On this date in 1864, William Botsford Jarvis died. He was High Sheriff of the Home District of York and played a leading role in suppressing the 1837 rebellion.

On this date in 1813, Anglo-Portuguese forces defeated the French at the Battle of Roncesvalles. The Toronto street of the same name would be named for this battle.

On this date in 1934, three firefighters – James Dixon, James Henry and William Swire – were killed in an explosion while fighting a blaze onboard the oil freighter Enarco at the foot of Carlaw Avenue.

On this date in 1931, the schooner Julia B. Merrill was set on fire by Sunnyside Amusement Park as a publicity stunt. The ship burned to the waterline and then sank. The wreck can still be found in Humber Bay.

On this date in 1929, a pair of CN trains collided at Oriole Station in Leaside. Two crew members were injured, one locomotive derailed, and several cars were reduced to splinters.

On this date in 1858, the cornerstone of the Crystal Palace was laid. This exhibition hall was built for Provincial Agricultural Exhibition of Upper Canada. It would be moved to the Exhibition Grounds in 1878 and was destroyed by fire in 1906.

On this date in 1818, thirty acres of land along the waterfront were granted to the citizens of York for use “as a public walk or mall in front of the said town.” This was the beginning of The Esplanade.

On this date in 1690, William III defeated James II at the Battle of the Boyne. For decades, the Glorious Twelfth was one of the biggest holidays in Toronto.

On May 15, 1953, Massey Hall hosted a concert featuring Dizzy Gillespie, Charlie Parker, Bud Powell, Charlie Mingus and Max Roach. It was the only time that these five musicians played together and it would come to be known as the Greatest Jazz Concert Ever.

But maybe you prefer classical piano. Well in May of that year, a 13-year-old piano prodigy appeared at Massey Hall with the Conservatory Symphony Orchestra. Reviews said he was “a little choppy … but with obvious possibilities.” His name was Glenn Gould.

1946 was a good year to live in Toronto if you liked piano music. In March, ads appeared advertising a Massey Hall concert by “Canada’s Sensational 20-Year-Old Piano Stylist”. According to reviews, "a swing pianist of wide abilities”. His name was Oscar Peterson ...

On April 23, 1923, the Toronto Symphony Orchestra gave its debut concert at Massey Hall. According to the Globe, the concert “met with a most enthusiastic reception from a select assemblage of lovers of orchestral music."

Fire escapes were added to the front of the building in 1911 after municipal fire codes were tightened. Originally, seen as a blight on the neoclassical façade, they would become an iconic part of the building until being removed in 2018.

Massey Hall wasn't just used for concerts. As one of the larger venues in Toronto, community groups would frequently book it for events like the Ontario Horticultural Exhibition and Honey Show.

In 1901, the Toronto Mendelssohn Choir made its debut at Massey Hall. They would continue to perform there until 1982 when they moved to Roy Thompson Hall.

June 14th, 1894, was opening night. Every seat in the house was filled to listen to Handel’s Messiah, performed by the Grand Festival Orchestra and a 500-person choir. There was an unofficial rule that concert halls in the British Empire had to open with Handel’s Messiah.

The building’s design was inspired by Methodist church architecture where the goal was to minimize the distance between the preacher and members of the congregation. That’s why it has curving horseshoe-shaped galleries ensuring that none of the seats are too far from the stage.

Massey Hall was built by Hart Massey, owner of the biggest farm equipment manufacturer in Canada. It was meant to provide “musical entertainments of a moral and religious character, evangelical, educational, temperance, and benevolent work.”

On this date in 1897, Buffalo Bill’s Wild West Show performed at a vacant lot on the corner of King and Dufferin.

On this date in 1958, Toronto Police Chief John Chisholm was found dead in his car in High Park. He is thought to have killed himself.

On this date in 1846, the cornerstone of the Church of the Holy Trinity was laid. Mary Swale of Yorkshire, England donated £5,000 to build the church on the condition that the pews were to remain free and accessible for all. Today, the church sits west of the Eaton Centre.

On this date in 1922, Sunnyside Amusement Park opened. For the next 30 years, it would be one of the most popular summertime attractions in Toronto, featuring rides, shows, restaurants and pools.

On this date in 1914, Mt. Pleasant Cemetery was officially annexed by Toronto. This move was made to ensure that the city would have a plentiful supply of ghosts for all occasions.

On this date in 1976, the CN Tower officially opened. Happy 50th Birthday!

On this date in 1834, the first map of the newly created city of Toronto was completed.

On this date in 1985, Goerge Bell charged the mound after being hit by a pitch and delivered a karate kick to pitcher Bruce Kison. Bell would be ejected from the game, but the Jays still won 8-1.

On this date in 1872, Henry, O’Brien, Roger Lamb and Harold Lamb would meet to organize the Argonaut Rowing Club. Their first clubhouse was on Wharrin’s Wharf at the foot of George Street.

On this date in 1974, Mount Sinai Hospital moved into its current building at 600 University Avenue.

On this date in 1958, Bob Leavens made the last flight from Barker Field. Located northwest of Lawrence and Dufferin, it was named for WWI fighter ace William Barker.

This map by @ekvery.bsky.social shows the names of the Black households who lived in the countryside west of Toronto in what was then York County.