U of T History - University of Toronto Magazine

Colour graphite illustration of a bulky computer console with many buttons

Canada’s Information Era Began at U of T

A room-sized machine that could do calculations faster than humans first took shape here 75 years ago Read More

Black and white photo of astronomers Clarence Chant and Reynold Young kneeling and sitting, respectively, on the ground. Young is looking through the eyepiece of a long cylindrical-shaped camera positioned perpendicular to the ground and attached to a square tube covered with a cloth-like material. Chant is holding a black rectangular board underneath the tube.

The Einstein Camera

A century ago, a U of T astronomer led a small group of Canadians on a daring expedition to remote Australia. Their mission? To prove the Theory of General Relativity Read More

Black and white graphite drawing of Robarts Library, with surrounding trees coloured in green.

How Robarts Library Got Its Distinctive Look

A huge, concrete triangle wasn’t an obvious design, but there were reasons for it Read More

Fourteen brass spherical resonators of increasing size from top to bottom, attached to the right side of a steel frame, which is attached to a rotating mirror on the left side. Rubber hoses are connected to several of the spheres.

Ode to Ingenuity

U of T’s collection of scientific artifacts shows how researchers pursued discovery – and sometimes made history Read More

Coloured pencil drawing of a student holding a piece of paper and seated in front of a green mechanical typewriter and a red rotary telephone.

Of Pies, Nuclear Plants and the Early Days of Co-op Education at U of T

Co-op started by launching grads into government – exactly as the program’s founders intended Read More

Concrete Magic

U of T Scarborough’s Andrews Building has become a Canadian landmark Read More

Nite of Nights

An annual revue, written and performed by engineering students, lampoons its way into a second century Read More

A man in a lab coat in an early 20th century laboratory inspects a beaker full of liquid as three other men look on

Three Ways Canada Celebrated Insulin’s 100th Anniversary

The game-changing treatment for diabetes patients was marked with a special stamp and coin – and a Heritage Minute Read More

Illustration of a giant vial of insulin and a tiny figure standing on the cap looking down a hole in the centre, through which shines a light

The Miracle of Insulin

A century after U of T scientists discovered the life-saving extract, researchers are finding new ways to improve the lives of people with diabetes Read More

A man and woman holding hands and standing on a bridge over water

On Watkins’ Pond

Who built U of T Mississauga’s most picturesque spot? Read More

Black and white photo of students marching in line and carrying chairs. Two students upfront are carrying a metal rack.

Walk on the Wild Side

In 1976, a strange band of characters jostled their way up St. George Street with beat-up blackboards and battered chairs Read More

Black and white photo of front exterior of Hart House and Soldiers' Tower from the 1920s

Hart House Turns 100

U of T’s beloved student centre once had a flying trapeze. A century later, that spirit lives on Read More

Carved Coat of Arms - University College -

10 Things You Probably Didn’t Know Were Invented by U of T Alumni

These include everything from life-saving innovations to everyday conveniences Read More

Photo of Ishveer Malhi and Ken Luckhurst walking and conversing inside a UTM building.

It Was 50 Years Ago Today

Ken Luckhurst first set foot at UTM at the height of the hippie era. Touring a transformed campus with a recent grad, he finds not everything has changed Read More

Margaret Addison Hall

This grad devoted much of her career to supporting young women at U of T, so Victoria University named a residence after her Read More

Photo of Ursula Franklin in a lab surrounded by equipment

Warrior for Peace

U of T physicist Ursula Franklin staunchly opposed weapons of mass destruction. As Cold War tensions rise, her work remains as relevant as ever Read More

This “Bomber” Actually Saved Countless Lives

U of T alumnus Harold Johns pioneered a new kind of cancer treatment dubbed the “cobalt bomb” Read More

Skule

Where did this misspelled moniker come from? Read More

This Side of Paradise

U of T grads and guests enjoy a University College garden party during Convocation 1930 Read More

Black and white photo of students in gowns and tuxedos placing bets around a roulette table

Some Enchanted Evening

How the Canadian Officer Training Corps Ball brought sparkle to Hart House Read More

Seeking Refuge from Nazi Persecution, the MS St. Louis Was Turned Away at Every Port

U of T community members sought to help Jewish refugees during the Second World War Read More

Farmerettes from U of T dug a few “trenches” of a different sort.

Farmerettes Help at Home

In 1917 and 1918 hundreds of U of T women spent the summers picking and packing fruits and vegetables, filling in for farmers who were away at war Read More

There’s Nothing Buttery About It

The Trinity College cafeteria draws its name from the French word for "cask" or "barrel" Read More

In Pictures: U of T’s Top 10 Beards and Moustaches

Beards are having a 2014 fashion moment! Still, U of T professors of the past could go chin-to-chin with even Toronto Blue Jay Adam Lind. Presenting: U of T’s Top 10 in facial hair. Read More

In Pictures: Varsity Blues Men’s Swim Team Through the Years

The Varsity Blues men’s swimming crew are U of T's most decorated sports team. They have taken 62 provincial titles since 1920 and are the current champ. Their history, in pictures. Read More

Teefy Hall

John Read Teefy was the driving force behind the affiliation of St. Michael's College with U of T Read More

Robert Ramsay Wright, the first dean of Arts and Science

Blasts from the Past

Fascinating characters populate a new history of the Faculty of Arts and Science at U of T Read More

Club members makes phagnum moss dressings for soldiers, in U of T’s Physics Building in 1915

A Club for Women

Canada’s first university women’s club sought to improve the lives of women and children Read More

Esther Hill in procession with classmates

Ontario’s First Female Architect

After convocating, Esther Marjorie Hill went on to design rooms of her own Read More

Photo of a man wearing medieval cardinal hat and mask.

Poculi Ludique Societas

U of T's medieval drama group gives tell-all history on their Latin name Read More

Concrete Jungle

How the Medical Sciences Building got its stripes Read More

Photo of woman with a megaphone at a protest.

Revolutionary Road

Forty years ago, an intrepid group of professors and students sparked progress for women across U of T Read More

Feminist Revolution at U of T

Milestones over more than a century Read More

Antarctica’s Intrepid Explorer

U of T grad Charles Seymour Wright was a member of Robert Scott's ill-fated antarctic expedition Read More

Beaux-Arts Beauty

Alumni and friends support Convocation Hall’s construction Read More

McLuhan at the CBC in Toronto, January 1966 Photo: Henri Daumain, for Life Magazine, Courtesy of The Estate of Marshall McLuhan

Marshall’s Laws

Fifty years after the publication of his most famous works, we’re still making sense of all Marshall McLuhan had to say Read More

Sewing for Solidarity

From bedding to kit bags, U of T women make items for the war effort Read More

Photo of some of the tents used by the airmen-in-training

Training Days

Cadets get ready to serve in the First World War, on St. George Campus Read More

Bissell (third from left) views downtown Shanghai with Geoff Andew, executive assistant to the president of UBC, and thier Chinese hosts. The group spend three days in Shanghai

Beijing Diary

Claude Bissell’s visit to China, at a time of political isolation between the West and China, foreshadowed the spirit of international exchange at U of T today Read More

Claude Bissell oversaw a period of unprecedented growth at the University of Toronto

The Great Good Place

U of T's eighth president recognized the importance of the university's global reputation Read More

Sunny, external view of Robarts Library from the corner of Sussex Avenue and St. George Street

Claude Bissell’s final term as U of T president ended almost 40 years ago, but his remarkable contribution as a scholar, administrator and leader is recognized on the St. George Campus today, with buildings, portraits and other tributes honouring Bissell’s legacy Read More