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HISTORY - TIME DATE

JANUARY

January 1, 1912 Canadian Pacific Railway (CPR) becomes responsible for all lines formerly operated by the Dominion Atlantic Railway (DAR) - according to a 999 year lease arrangement.
January 2, 1904 Louis B. Mayer, one of the founders of MGM Studios (Hollywood, California), leaves his family home in Saint John, destined for Boston (Massachusetts).
January 3, 1786 The first meeting of the New Brunswick Legislature is held at the Mallard House on King Street in Saint John. The historic opening marks the official business of developing the new province of New Brunswick.
January 6, 1841 The Report of American Commissioners is released, concerning the boundary line between New Brunswick and the State of Maine.
January 6, 1900 The first issue of " The Freeman" appears in Saint John.
January 9, 1839 The State of Maine prepares for war with New Brunswick, as Colonel Jarvis and 800 Maine volunteers occupy the disputed territory of Aroostook.
January 10, 1815 Sir John Alexander Macdonald, the Dominion of Canada’s first Prime Minister, is born in Glasgow (Scotland).
January 12, 1786 The results of the first provincial election in Saint John are protested.
January 14, 1837 The second most deadly fire in Saint John's history starts at Peter's Wharf and rages along South Market Wharf, eventually destroying 115 houses throughout the downtown and causing more than $1 million in property damages.
January 16, 1880 Thomas Campbell, of Saint John, patents the Combined Hot and Cold Water Faucets.
January 15, 1635 Charles Saint-Étienne de La Tour is granted a large tract of land which includes St. John harbour, and a bitter rivalry soon develops, with Charles d’Aulnay de Charnisay at Port Royal, for supreme authority in Acadia.
January 18, 1785 The first Governor’s Ball is held at Parrtown (Saint John), to celebrate the Queen’s birth night. Between 30 to 40 “Ladies…of the best families only” and nearly 100 “Gentlemen… of all sorts “ are reported in attendance.
January 20, 1853 The first undersea telegraph cable in North America is completed between Cape Tormentine, New Brunswick, and Borden, Prince Edward Island, largely through the efforts of inventor and engineer Frederic Gisborne.
January 21, 1968 Artist Miller Brittain dies in Saint John.
January 22, 1847 Saint John's Dr. Martin H. Peters uses ether as an anaesthetic during surgery for the first time in New Brunswick.
January 22, 1901 Death of Queen Victoria.
January 24, 1974 The New Brunswick Supreme Court finds K.C. Irving and 3 New Brunswick companies guilty of establishing a monopoly of English-language daily newspapers in the province. The decision is later overturned.
January 25, 1926 Saint John's Charles Gorman is the world's amateur speed skating champion after winning the event at Lily Lake in Saint John.
January 25, 1933 Alden Nowlan is born near Windsor, Nova Scotia. With a grade 4 education, Nowlan moves to New Brunswick in 1952, later becoming a nationally respected award winning poet, journalist and playwright.
January 26, 1786 George Handyside is reprimanded on his knees in the Legislative Assembly for public criticism of the Assembly.
January 27, 1858 Queen Victoria choses Ottawa as the capital of the United Canadas.
January 28, 1764 Governor Wilmot recommends that Acadian refugees be sent to the West Indies.
January 29, 1951 The Canadian Post Office announces that Maritime home mail deliveries will be reduced to once per day.
January 30, 1807 The House of Assembly passes a Fishing Rights Act, giving property owners the exclusive right to take fish on waters bounded by their property. The Common Council of Saint John subsequently convinces British authorities in London to veto the act.
January 30, 1821 Both New Brunswick and Nova Scotia approve grants of £150 each to help maintain a packet mail ferry service between Saint John and Digby.
January 30, 1865 Leonard Tilley dissolves the New Brunswick Legislature Assembly and prepares to oppose Albert James Smith in the historic pre-Confederation election. Albert Smith carries the anti-Confederation vote, with 26 of the 41 seats going to anti-union members.
January 30, 1931 The world’s first Boy Scout Apple Day is organized by Eli Boyaner in Saint John.
January 31, 1851 Inventor Thomas Turnbull demonstrates his "Audromonon Carriage" to the Saint John public. New Brunswick's first horseless carriage consists of three wheels drawn by a crank, with an operational lever on each side of the driver's seat.

FEBRUARY

February 1, 1785 The first session of the Supreme Court of New Brunswick is held in Saint John, under Chief Justice George Duncan Ludlow. A Loyalist, and former Supreme Court Judge in New York, Ludlow had endured the American Revolution on Long Island.
February 1, 1923 Peter J. Veniot becomes the first Acadian Premier of New Brunswick. Veniot rose to power under Walter Foster, and was selected his successor as permier.
February 1, 1977 The three Maritime provinces sign an agreement with the federal government, giving the provinces 100 percent of the royalties from off-shore mineral discoveries within five kilometres of the shoreline, and 75 percent of royalties beyond five kilometres.
February 2, 0 GROUND HOG DAY
February 2, 1817 Governor Thomas Carleton dies in Ramsgate, England.
February 3, 1769 The first schooner to be constructed on the St. John River, the "Betsy", sails for Newburyport, Massachusetts, under Captain Jonathan Leavitt. Built by the Saint John firm of Simonds and White.
February 3, 1820 Members of the House of Assembly are refused permission to attend debates of the Executive Council. This closed door policy continues until 1834.
February 4, 1817 William Botsford is appointed Speaker of the Legislative Assembly.
February 5, 1859 Inventor Robert Foulis petitions provincial authorities to allow his steam fog-horn to be installed on Partridge Island in Saint John harbour, and the world's first steam-operated fog alarm is erected on the island later the same year.
February 6, 1952 Elizabeth II becomes Queen upon the death of King George VI.
February 7, 1831 Sir Archibald Campbell arrives in New Brunswick to serve as Lieutenant-Governor.
February 7, 1867 A draft bill to form the Dominion of Canada is introduced in the British House of Lords. Parliament passes the British North America Act on March 8 and the act receives Royal Assent the same month.
February 8, 1631 Louis XIII of France names Charles de Saint-Étienne de La Tour Lieutenant General and Governor of Acadia. La Tour establishes a small fortified trading post at the mouth of the St. John River - Fort La Tour.
February 8, 1793 With France declaring war on Britain, London directs Lieutenant-Governor Thomas Carleton to raise an infantry corps in New Brunswick. The Kings New Brunswick Regiment is quickly created and by the following year numbers 450 men.
February 8, 1839 The Aroostook War breaks out between New Brunswick and Maine lumbermen over the disputed territory along the upper St. John River. On March 25, a truce is arranged between the warring factions over drinks at a local grog shop.
February 8, 1879 Sir Sandford Fleming, the immigrant from Scotland who built the Intercolonial Railway and most of the Canadian Pacific Railway, first proposes International Standard Time.
February 9, 1936 Legendary Canadian folksinger, "Stompin" Tom Connors is born at the stroke of midnight in the Saint John General Hospital, son of Isabel Connors and Thomas Joseph Sullivan.
February 10, 1638 With the death of Governor de Razilly, Louis XIII appoints Charles de Menou d'Aulnay de Charnisay, Lieutenant-Governor of Acadia, but limits his authority to Port Royal, La Have, and Pentagouet on the Penobscot River (present-day Maine).
February 10, 1638 Louis XIII gives Charles de La Tour a portion of Acadia, including Cape Sable Island and the fortress at the mouth of the St. John River. Animosity between La Tour and d'Aulnay creates civil war in Acadia, and La Tour is recalled to France in 1641.
February 10, 1763 The Seven Years' War ends with the Treaty of Paris. All of North America is ceded to Britain, except New Orleans and the small islands of St. Pierre and Miquelon.
February 10, 1824 The first history of New Brunswick, Peter Fisher's Sketches of New Brunswick, is advertised for sale in the "Royal Gazette".
February 10, 1848 Opening in Fredericton of the first Provincial Normal School.
February 10, 1914 The Parish of L'Assomption is created in Moncton, under the leadership of Reverend Henri Cormier.
February 10, 1975 Various government agencies announce $18 million is available to help spur the laying of an underwater electrical cable between New Brunswick and Prince Edward Island.
February 11, 1923 Winnifred Blair, "Miss Saint John", is crowned the first Miss Canada, at the Montreal Winter Carnival. Miss Blair returns by train to the port city amid thousands of cheering supporters.
February 14, 0 VALENTINE'S DAY
February 15, 1965 The Canadian Maple Leaf Flag is adopted.

MARCH

March 1, 1764. New England entrepreneur James Simonds forms a trading enterprise for at the 'mouth of the St. John, with partners Samuel Blodget, William Hazen, James White, Richard Simonds, and Robert Peaslie.
March 1, 1815. The War of 1812 between Britain and the United States comes to an end, and so, too, the heyday of the privateer. Henceforth, private ship-owners in the Maritimes are no longer allowed to capture American vessels.
March 1, 1848. The Sons of Temperance report that after one year of operation, they have 30 divisions in the province.
March 1, 1912. Construction begins in Courtenay Bay on Saint John's massive new dry-dock.
March 1, 1925. Union of the Presbyterian, Methodist, and Congregational Churches into the United Church of Canada is put to a vote throughout the Maritimes, and is approved despite much opposition.
March 2, 1829. The Saint John almshouse is destroyed by fire.
March 2, 1925. A major earth tremor rumbles across the Maritimes, and people rush from quivering buildings to the safety of the streets.
March 3, 1855. Leonard Tilley introduces a controversial liquor prohibition bill, which the House of Assembly passes in 1856. However, the unpopular law proves unenforceable. Tilley's "Smasher Government" loses the election of 1856 and prohibition is repealed.
March 3, 1911. Plumbers and Steamfitters Union, Local No 574 is first organized in New Brunswick.
March 4, 1863. George E. Fenety is appointed Queen's Printer.
March 5, 1802. The first public schools act is established.
March 6, 1918. The Blue Cross organizes a special day throughout the Maritimes, in aid of horses needing special care after being wounded or maimed in the First World War.
March 8, 1866. Lt. Gov. Gordon reads his speech: I am further directed to express to you the strong and deliberate opinion of Her Majesty's Government, that it is an object much to be desired, that all British N. American Colonies should agree to unite in one Government."
March 11, 1818. The petition of Saint John bakers to prohibit the importing of hard bread from the United States is refused by the Executive Council.
March 12, 1819. William Pagan, one of New Brunswick's richest Loyalist businessmen, dies in Saint John.
March 14, 1899. Industrialist K. C. Irving is born in Bouctouche. Starting with a used tank and a few trucks, he founds the Irving Oil Co. in the mid 1920s, and eventually establishes a vast business empire that employs one out of every 12 workers in the province.
March 15, 1744. France declares war on Britain in an all-out struggle that becomes known in Europe as the War of the Austrian Succession. However, in British North America the conflict is called King George's-War.
March 15, 1851. New Brunswick enacts a law to begin construction of the European and North American Railroad. The proposed route is to extend from the Nova .Scotia border in Westmorland County, south, to Bangor and Portland Maine.
March 16, 1836. The Saint John Stage Coach Company and the Woodstock and Fredericton Stage Coach Company are founded by an act of the Legislative Assembly.
March 17, 1866.The United States ends Reciprocity - the free trade agreement with British North America - under suspicion of Britain's attempts to assist the South during the American Civil War.
March 20, 1826. Saint John announces tenders will be received for six freemen of the city "of good character" to become British North America's first paid police force.
March 21, 1904. An earthquake is felt in New Brunswick.
March 22, 1834. The Legislature adopts a new Marriage Act that ends the Anglican monopoly on marriage in the province. Prior to 1834, many religions were unable to perform their own marriage ceremonies and refused to submit to Anglican authority.
March 25, 1820. The Bank of New Brunswick is the first bank incorporated in Canada. It begins operations on Prince William Street in Saint John, with an initial capital of £50,O00.
March 25, 1938. Notre-Dame-de-L'Assomption is proclaimed patron Saint of Acadians.
March 25, 1965. The New Brunswick flag is flown for the first time.
March 27, 1632. Isaac de Razilly is placed in charge of the Company of New France at Port Royal, and is later appointed Lieutenant Governor of Acadia. This throws into doubt Charles de La Tour's appointment as commander of Acadia.
March 27, 1855. The liquor prohibition bill is passed in the Legislative Assembly. This unpopular law takes effect January 1, 1856 and is repealed six months later, after Tilley's "Smasher Government" loses the election.
March 29, 1929. CFBC Radio in Saint John hosts Don Messer's first broadcast with a group known as "The New Brunswick Lumberjacks".
March 30, 1894. The Women's Enfranchisement Association of New Brunswick is organized at Saint John, under the presidency of Sarah Manning.

APRIL

April 2, 1865 Francis A. Anglin, Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of Canada, is born in Saint John.
April 4, 1784 First marriage in Parrtown (Saint John) - Hannah Lester and Lieutenant Andrew H. Stockton.
April 5, 1815 Tambora volcano erupts on the Indonesian island of Sumbawa, causing the summer of 1816 (the "Year Without a Summer") to be extremely dark and cold throughout eastern North America.
April 5, 1842 The first public museum in Canada opens in Saint John at the Mechanics Institute. The Gesner Museum includes more than 2,000 items, mainly in the natural history field, and becomes the forerunner of the New Brunswick Museum.
April 5, 1883 First speed skating competition in New Brunswick (Saint John).
April 6, 1888 The New Brunswick Telephone Company is incorporated and begins to take over the telephone system throughout the province.
April 9, 1825. The Saint John Agricultural and Emigrant Society is formed.
April 11, 1713. The Treaty of Utrecht formally ends the War of the Spanish Succession. Territory in Acadia (Nova Scotia) is ceded to Great Britain, while possession of lands north of the Bay of Fundy (New Brunswick) remain in dispute.
April 11, 1786. Thomas Mallard announces in the "Royal Gazette" he as acquired the schooner "Four Sisters" and has established a weekly passenger and cargo service from Saint John to Fredericton.
April 11, 1816. The first river steamboat in New Brunswick, the "General Smyth", is launched at Saint John. On May 20, the "General Smyth" begins its maiden voyage upriver from Saint John to Fredericton.
April 15, 1919. After almost 50 years of debating the issue, New Brunswick women are granted the right to vote in provincial elections.
April 16, 1764. James Simonds, James White, Jonathan Leavitt, and a party of approximately 30 tradesmen arrive at Portland Point (Saint John) from Massachusetts to establish the first permanent English settlement.
April 16, 1889. The communities of Saint John and Portland agree to merge.
April 17, 1645. With Charles de La Tour in Boston, seeking help to maintain his hold in Acadia, arch-rival Charles d'Aulnay de Charnisay attacks Fort La Tour. After an heroic defense, La Tour's wife, Francoise Marie Jacquelin, surrenders and dies soon after.
April 17, 1851. One of Canada's most famous clipper ships, the " Marco Polo ", is launched at Marsh Creek near Saint John. Built by James Smith at Courtenay Bay, the " Marco Polo " earns the title of the Fastest Ship in the World.
April 17, 1908. Rev. Joseph Owens, author, philosopher and president of the Metaphysics Society of America, is born in Saint John.
April 19, 1927. Prohibition ends in New Brunswick with the government becoming involved in the sale of liquor.
April 21, 1866 Fenian raiders,on board the hired schooner "Two Friends" out of Lubec Maine,capture the "Winthrop" near Campobello Island - "in the name of the Irish Republic".Upon arrival of British warships, the raiders sink the "Two Friends" and return to Eastport.
April 21, 1926 Birth of Elizabeth Alexandra Mary (Queen Elizabeth II), the first child of The Duke and Duchess of York - who subsequently become King George VI and Queen Elizabeth.
April 22, 1786 Sir Guy Carleton is appointed Governor-in-Chief of British North America. His brother, Colonel Thomas Carleton, becomes Lieutenant Governor of New Brunswick.
April 23, 0 ST. GEORGE'S DAY
April 24, 1920 The Association of Professional Engineers of New Brunswick is incorporated.
April 26, 1850 "The New Brunswick Society for the Encouragement of Agriculture, Home Manufactures, and Commerce Throughout the Province" is established.
April 26, 1909 Saint John Magistrate Ritchie rules that electricity is indeed a commodity. Charles Kerr of the Bijou Moving Picture Theatre is found guilty of stealing electricity by tapping into the St. John Railway Company.
April 27, 1950 Despite mass protests, Premier John B. MacNair imposes a four percent sales tax in New Brunswick to help finance education and social services. Two years later, MacNair and his party are defeated at the polls.
April 29, 1916 New Brunswick adopts the practice of Daylight Saving time.

MAY

May 1, 1843 New Brunswick's first official coins, the Penny and Halfpenny Copper tokens, commence circulation. Before this date prices were quoted in New Brunswick currency, although Spanish, British, or American coins were actually used.
May 1, 1917 Prohibition commences in New Brunswick, making the sale of liquor unlawful - except for "medicinal, scientific, sacramental, and mechanical purposes". This law remains in effect for 10 years.
May 2, 1786 The first libel trial in New Brunswick begins in Saint John. Printers William Lewis and John Ryan are charged with publishing inflammatory articles. They are found guilty by a jury, fined and made to post a security bond against future infractions.
May 2, 1811 Henry Chubb begins the "New Brunswick Courier" newspaper in Saint John. The Courier becomes a training ground for many prominent newspapermen, and champions the rights of the elected Assembly during the struggle for responsible government in the 1830's.
May 3, 1945 The Town of Rothesay is incorporated.
May 4, 1985 Frank McKenna is elected leader of the Liberal Party. On October 13, 1987, McKenna's Liberals take all 52 seats in the provincial election.
May 5, 1909 Convicts William Parks and Carl Schultz escape from a chain gang working near Saint John. Schultz is quickly rearrested; but Parks remains on the loose for some time. Parks was serving a one year sentence for stealing a pair of boots.
May 7, 1869 New Brunswick's Provincial Seal is authorized by Royal Warrant.
May 7, 1945 German forces surrender in western Europe and World War II ends in Europe.
May 8, 1871 The Treaty of Washington sets out rights for American access to Canadian inshore fishing waters, as well as some navigation rights on Canadian rivers, including allowing Maine's lumber industry to float logs down the St. John River.
May 10, 1783 The first Loyalist ships sail into Saint John harbour. The tiny Parrtown settlement is soon overflowing with refugees. A fleet of 20 vessels had left Sandy Hook in New York with Americans loyal to the British crown.
May 10, 1873 Nearly 600 Scottish immigrants aboard the "Castalia" arrive at Saint John harbour, destined to establish the "Scotch Colony" of Kincardine.
May 12, 1689 King William's War begins between England and France, with New Englanders and their Iroquois allies in North America pitted against New France and their numerous Native allies, including Mi'kmaq and Maliseet.
May 13, 1765 Shiploads of Acadians in exile continue to arrive at the port of New Orleans in Louisiana.
May 17, 1871 A Common Schools Act is established in New Brunswick, calling for free schools through public funding and a non-denominational curriculum. The abolition of separate Catholic schools creates immense controversy.
May 17, 1918 Home-made candy from cane sugar is disallowed in New Brunswick. To conserve sugar for the war effort, people are limited to only a 15 day supply in their homes.
May 18, 1783 The "Spring Fleet" of approximately 7000 Loyalists commence landing at Parrtown (Saint John).
May 18, 1785 Parrtown and Carleton, at the mouth of the St. John, are amalgamated by Royal Charter and renamed Saint John - Canada's first city.
May 18, 1785 New Brunswick is divided into eight counties - Charlotte, Saint John, King's, Queen's, Sunbury, York, Northumberland, and Westmorland.
May 20, 1816 New Brunswick's first steamboat, the " General Smyth ", sails on her first trip from Saint John to Fredericton. Stopping over at Maugerville, the steamer arrives the next morning at Fredericton - to a tumultuous reception.
May 20, 1873 Parliament agrees to a resolution, moved by Samuel Leonard Tilley, that Prince Edward Island come into Confederation. Prince Edward Island agrees and by an Imperial Order-in-Council on June 26, the colony is admitted into the Canadian Confederation.
May 24, 1650 Governor of Acadia, Charles de Menou d'Aulnay dies after his canoe capsizes in Port Royal Basin, and is buried at Port Royal. D'Aulnay's widow, Jeanne Motin, and his former rival, Charles de la Tour, sign a marriage contract in 1653.
May 24, 1819 Queen Victoria's birthday. Born the daughter of Edward, the Duke of Kent, and Princess Victoria of Saxe-Coburg, H.R.H. Princess Victoria becomes Queen in 1837 - after the death of her uncle William IV.
May 25, 1815 Over 300 Black Refugees, escaped slaves from Virginia and Maryland who found shelter in British occupied Chesapeake Bay during the War of 1812, arrive in Saint John harbour aboard the "Regulus". They eventually settle near Loch Lomond.
May 25, 1875 Saint John's Grace Annie Lockhart becomes the first woman in the British Empire to earn a university degree, as she graduates from Mount Allison University with a Bachelor of Science and English Literature.
May 26, 1784 Captain Nehemiah Marks comes ashore on the banks of the St. Croix River with 200 settlers. Upon landing, they raise the British flag and name their new settlement "Morristown" (St. Stephen).
May 26, 1868 New Brunswick's Coat of Arms is assigned by Queen Victoria. On September 25, 1984 additions are granted by Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II during a public ceremony in Fredericton to mark the 200th anniversary of the establishment of the province.
May 27, 1818 In order to avoid trade restrictions with the United States, Saint John and Halifax are declared free ports. Shelburne and St. Andrews are also given free trade status.
May 28, 1895 Owens Art Gallery, the oldest university art gallery in Canada, re-opens on the Mount Allison campus in Sackville, having been relocated from Saint John two years previous.
May 30, 1814 An Ox roast is held in King Square (Saint John) to celebrate the abdication of Napoleon Bonaparte.

JUNE

June 1, 1911 A new national census reports that New Brunswick's population has grown by 6 percent to reach 351,889 - although only 13 percent of Canada's population make their home in the Maritime Provinces.
June 1, 1921 Canada's population is pegged at 8,788,483 with New Brunswick at 387,876 (an increase of 10 percent). The Maritime Provinces account for only 11 percent of the total population of the Canadian Dominion.
June 1, 1931 The Maritime Provinces account for 10 percent of Canada's population, with New Brunswick reporting an increase of 5 percent - totaling 408,219.
June 1, 1951 New Brunswick's population reaches 515, 697, and leads the Maritime Provinces with a growth rate of 13 percent. In total however, the Maritimes only account for 9 percent of Canada's national population.
June 1, 1961 Comprising 8 percent of Canada's population, the Maritimes have continued to grow, but the rest of Canada has grown faster. New Brunswick reports an increase of 8 percent, totaling 597,936 - compared to a national average of 13 percent and 18,238,247.
June 1, 1997 The Confederation Bridge, linking Prince Edward Island with New Brunswick, is officially opened with a giant foot race and a walk in which more than 50,000 people participate.
June 2, 1941 For the first time since Confederation, the Maritime Provinces are experiencing a population growth equal to the national average, with New Brunswick and Nova Scotia exceeding the rest of Canada by 2 percent. New Brunswick reports 457,401 people.
June 3, 1959 The New Brunswick provincial tartan, designed by Patricia Jenkins of Gagetown, is accepted by the Court of The Lord Lyon, King-of-Arms in Edinburgh (Scotland), as "The New Brunswick Tartan" - and recorded as a registered design.
June 5, 1854 Great Britain and the United States sign a Reciprocity Treaty, thereby ensuring free entry of British North American wood, fish, and farm products into the United States in exchange for American access to the sea fishery along coastal waters.
June 5, 1981 The first teachers' strike occurs in New Brunswick; 1,000 teachers demonstrate outside of the Legislative building, demanding a 37 percent wage increase over 27 months. A tentative settlement is reached on the weekend, and classes resume Monday morning.
June 6, 1944 D-Day invasion of Europe ("The Scarlet Dawn") includes the 3rd Canadian Division - 7th, 8th and 9th Canadian Brigades. The North Shore (New Brunswick) Regiment lands at Saint Aubin-sur-mer, a tiny village on the French coast of Normandy.
June 6, 1987 The Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency (ACOA), a regional development agency with a mandate to assist businesses in creating opportunity and employment, is established with an annual budget of $200 million.
June 9, 1817 The cornerstone is laid for the first brick building in Saint John, built by John Nutting on the corner of Germain and Union Streets.
June 9, 1964 Lord Beaverbrook, Sir Max Aitken, New Brunswick's distinguished son, and one of the most successful businessmen to emerge from the Maritime Provinces, dies in Surrey (England).
June 9, 1965 The Honourable John Babbit McNair of Fredericton is appointed Lieutenant-Governor of New Brunswick.
June 12, 1812 The United States Congress declares war on Great Britain,citing numerous grievances, including naval blockades and the seizure of American sailors at sea. Despite opposition from marine interests in New England, President Madison confirms a state of war.
June 13, 1915 The 26th Battalion departs Saint John for service in World War I. "The Fighting 26th" becomes the only infantry battalion to continuously represent New Brunswick on the battlefront in France and Belgium during World War I and receives 21 Battle Honours.
June 14, 1801 Benedict Arnold dies in London (England). Considered a "traitor" for joining the British after a heroic career as a Revolutionary leader, the Brigadier-General spent a number of unhappy years in New Brunswick attempting to repair his damaged reputation.
June 15, 1857 The Dramatic Lyceum opens in Saint John with a performance of "Bulwar's Money".
June 18, 1984 Official celebrations begin to mark the bicentennial of the founding of New Brunswick as a province.
June 19, 1794 H.R.H. Edward Augustus, The Duke of Kent, (son of King George III) visits Saint John and stays at Chipman House.
June 20, 1833 The ""Maid of the Mist", a steamboat running regularly between Saint John and Windsor (Nova Scotia), makes its first voyage. By this route, travelers can expect to reach Halifax from Saint John in 20 hours.
June 20, 1874 Described as a "dirty pastime", baseball is introduced to New Brunswick at Saint John, by a clergyman from Guelph (Ontario).
June 20, 1877 Saint John's largest fire breaks out in Portland, and quickly engulfs most of the South End of the city. For 9 long hours the fire rages on - leaving 13,000 people homeless, destroying over 1,600 buildings, and consuming most of the commercial district.
June 20, 1883 The first sale of angling licenses for "surface fly fishing" in New Brunswick takes place by public auction.
June 20, 1889 Mary K. Tibbitts of Fredericton becomes the first woman to graduate from the University of New Brunswick, receiving her Bachelor of Arts with Honours in English, as well as the Governor General's Stanley Gold Medal for proficiency in English.
June 22, 1822 The Provincial Marine Hospital opens in Saint John.
June 23, 1830 A "pest-house" is announced for the west end of Partridge Island in Saint John Harbour, after smallpox and typhus are reported on incoming immigrant ships. Vessels with any cases of disease must now hoist a yellow flag upon entering the harbour.
June 24, 0 SAINT JOHN THE BAPTIST DAY
June 24, 1904 At Saint John, the Champlain tercentenary involves a large celebration, including the replica vessel "Acadie" landing at Market Slip and a huge public reception at Market Square. St. Croix Island also holds a tercentenary celebration.
June 25, 1896 Father of Confederation, Sir Samuel Leonard Tilley, dies in Saint John. New Brunswick's most influential politician, Tilley crafted the province's entry into Confederation and played an important role in the development of Canada's political system.
June 26, 1861 Over 130 Scottish immigrants arrive at Partridge Island on board the "Irvine". They left the port of Greenock on May 9, destined for the new settlement of Glassville.
June 28, 1838 Coronation of Queen Victoria.
June 30, 1866 New Brunswick's provincial elections are tallied in favour of Confederation; in the Legislature, the "Confederation Resolution" is passed by a vote of 30 - 8, requesting Lt-Gov. Gordon to appoint a delegation to arrange the union of British North America.

JULY

July 1, 0 CANADA DAY
July 1, 1867 The British North America Act takes effect – uniting the Provinces of Canada, Nova Scotia, and New Brunswick into one Dominion. In New Brunswick celebrations are “respectful and kindly… in a spirit eminently conciliatory to political opponents”.
July 1, 1867 The Honourable Peter Mitchell, of Newcastle - one of New Brunswick's Fathers of Confederation - becomes Canada's first Minister of Marine and Fisheries.
July 1, 1867 After overseeing the defence of New Brunswick against Fenian threats from Maine, Major-General Sir Charles Hastings Doyle is appointed Lieutenant-Governor . July 1, 1873 Prince Edward Island enters Confederation.
July 1, 1920 Female teachers in New Brunswick are given equal pay with men. The Schools Act of 1903 had distinguished between male and female teachers regarding salary levels.
July 1, 1927 The Maritime Freight Rates Act (a Maritime version of the Crow’s Nest Pass Agreement) comes into effect - enabling Maritime manufacturers and producers to compete with markets in central Canada.
July 1, 1941 His Majesty King George VI presents new Colours to the Carleton and York Regiment, at Caterham, Surrey (England). His Majesty reminds the regiment that wherever they are called to fight, they will be "fighting on the very soil of New Brunswick".
July 2, 1847 Dr. James Collins, who assisted hundreds of Irish immigrants ill with typhus on Partridge Island, dies of the dreaded ship-fever at the age of 23. Collins is buried in Saint John, in a lead coffin designed to prevent the spread of the disease.
July 4, 1776 The “Thirteen United States of America” issue their Declaration of Independence from Great Britain, and the American Revolution begins in earnest.
July 4, 1852 The "Marco Polo" sets sail from Liverpool (England), reaching Melbourne (Australia) in a record 76 days. Upon returning to Liverpool in another 76 days, the pride of New Brunswick earns the title of "Fastest Ship in the World".
July 5, 1700 Governor Joseph Robinau de Villebon dies at Fort Saint-Jean (Saint John).
July 5, 1854 An epidemic of Asiatic cholera breaks out in Saint John, killing an estimated 1,000 people by summer’s end. The city’s Board of Health orders all taverns to not sell alcohol, daily death tolls are posted, and all homes in Portland are fumigated.
July 5, 1872 The Honourable George Edwin King of Saint John becomes Premier of New Brunswick.
July 7, 1830 The Saint John County Militia, under Lieutenant-Colonel Simonds, announces the formation of a separate African Company of the First Battalion comprised of "all the people of Color".
July 10, 1972 The Maritime provinces experience a total eclipse of the sun.
July 11, 1788 Benedict Arnold's store on Main Street in the Lower Cove district of Saint John is burned. Rumoured to have been over-insured, Arnold is accused by his ex-partner, Munson Hayt, of starting the fire.
July 11, 1912 Construction commences in Courtenay Bay on Saint John's massive new dry-dock. Premier J. K. Flemming and invited dignitaries watch as the Honourable W.T. White detonates TNT, marking the beginning of site preparations.
July 12, 1849 The annual July 12th Orange Order celebration in Saint John erupts into violence at York Point. More than 1,000 Protestants and Irish Catholics battle amid chaos as law and order breaks down and 12 deaths are reported.
July 12, 1877 Amand Landry, the first Acadian member of the Legislative Assembly, dies at Memramcook. First elected in 1846 as a representative for Westmorland County, Landry is believed to have been a descendant of Charles Saint-Étienne de La Tour.
July 12, 1960 Louis J. Robichaud becomes the first Acadian to be elected premier of New Brunswick. Robichaud's Equal Opportunity Program introduces wide-reaching social reforms and transforms the province into Canada's only officially bilingual province.
July 13, 1784 The oldest gravestone in the Loyalist Burial Grounds of Saint John is enscripted with this date, "In memory of Conradt Hendricks aged 46 years".
July 14, 1654 Charles Saint-Étienne de La Tour surrenders his fort at the mouth of the river St. John to an English expedition led by Major Robert Sedgwick. La Tour is taken to England as a prisoner, where he is held for two years.
July 14, 1888 Long-distance telephone communication is established between Saint John and Fredericton.
July 15, 1788 The meeting location for New Brunswick’s Legislative Assembly moves from Saint John to Fredericton.
July 15, 1880 Convicts of the Saint John and Halifax penitentiaries are sent to the new Dominion Penitentiary at Dorchester.
July 18, 1621 Françoise-Marie Jacquelin is born at Nogent-le-Rotrou (France), the daughter of a medical doctor. Later in life, she marries Charles de Saint-Étienne de La Tour, Governor of Acadia, and dies at Fort La Tour (Saint John) in 1645.
July 18, 1974 Premier Richard Hatfield announces the construction of the first nuclear power station in the Maritimes at Point Lepreau, on the Bay of Fundy.
July 23, 1914 New Brunswick's worst labour strife occurs during the Saint John Street Railwaymen's strike, when the militant union and supporters clash in the streets against the Royal Canadian Dragoons.
July 25, 1883 While carrying a load of timber from Quebec to London (England), New Brunswick's pride, the clipper ship "Marco Polo", runs aground in a storm and breaks up off the coast of Cavendish (Prince Edward Island).
July 26, 0 FEAST DAY OF SAINT ANNE
July 27, 1812 At Saint John, the owners of the sloop "General Smyth" apply for a letter of marque to cruise against the American enemy. While no letters are issued, the vessel engages in privateering anyway during the War of 1812.
July 28, 1827 The steamer "Saint John" begins service from Saint John to Eastport, Maine.
July 30, 1860 The European and North American Railway is completed between Shediac and Saint John.

AUGUST

August 1, 1927 In response to the Maritime Rights Movement and the subsequent development of a National Transportation Policy, the federal government takes over operation of the Port of Saint John.
August 2, 1689 During King William’s War, John Gyles is captured by Maliseet warriors at Pemaquid (Maine) and taken to Medokteck (Meductic). He later records his impressions as one of the earliest English residents on the river St. John.
August 3, 1791 New Brunswick's first lighthouse becomes operational on Partridge Island in Saint John harbour.
August 4, 1914 Canada automatically enters World War I as Great Britain declares war on Germany. Canada’s Parliament later authorizes raising expeditionary forces, on August 19.
August 6, 1497 Having sailed throughout the waters of eastern North America, Giovanni Caboto (John Cabot) returns to Bristol (England).
August 7, 1959 CBC television commences national broadcasting of "Don Messer's Jubilee". Produced in Halifax and featuring New Brunswick born Don Messer and Charlie Chamberlain, the show becomes one of the most successful programs CBC television has ever made.
August 7, 1975 Prime Minister Pierre Trudeau announces that Canada will try to extend its economic coastal zone to 200 miles off the East Coast.
August 9, 1656 After having been held prisoner in England for nearly two years, Charles Saint-Étienne de La Tour is allowed to meet with Oliver Cromwell and regain his rights in Acadia as a Baronet of Nova Scotia.
August 9, 1842 The Webster-Ashburton Treaty defines the Maine-New Brunswick border, and awards the Madawaska territory south of the river St. John to Maine.
August 10, 1840 The first balloon ascension in Canada is undertaken by "celebrated Aeronaut" Monsieur L.A. Lauriat, from Barrack Square in Saint John.
August 13, 1846 The Roman Catholic Diocese of New Brunswick is incorporated.
August 14, 1838 A new city water works, including fire hydrants, becomes operational in Saint John.
August 14, 1987 The Honourable Gilbert Finn is appointed Lieutenant-Governor of New Brunswick.
August 15, 0 ACADIAN NATIONAL DAY
August 16, 1784 Colonel Thomas Carleton is appointed the first Governor of New Brunswick.
August 16, 1934 New Brunswick celebrates its 150th anniversary as a separate province, and Prime Minister R. B. Bennet officially opens Canada's first public museum, the New Brunswick Museum, in its new building on Douglas Ave. in Saint John.
August 17, 1842 A “Ladies’ Bazar and Art Exhibition” is opened in the Mechanics Institute at Saint John by Lieutenant-Governor Sir William and Lady Colebrooke.
August 17, 1862 New Brunswick born lawyer, author, naturalist and government agent, Moses Henry Perley, dies on board the vessel “Desperate” off the Labrador Coast, and is buried at Forteau (Labrador).
August 17, 1905 Farmers in Manitoba and the territories (Saskatchewan and Alberta) request 30,000 men from eastern Canada to assist in harvesting this year’s wheat crop.
August 18, 1784 The first Royal Instructions are issued to Governor Thomas Carleton by King George III - setting out the form and order of government within the Province of New Brunswick.
August 18, 1827 Sir Howard Douglas meets with 93-year-old Maliseet Elder, Chief Sachem Pierre Tomah, at Meductic. A veteran of the Battle of the Plains of Abraham (1759), Tomah was an influential leader during the period of the American Revolution.
August 19, 1942 For twelve raging hours, under intense Nazi fire, Canadian troops from the 2nd Division fight the blazing and bloody Battle of Dieppe.
August 23, 1871 "The Paris Crew" of Saint John, named for their 1867 World Exposition rowing victory in Paris, defeat England's famed Tyne Crew on the Kennebecasis River.
August 23, 1922 New Brunswick Films Limited is incorporated at Saint John with Premier Walter Foster and Lieutenant-Governor William Pugsley as stockholders. The province's first feature film is " Blue Water ", by Ernest Shipman.
August 23, 1977 Irving Woodlands reach a milestone as Mr. K.C. Irving plants New Brunswick's one hundred millionth tree, in the Black Brook district near St.-Leonard.
August 24, 1807 Exports from British North America to the United States are suspended due to strained relations between Britain and the U.S. However, four Maritime ports (Halifax, Shelbourne, Saint John, and St. Andrews) guarantee American shipping safe passage.
August 24, 1873 One of the worst storms to hit the Gulf of St. Lawrence region smashes Prince Edward Island, New Brunswick, and Nova Scotia. "The August Gale" is estimated to have killed nearly 1,000 men at sea.
August 28, 1762 James, son of Hugh and Elizabeth Quinton, is born at Fort Frederick - the first child of English speaking parents whose birth is recorded in Saint John.
August 28, 1824 Major-General Sir Howard Douglas is appointed Lieutenant-Governor of New Brunswick.
August 29, 1758 Colonel Robert Monckton is sent to the mouth of the river St. John. Monckton captures the French fort, but the garrison escapes upriver while the British armed sloop "Ulysses" is wrecked attempting to navigate the Reversing Falls.

SEPTEMBER

September 1, 1969 New Brunswick enacts the Official Languages Act, making it the first officially bilingual province in Canada.
September 2, 1752 The old Julian (Roman) calendar is changed to the new Gregorian calendar throughout the British Empire. September 2 becomes September 14.
September 2, 1755 At Grand Pré (Nova Scotia), Colonel John Winslow issues a citation ordering all Acadian men and boys to assemble at the church on September 5, without arms…“that we may impart what we are ordered to communicate to them.”
September 3, 1783 Great Britain and the United States sign the Treaty of Paris, formally ending the American Revolution. A boundary is established at the St. Croix River and the United States gain access to British inshore fishing waters.
September 3, 1894 Labour Day is officially celebrated in Canada.
September 5, 1804 Amos Botsford is born in Saint John. Described as a person of “discretion and intelligence”, in 1852 Lieutenant-Governor Sir Edmund Head appoints Botsford to represent New Brunswick in Reciprocity Treaty discussions taking place in Washington (D.C.).
September 5, 1918 The first police union in Canada is organized in Saint John. The Saint John Federal Police Protective Association is chartered on September 10. Two days later, the Police Commission dismisses a number of the officers, but they are later reinstated.
September 6, 1851 New Brunswick's first postage stamps are available for purchase at all post offices within the province. The Pence Issue includes denominations of three pence, six pence, and one shilling.
September 7, 1864 At the Charlottetown Conference on Prince Edward Island, the Maritime Provinces discuss the various aspects of Maritime Union, with New Brunswick's Samuel Leonard Tilley in favour of a Maritime union prior to a confederation of British North America.
September 10, 1621 King James I grants Acadia to the Scottish poet and nobleman Sir William Alexander. The royal charter, written in Latin, names the territory “Nova Scotia” (New Scotland). The river Ste. Croix becomes the “Tweed”, and the St. John becomes the “Clyde”.
September 10, 1784 The Privy Council of Great Britain approves an official Great Seal for the province of New Brunswick - illustrating a ship sailing up a river, with lofty pines on each side, and bearing the motto “Spem Reduxit” (“Hope Restored”).
September 10, 1864 Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, and Canadian delegates meet at Province House in Halifax to discuss further details of union. By September 12, an agreement is reached to hold a conference in Quebec to consider the union of British North America.
September 10, 1939 Canada declares war on Germany.
September 11, 1884 The telephone company in Saint John reports a total of 291 telephones in service.
September 14, 1864 New Brunswick and Canadian delegates from the Charlottetown Conference arrive in Saint John, from Halifax (Nova Scotia). A banquet is held at Stubb’s Hotel, where the Canadians are toasted with the singing of “For They are Jolly Good Fellows”.
September 14, 1896 The American feminist, Julia Ward Howe, speaks on the North American Suffrage Movement before a large audience in Saint John, at a national convention organized by the Women’s Enfranchisement Association of New Brunswick.
September 16, 1839 Described as "the poor man's friend", George Fenety starts the first penny newspaper in the Maritimes, in Saint John. "The Commercial News and General Advertiser" is later called the "Morning News".
September 16, 1915 The 26th Battalion ("New Brunswick's Fighting 26th") departs England and lands at Boulogne (France). Later, they participate in capturing Courcelette and taking more than 1,000 prisoners.
September 18, 1632 Scottish raiders, led by Andrew Forrester of Charlesfort, New Scotland (Port Royal, Nova Scotia), attack Fort Sainte-Marie in St. John harbour. Governor Charles Saint-Étienne de La Tour later retaliates by robbing English traders at Machias (Maine).
September 18, 1758 Colonel Robert Monckton arrives at Partridge Island, with over 2000 troops, on orders to destroy Acadian settlements along the river St. John. Fort Frederick is established at the mouth of the river, near the location of an abandoned French fort.
September 18, 1845 Gas lighting is first introduced in Saint John.
September 21, 1893 The Honourable John Boyd, of Saint John, is appointed Lieutenant-Governor of New Brunswick.
September 23, 1897 Hollywood star Walter Pidgeon is born in Saint John, at 23 Cedar Street. Pidgeon grows up working in his father's clothing store at the corner of Main and Bridge Streets. At age 13, he gives his debut performance at the Imperial Theatre.
September 24, 1918 The "Patriotic Potato Scandal" inquiry opens at the Saint John County Court House. After almost three years of inquiry, a tale unfolds of patronage, perjury, cover-ups, incompetence, and many other forms of political corruption.
September 25, 1849 The "Teal" sails from Saint John, bound for California and the Gold Rush.
September 25, 1975 The New Brunswick Government agrees to put Bricklin Canada Ltd. into receivership, after the company loses an estimated $23 million in its attempt to produce a revolutionary new sports car.
September 26, 1709 The Abbé Jean-Louis Le Loutre is born at Morlaix (France). Ordained in Paris (France), Father LeLoutre first arrives in Acadia in 1737, later becoming one of the most popular missionaries known in Acadia.
September 27, 1783 The “Fall Fleet” of Loyalist evacuations out of New York arrive in St. John harbour - too late in the season to reach their designated land grants, or to prepare for the approaching winter.
September 27, 1982 The last issue of "L'Évangeline" is published. The Maritime's most influential French-language newspaper first appeared in 1887 and became a daily publication on September 12, 1949.
September 29, 1834 The Honourable Ward Chipman Jr., of Saint John, is appointed Chief Justice of New Brunswick.
September 30, 1697 King William's War ends with the Treaty of Ryswick, which returns all of Acadia to France. New Englanders are displeased, but by 1702 the Spanish War erupts in Europe and Massachusetts again launches an attempt to reconquer Acadia.
September 30, 1764 “The Halifax Gazette” reports that at about 12 o’clock noon a very severe shock of an earthquake was felt at the mouth of the river St. John.
September 30, 1842 The Roman Catholic Diocese of New Brunswick is established by Pope Gregory XVI, and in 1843, Father William Dollard becomes the first Bishop of New Brunswick.
September 30, 1946 The last passenger steamboat to ply the river St. John, the “D.J. Purdy”, makes her final trip from Fredericton. She ends her days beached as a dance hall at Gondola Point and burns in 1948.

OCTOBER

October 1, 0 TREATY DAY
October 1, 1815 Father French opens St. Malachi's Chapel in Saint John on the corner of Sydney and Leinster Streets.
October 5, 1869 The Saxby Gale, predicted one year earlier, devastates the Maritimes, especially the Bay of Fundy region.
October 5, 1922 Two men from Centerville are severely injured after crashing their vehicle into an American car near the Centerville Bridge. The crash is the result of Americans driving to the right while New Brunswick is still using the British rules of the road.
October 6, 1783 Peace is proclaimed between the United States and Great Britain.
October 6, 1784 Dr. Samuel Moore of Saint John reports the new province's first murder. A black man named John Mosley has been killed with a pitchfork during a domestic dispute.
October 7, 1957 Thanksgiving is celebrated as an annual holiday. Since 1879 Thanksgiving has been an annual harvest feast, but has often been celebrated at different times of the year. In 1957 the second Monday of October is chosen as the annual date.
October 11, 1785 The first issue of the "Royal Gazette and New Brunswick Advertiser " (forerunner to “The Royal Gazette”) appears in Saint John.
October 11, 1918 In New Brunswick, the province's first Minister of Health, Dr. William Roberts, outlaws the gathering of more than 5 people and closes schools and churches for 5 weeks to combat the spread of Spanish influenza.
October 11, 1927 A twenty-foot Celtic Cross is unveiled on Partridge Island as a memorial to the Irish immigrants of 1847 and Dr. James P. Collins.
October 15, 1785 Governor Thomas Carleton issues a writ for New Brunswick’s first provincial election. In Saint John, the election ends with a riot outside the Mallard House polling station, and troops are called in from nearby Fort Howe to restore order.
October 16, 1980 The Furbish Lousewort, a perennial herb only found growing along the banks of the upper St. John, becomes the first plant to be protected under New Brunswick’s Endangered Species Act.
October 17, 1783 The final fleet of Loyalist evacuations out of New York arrive in St. John harbour.
October 17, 1878 The Honourable Samuel Leonard Tilley becomes Canada’s Minister of Finance, with responsibility for implementing a National Policy to encourage Canadian manufacturing.
October 23, 1918 The Spanish flu peaks, as 55,000 people die across Canada, and one of the worst epidemics in world history destroys the jubilation of World War I ending.
October 25, 1798 An International Boundary Commission, set up under the terms of Jay's Treaty, establishes the St. Croix River as the southwestern border between New Brunswick and the State of Maine.
October 29, 1929 The Wall Street stock market crash marks the official beginning of the Great Depression; however, the Maritime economy has already suffered through almost ten years of depressed conditions and has little further ground to lose.
October 31, 1885 Sir Samuel Leonard Tilley, one of New Brunswick’s Fathers of Confederation, is appointed Lieutenant-Governor of New Brunswick for a second time.

NOVEMBER

November 1, 1860 While British currency is still accepted, decimal coinage becomes the official tender in New Brunswick – and new coins are not minted until 1862.
November 1, 1945 The Honourable David Laurence MacLaren, of Saint John, is appointed Lieutenant-Governor of New Brunswick.
November 2, 1936 The Canadian Broadcasting Corporation is created.
November 3, 1850 Fredericton is illuminated by gas lights for the first time.
November 3, 1886 A major fire occurs in Dalhousie.
November 3, 1991 Allan Legere is convicted of four counts of first-degree murder in the torture and beating deaths of three women and a priest, during a reign of terror on the Miramichi, after his 1989 jail break.
November 6, 1867 The first Parliament of Canada's new Confederation opens in Ottawa.
November 6, 1879 Maritimers celebrate Thanksgiving for the first time, as a celebration for “the blessings of the harvest”.
November 6, 1917 The Honourable William Pugsley, of Saint John, is appointed Lieutenant-Governor of New Brunswick.
November 8, 1928 Police arrest five men digging a tunnel under the Chatham to Newcastle highway. The leader of the digging caper, George Bulger, is outraged at the forced work stoppage, claiming to be within striking distance of Captain Kidd's treasure.
November 9, 1849 The first telegraph message is transmitted between Saint John and Halifax.
November 11, 0 REMEMBRANCE DAY
November 11, 1918 At 5 o’clock in the morning in Paris (France), an Armistice Agreement is signed between British Allies and Germany – officially ending “The Great War” (World War I) at the eleventh hour (11:00 AM).
November 14, 1835 The first separate lunatic asylum in Canada opens in Saint John under the direction of Dr. George Peters, who led the move to segregate the insane from criminals. A new treatment centre, the Provincial Lunatic Asylum, opens in 1848.
November 14, 1895 Saint John becomes Canada's Winter Port as the Beaver Line Steamship Company announces a fortnight service between Saint John and Liverpool.
November 15, 1841 William Valentine advertises his new Daguerreotype Miniature Portraits process in the " St. John Morning News", the first known reference to photographic services in the Maritimes.
November 15, 1873 Sir Samuel Leonard Tilley, having resigned his position as Member of Parliament in the administration of Sir John A. Macdonald, is appointed Lieutenant-Governor of New Brunswick
November 18, 1883 At midnight, Maritimers join with other regions in the Atlantic Zone and set their clocks to confirm with the first installation of Standard Time across North America.
November 22, 1784 At Parrtown, Governor Thomas Carleton, having just arrived the previous day, takes his oath of office and oversees the swearing-in of the province’s first Executive Council.
November 23, 1817 Army Officer, engineer, mathematician, and colonial politician, James Glenie dies in poverty in London (England). Glenie was one of the first to challenge the Loyalist establishment in New Brunswick.
November 25, 1783 British forces leave New York, completing the evacuation of nearly 30,000 Loyalist refugees to present-day New Brunswick and Nova Scotia.
November 25, 1784 The first judges of the Supreme Court of New Brunswick - Chief Justice George Duncan Ludlow, James Putnam, Isaac Allen and Joshua Upham - take their oath of office at Parrtown (Saint John).
November 25, 1864 Opposed to the gathering forces of Confederation, Albert James Smith publishes his "Letter to the Electors of the County of Westmorland", and delays Canadian union for almost two years.
November 26, 1934 Cigarettes are selling for 1 cent a piece and a round-trip steamship excursion from Saint John to the British Isles is only $110.
November 29, 1892 Death of Martin Condon, a pauper sold several times at public auction, who had saved $400 to buy a tombstone.
November 29, 1910 The New Brunswick Historical Society allows for the acceptance of female members.
November 29, 1944 German submarine U-1230, on war patrol in the North Atlantic, lands two German agents at Hancock Point (Maine). Four days later she sinks the Canadian merchant steamer “Cornwallis” in the Gulf of Maine, on route for Saint John.
November 30, 0 SAINT ANDREW'S DAY
November 30, 1782 A preliminary agreement to end the American Revolution is signed at Paris. Britain recognizes the independence of its thirteen colonies, and in New York preparations are underway to evacuate Loyalist refugees to British North America.

DECEMBER

December 1, 1922 At midnight, all motor vehicles move to the right side of the road in New Brunswick. Signs in large red letters reading TURN TO THE RIGHT are posted along New Brunswick's streets and highways.
December 1, 1936 The Purple Violet (Viola cucullata) is proclaimed the provincial flower for New Brunswick, by an Order-in-Council.
December 3, 1944 While steaming to Saint John from Barbados, the Canadian merchant ship "Cornwallis" is sunk off Maine by the German submarine U-1230. Out of a crew of 48, only five survive.
December 5, 1812 The British brig "HMS Plumper", out of Halifax with at least £70,000 in gold and silver destined to pay troops at Saint John, strikes rocks near Point Lepreau in the Bay of Fundy and goes down. The whereabouts of the treasure is never revealed.
December 6, 0 SAINT NICHOLAS DAY
December 7, 1840 The Saint John Mechanics Institute building, first home of Abraham Gesner’s Museum of Natural History (New Brunswick Museum), is opened on Carleton Street.
December 10, 1912 Father Édouard-Alfred LeBlanc is appointed Bishop of Saint John, becoming the first Acadian Bishop in the Martimes.
December 15, 1725 Dummer’s Treaty of Peace and Friendship is signed at Boston (Massachusetts), and British authorities promise to respect Wabanahki (Penobscot, Passamaquoddy, Maliseet, and Mi'kmaq) hunting, fishing, and planting grounds.
December 15, 1976 The first Atlantic Lottery draw takes place in Moncton, with the $50,000 grand prize going to Judy Christopher of North Port (Prince Edward Island).
December 16, 1920 Father Patrice Alexandre Chiasson becomes Bishop of Chatham.
December 18, 1783 At Carleton (Saint John), Loyalists William Lewis and John Ryan publish New Brunswick’s first newspaper, “The Royal Saint John’s Gazette and Nova-Scotia Intelligencer”.
December 21, 1878 The City Market in Saint John reports heavy sales of “country produce”, as the Christmas season approaches.
December 23, 1879 A brick Market House opens at Market Square in Saint John, two years after a fire destroyed more than 100 wooden structures in the city. Designed to withstand fire, the building burns in the Great Fire of 1877 and is rebuilt.
December 24, 1819 The Madras Central School opens on King Street in Saint John.
December 25, 0 CHRISTMAS DAY
December 25, 1635 Explorer and cartographer, Samuel de Champlain dies at Quebec. As lieutenant to Pierre Dugua de Mons, Champlain charted the coast of Acadia and was one of the founding members of the first French settlement in North America, on Saint Croix island.
December 26, 0 BOXING DAY
December 27, 1848 A telegraph line from Calais (Maine) to Saint John is completed, allowing for dispatches to be sent to Boston, New York and other major North American centres.
December 28, 1720 The British Lords of Trade propose to deport the Acadians from Nova Scotia, although the deportation does not take place until 35 years later, in 1755.
December 30, 1861 As a result of “The Trent Affair” (seizure of two Confederate diplomats from a British vessel on the high seas), 6,000 British troops land at Saint John with orders to march overland to the Canadas - in defence of a possible American invasion.
December 31, 1847 Saint John has seen almost 15,000 Irish immigrants arrive at its harbour over the past year, including 5,800 in 35 vessels during the month of June.
December 31, 1868 It is reported that Marysville’s Alexander “Boss” Gibson has shipped 67,942,511 feet of lumber and 759,505 palings from Saint John to English markets – making him “the largest shipper of lumber in America, if not the world.”

Information taken from – http://www.gnb.ca/culture/heritage/

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