12/31/1943
The Royal Canadian Air Force is at its peak with 215,000 people, including 15,000 members of the Women’s Division.

12/31/1999
Russian President Boris Yeltsin resigns. He is replaced by Prime Minister Vladimir Putin.

01/1/1916
Prime Minister Robert Borden promises to field an army of half a million men, and decides to commit two more army divisions to the Western Front.

01/1/1921
Rear-Admiral Walter Hose succeeds Admiral Charles Kingsmill as director of the Naval Staff.

01/1/1947
The Canadian Citizenship Act is passed.

01/2/1908
The Royal Mint of Ottawa opens, later known as the Royal Canadian Mint.

01/2-6/1945
After waiting for the sodden dike country to freeze solid, 1st Canadian Corps launches well-co-ordinated attacks on two strong German positions east of the Senio River in Italy. On the left, 1st Canadian Infantry Division captures Granarolo and Cotignola in a textbook infantry-artillery attack. On the right, 5th Cdn. Armoured Div. makes a daring charge against a larger enemy force to seize the south shore of Lake Commacchio.

01/3/1990
Military dictator General Manuel Noriega surrenders in Panama.

01/4/1951
The Communists occupy the capital of South Korea, a new line is established south of the former capital.

01/5/2010
The World Food Program suspends operations in southern Somalia due to increased instability.

01/6/1936
Canada’s first-ever female mayor, Barbara Hanley, is elected at Webbwood, Ont., west of Sudbury.