On This Day: October 17

The Cannabis Act came into force, making the consumption and sale of recreational cannabis legal across Canada. Until that day, cannabis had been listed as a controlled substance. The new law made Canada the second country in the world, after Uruguay, to legalize cannabis.

Quebec City native Patrick Roy of the Colorado Avalanche earned his 448th NHL victory, passing Terry Sawchuk's long-standing record of 447 wins by a goaltender. Roy, who won two Stanley Cups with the Montreal Canadiens and two with Colorado, retired in 2003 as one of the greatest goalies the game has known.

The Calgary Flames trailed the Quebec Nordiques 8–3 at the Colisée with less than seven minutes left in the third period. Then Gary Roberts scored twice in 16 seconds, Jim Peplinski added another goal 11 seconds later, and the Flames kept coming. The game ended in an 8–8 tie, the greatest late-game comeback in NHL history.

Henri Richard of the Montreal Canadiens, younger brother of Maurice “Rocket” Richard, scored three goals for his first NHL hat trick and assisted on three more, for a six-point night in a 9–3 win over the Toronto Maple Leafs. Two days later, his brother scored his 500th career goal.

Albert Einstein arrived in the United States, never to return to his native Europe. With the Nazis in power in Germany, the physicist took up a position at the Institute for Advanced Study in Princeton, New Jersey, where he worked for the rest of his life.

British General John Burgoyne surrendered his army after a shocking defeat in the Second Battle of Saratoga, in New York. The American victory was a turning point in the War of Independence: it helped convince France to enter the war on the American side.

The action film Bullitt was released, starring Steve McQueen in what many consider his definitive role. The movie is best remembered for its car chase through the hilly streets of San Francisco, one of the most famous in film history.

Puyi, the last emperor of China, died in Beijing. He had ascended the throne at age two in 1908 and was forced to abdicate in 1912, bringing more than 2,000 years of imperial rule to an end. His extraordinary life inspired the 1987 film The Last Emperor.