 26th in the world for total deaths per million population. Dr. Theresa Tam's report said more support and stricter rules were now in place in long-term care facilities to avoid a repeat of the spike in deaths seen in the spring.
In 2021, the former Canadian Armed Forces reservist at the centre of a violent plot to trigger a race war in Virginia was sentenced to nine years in prison followed by three years of supervised release. Patrik Mathews of Beausejour, Man., pleaded guilty to weapons charges related to his role in a white supremacist plan to disrupt a gun-rights rally in January 2020.
In 2021, senators would have to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 if they want to participate in person in Senate proceedings. That's the same rule as for MPs in the House of Commons. A spokesman for Speaker George Furey said the mandatory vaccination rule would apply to senators attending proceedings in the Senate chamber itself and also to Senate committee meetings. There would be an option of providing proof of a recent negative COVID-19 test for those with a valid medical exemption.
In 2021, Joel Quenneville resigned as coach of the Florida Panthers. This came two days after the second-winningest coach in NHL history was among those implicated for not swiftly responding to allegations by a Chicago Blackhawks player in 2010 of being sexually assaulted by another coach.
In 2022, U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi's husband, Paul Pelosi, was attacked and severely beaten with a hammer during a home invasion in San Francisco. He suffered blunt force trauma to his head and body, and was treated for bruising, severe swelling and other injuries.
In 2022, Canada said it would issue new five-year Ukraine Sovereignty Bonds that people could buy to support the Ukrainian government. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau also announced that Canada was imposing sanctions on 35 more Russians, including the executives of the state-owned energy company Gazprom.
In 2023, Emmy-nominated actor Matthew Perry was found dead at his Los Angeles home. Perry was best known for his role as Chandler Bing over 10 seasons on the TV show "Friends.'' Authorities said there was no foul play suspected in the death. Perry was 54.
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The Canadian Press
