O Canada
"O Canada", the present-day national anthem of Canada, was first performed in Quebec City during a Saint-Jean-Baptiste Day banquet.
In context
- When
- Thursday, June 24 1880146 years ago
- Category
- Historical eventA dated happening — a battle, treaty, launch, discovery, disaster or decision — recorded on this calendar day.
- Era
- 19th century · 1880s
- Recorded from
- Wikipedia “On this day” feed
Russia, Greece and some other countries used the Julian calendar into the early 20th century, so local records may show a date up to 13 days earlier.
At a glance
Dates: From 1880.
What happened
History The French lyrics of "O Canada" were written by Sir Adolphe-Basile Routhier , to music composed by Calixa Lavallée , as a French Canadian patriotic song for the Saint-Jean-Baptiste Society and first performed on June 24, 1880, at a Saint-Jean-Baptiste Day banquet in Quebec City . At that time, the "Chant National", also by Routhier, was popular amongst Francophones as an anthem, [ 1 ] while " God Save the Queen " and " The Maple Leaf Forever " had, since 1867,
"O Canada" is the national anthem of Canada. The song was originally commissioned by Lieutenant Governor of Quebec Théodore Robitaille for the 1880 Saint-Jean-Baptiste Day ceremony; Calixa Lavallée composed the music, after which French-language words were written by the poet and judge Sir Adolphe-Basile Routhier.
June 24 through the years
Other entries on the same calendar day, in order.
Also in 1880
- May 11Southern Pacific RailroadA land dispute between the Southern Pacific Railroad and settlers in Hanford, California, turned deadly when a gun battle broke out, leav…
- December 8BoersAt an assembly of 10,000 Boers, Paul Kruger announced the fulfilment of the decision to restore the government and volksraad of the South…
- November 3KimigayoThe current melody of Kimigayo, the national anthem of Japan, was adopted.
- June 28Cultural iconPolice captured Australian bank robber and cultural icon Ned Kelly (pictured) after a gun battle in Glenrowan, Victoria.
- September 1Mohammad Ayub Khan (Afghanistan)The army of Mohammad Ayub Khan is routed by the British at the Battle of Kandahar, ending the Second Anglo-Afghan War.
- November 2James A. GarfieldJames A. Garfield was elected as president of the United States; the election is the closest to date by popular vote margin.
- November 11BushrangerAustralian bushranger and outlaw Ned Kelly was hanged in Melbourne, in spite of sympathizers holding rallies for his reprieve.
Sources
- Wikipedia article (text, CC BY-SA 4.0)
- Licence: CC BY-SA 4.0 for adapted text · how we source this
Cite this page
“O Canada”, What's On This Date, https://whatsonthisdate.com/app/event/o-canada-1880-june-24, accessed October 26, 2026.
Cite the underlying source as well — the source links above go to the record this entry is adapted from.
Questions about this entry
When did O Canada happen?
June 24 1880 — 146 years ago, on a Thursday.
Where does this text come from?
Wikipedia “On this day” feed. Summaries are short adaptations that link back to the source, not reprints.
How do I cite this page?
Use the ready-made citation near the sources at the bottom of the page, and follow the source link to cite the underlying record as well.
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