Mar. 24: Bomber Jeff Nicklin died; License plates introduced; Brandon's Beaubier died.

March 24, 1911 - All automobiles in the province must be registered and display a government of Manitoba issued licence plate. The cost of registration was $5.00 per year. For more on the history of Manitoba licence plates.

March 24, 1915 - Thomas J. Beaubier died at his home in Brandon. The Irish-born Beaubier came to Brandon in 1880 and in 1882 opened one of Brandon's first hotels, Beaubier House. The hotel was torn down in 2008.   Read his obituary here and about his funeral here.

March 24, 1920 - Wilbur "Bill" Irwin was born in Winnipeg. Irwin competed for Canada at the 1948 Winter Games in Saint Moritz in SIX men's skiing categories: Downhill Alpine; Nordic Combined; 'Normal Hill' Ski Jumping; Alpine Slalom; 18k Cross Country and Alpine Combined. (For a team photo.)

March 24, 1945 - Winnipeg Blue Bomber star Jeff Nicklin was killed in action. See my post "The greatest Blue Bomber you've never heard of".

March 24, 2000 - Albert "Spunk" Duncanson died. Born in Winnipeg in 1911, He was a member of both the 1932 (Lake Placid) Olympic Gold Medal winning hockey team The Winnipegs and the 1931 Elmwood Millionaires scoring the overtime goal that won them the Abbott Cup advancing them to the Memorial Cup, which they won.

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