10/01/1813
Canadian militiamen engage American forces who have crossed the frontier south of Montreal.

10/01/1916
Canadians on the Somme begin a series of costly attacks on the Regina Trench as part of the Battle of Ancre Heights.

10/02/1952
The Canadian destroyer Iroquois, in a dual with North Korean shore batteries, is hit by artillery fire. Three sailors die, 10 more are wounded.

10/3/1914
The largest convoy ever to sail from Canada departs with more than 30,000 men of the Canadian Expeditionary Force.

10/3/1944
The Polish Home Army surrenders to German forces after a 63-day struggle.

10/4/1957
The Soviet satellite Sputnik is launched. It is the first man-made object to reach outer space.

10/4/1957
The CF-105 Avro Arrow is unveiled at Malton, Ont. The Arrow is the most advanced interceptor aircraft of the day and can reach a speed in excess of Mach 2. Only six are built by the time the project is cancelled.

10/4/1993
At least five American soldiers are killed after two Blackhawk helicopters are shot down in Mogadishu, Somalia. One U.S. soldier is believed to have been taken hostage.

10/5/1939
Major-General A.G.L. McNaughton is appointed head of 1st Canadian Division.

10/5/1984
Astronaut Marc Garneau—on board the space shuttle Challenger—becomes the first Canadian in space.

10/6/1981
Egyptian President Anwar Sadat is assassinated during a military review ceremony. Security forces shoot and kill two of the attackers. Sadat was the first Arab leader to recognize the state of Israel since its creation in 1948.

10/6-7/1944
The Royal Air Force’s Bomber Command, No. 6 Group Royal Canadian Air Force, stages its largest sortie of the Second World War. A total of 523 aircraft attack Dortmund, Germany, of which 293 are supplied by 6 Group. The bombing is accurate and severe damage is caused to the city. Civilian casualties amount to approximately 200 killed, while the attacking force suffers less than one per cent loss rate.

10/7/1999
Adrienne Clarkson begins her term as Governor General.