Today-History-Jun06

Today in History for June 6:

On this date:

In 1683, the first public museum, The Ashmolean, was opened in Oxford, England.

In 1844, the YMCA -- the Young Men's Christian Association -- was founded in London by George Williams and a group of associates. It began in Canada six years later.

In 1861, the "Maid of the Mist" became the first ship to navigate the Niagara whirlpool rapids.

In 1888, Cornwall, Ont., was hit by a tornado that destroyed 500 homes.

In 1891, Sir John A. Macdonald, Canada's first prime minister, died at age 76. He led federal Conservative governments from 1867-73, and again from 1878 until his death. Macdonald's achievements included the building of a cross-country railway and a national tariff policy.

In 1895, the Canadian Golf Association was founded in Ottawa. It became the Royal Canadian Golf Association a year later.

In 1925, Walter Percy Chrysler founded the Chrysler Corp.

In 1933, the world's first drive-in movie theatre opened in Camden, N.J. The first movie shown was "Wife Beware."

In 1944, the greatest combined military force ever assembled launched the D-Day invasion on the beaches of Normandy, France, during the Second World War. Allied soldiers scrambled ashore as planes attacked German positions, and paratroopers secured a hold further inland. Total casualties of the D-Day invasion have been estimated at 10,000 dead or wounded.

In 1945, Canada joined 25 other countries in setting up a body to regulate international civil aviation.

In 1953, Queen Elizabeth knighted New Zealand mountain climber Edmund Hillary, a week after he became one of the first two men to reach the summit of Mount Everest. Also knighted was Col. John Hunt, who led the British expedition on the world's tallest mountain.

In 1966, leaders of the Presbyterian Church in Canada approved the ordination of women as elders and ministers. Two years later, Shirley Jeffery became the church's first female minister.

In 1976, oil billionaire J. Paul Getty died in London at age 83.

In 1981, the world's worst rail disaster saw seven coaches of an overcrowded passenger train blown off the tracks into a river in Bihar, India. At least 800 people died.

In 1984, Indian troops stormed the holiest Sikh shrine, the Golden Temple at Amritsar, killing an estimated 1,000 people.

In 1985, Brazilian police exhumed a body later confirmed to be that of Dr. Josef Mengele. His family said the notorious "Angel of Death" of the Auschwitz death camp during the Second World War had died in 1979.

In 1992, at the Earth Summit in Rio de Janeiro, participating countries agreed to set up new rules for fishing on the high seas.

In 1994, more than 35,000 Canadian, American, British, Dutch, Belgian, Polish, Norwegian, Australian and New Zealand veterans travelled to France for ceremonies marking the 50th anniversary of D-Day.

In 1995, Belgian brewer Interbrew made a successful offer of $2.7 billion for John Labatt Ltd., the owner of the Toronto Blue Jays and Argonauts, SkyDome (now Rogers Centre) and the brewery.

In 2003, Prime Minister Jean Chretien opened the $8-million Juno Beach Centre in Normandy, France, honouring the valour of Canadian soldiers who fought and gave their lives during the June 6th, 1944, D-Day invasion. A total of 340 men died and 574 more were wounded during the assault.

In 2003, after more than five years of diplomatic efforts, Cambodia and the UN signed an agreement to create a tribunal to probe the 1975-1979 atrocities by the Khmer Rouge regime in Cambodia in which 1.7 million people were killed.

In 2006, Chuck Guite, 62, the former head of the federal sponsorship program, was found guilty of five counts of fraud totalling $1.5 million. He was sentenced to three-and-a-half years in prison.

In 2007, the Anaheim Ducks won the Stanley Cup for the first time in franchise history with a 6-2 victory over the Ottawa Senators in Game 5 of the NHL championship final.

In 2010, Canadian Sgt. Martin Goudreault, 35, was killed by an improvised explosive device as he was on foot patrol near the village of Nakhonay, about 15 kilometres southwest of Kandahar city.

In 2011, an Ontario Superior Court Justice ruled Ottawa sociology professor Hassan Diab should be extradited to France to face charges in the bombing of a Paris synagogue in 1980 that killed four people. Diab was extradited in November 2014 when the Supreme Court of Canada announced it would not hear his appeal.

In 2015, American Pharoah handily won the Belmont Stakes to become the 12th Triple Crown winner and the first since Affirmed in 1978.

In 2015, No. 1 one-ranked Serena Williams defeated Lucie Safarova 6-3, 6-7, 6-2 for her third French Open title and 20th career Grand Slam title overall.

In 2019, thousands of Canadians gathered on a stretch of beach on the coast of Normandy in France to commemorate the 75th anniversary of D-Day, one of the most pivotal days of the Second World War. It was on June 6, 1944, that 14,000 Canadian soldiers — men from across the country and all walks of life — stormed ashore under withering German fire to begin the long-awaited liberation of Europe from the Nazis. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau addressed the gathering, saying that on the battlefields of Normandy, francophones, anglophones, Indigenous peoples and new Canadians came together as one.

In 2019, Dr. John, the New Orleans singer and piano player who blended black and white musical styles with a hoodoo-infused stage persona and gravelly bayou drawl, died at the age of 77. The family said Dr. John, who was born Mac Rebennack, died "toward the break of day" of a heart attack. They did not say where he died or give other details. He had not been seen in public much since late 2017, when he cancelled several gigs. The governor called Dr. John a true Louisianna legend.

In 2020, Joe Biden formally clinched the Democratic presidential nomination, setting him up for a challenge to U.S. President Donald Trump that would play out against the unprecedented backdrop of the COVID-19 pandemic, economic collapse and civil unrest.

In 2021, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex welcomed the birth of their second child. Meghan gave birth to a healthy girl. A spokesperson for Prince Harry and Meghan said the couple welcomed their child Lilibet (Lili) Diana Mountbatten-Windsor. The baby is eighth in line to the British throne.

In 2021, Calgary's Stephen Ames won the Champions Tour's Principal Charity Classic. Mike Weir of Bright's Grove, Ont., finished second.

In 2021, Canada won the gold medal at the world hockey championship with a 3-2 overtime victory over Finland. Ottawa Senators forward Nick Paul scored the game-winning goal.

In 2021, a much-maligned statue on the campus of Toronto's Ryerson University was splattered with red paint and toppled. Egerton Ryerson is credited as one of the architects of Canada's residential school system.

In 2023, Nova Scotia officials said about 100,000 people had personal information stolen as a result of a privacy breach. The province's minister of cybersecurity said social insurance numbers, addresses and banking information of current employees of the public service were taken.

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The Canadian Press