More than 69,000 people lost their lives to a magnitude 8.0 earthquake in Sichuan, China.
Juan María Fernández y Krohn tried to assassinate Pope John Paul II with a bayonet.
The US Commerce Department decided that hurricane names would no longer be only female.
The first-ever quadraphonic concert was held.
Jimi Hendrix released 'Are You Experienced,' which is considered one of the most influential debut albums ever.
The Soviet Union's Luna 5 uncrewed spacecraft crash-landed on the Moon.
The United States and Canada formed NORAD – the North American Air Defense Command.
The first confirmed trip to the North Pole was carried out by the Norge, a semi-rigid Italian-built airship.
National Hospital Day was first observed.
After encountering many difficulties, Nathan Stubblefield was finally granted a US patent for his new version of a wireless telephone.
One hundred and forty thousand miners went on strike in Pennsylvania.
The first-ever cricket County Championship started, finishing with Yorkshire beating Gloucestershire.
Revolutionary War soldiers formed the Society of St. Tammany.
The first university in the New World, the National University of San Marcos, was founded in Lima, Peru.
