Researchers in England declared that the skull in William Shakespeare's grave was probably stolen and replaced with someone else's by grave robbers.
Aaron Carpenter swam with dolphins for the first time.
Ellen Page received a standing ovation after her emotional coming out speech at the Human Rights Campaign ''Time to Thrive.”
British physicist Stephen Hawking won the $3 million Fundamental Physics Prize, the most profitable academic prize in the world.
Native American Kateri Tekakwitha became the first native to become a saint.
Julian Assange, who founded WikiLeaks, was given political asylum by Ecuador.
The first US woman in space, Sally Ride, died from pancreatic cancer at the age of 61.
James Cameron dove into the deepest point of the Marianas Trench, Challenger Deep.
George Clooney and Martin Luther King III were arrested at the Sudanese Embassy in Washington, DC.
Beyoncé and Jay-Z welcomed their daughter, Blue Ivy Carter, into the world.
The United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) stated that the world's population had reached seven billion.
Actor and actress Seth Rogen and Lauren Miller got engaged.
Craig David was appointed as Goodwill Ambassador against tuberculosis (TB) by the World Health Organization.
Scarlett Johansson made her debut on Broadway.
R&B superstar Rihanna was assaulted by Chris Brown, her boyfriend at the time.
Adrian Hidalgo set the world record for spinning a diabolo around his leg 117 times in 1 minute.
Former NFL star O.J. Simpson was sentenced to 33 years in prison for kidnapping and armed robbery.
Beyoncé and Jay-Z married with only 40 guests present on their special day.
Actor George Clooney crashed on a motorcycle.
Erden Eruç began the world's first successful solo human-powered circumnavigation of the world.
Rolling Stones guitarist Keith Richards has confirmed that he did snort his father's ashes.
Kenyan environmentalist Wangari Maathai became the first African female to win the Nobel Peace Prize.
Businesswoman Estée Lauder, famous for her American cosmetics line, died at the age of 97.
A shark bit off an arm of professional surfer Bethany Hamilton in Hawaiian waters.
Rudy Giuliani was named 'Person of the Year' by Time Magazine.
Richard Reid, infamously known as the 'shoe bomber,' attempted to blow up an airplane with explosives in his shoes.
Winona Ryder was arrested.
32-year-old Erik Weihenmayer from Boulder, Colorado, became the first blind person to reach the summit of Mount Everest.
Arthur C. Clarke was knighted.
Jay-Z stabbed Lance Rivera.
The six billionth living human being was born.
Bill Gates had a pie thrown in his face while visiting EU officials in Brussels, Belgium.
David Beckham & Victoria Beckham got engaged.
Steve Jobs was named interim CEO of Apple Computers.
Both Michael Jackson and the Bee Gees were inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame.
American Psychologist Timothy Leary and Star Trek creator Gene Roddenberry were launched into orbit after being cremated.
Martin Luther King's son met the man convicted of killing his father, James Earl Ray.
JonBenét Ramsey was found dead.
Ted Kaczynski, The Unabomber, was caught and arrested.
Malcolm X's daughter, Qubilah Shabazz, was arrested for making arrangements to kill Louis Farrakhan, who she believed killed her father in 1965.
Whitey Bulger, an organized crime boss, fled Boston after fearing arrest from the FBI.
Susan Smith murdered her two children and tried to pin on a made-up Black man.
Jeffrey Dahmer got baptized while in prison at Columbia Correctional Institution in Wisconsin.
Author Toni Morrison won the Nobel Peace Prize for literature for her work and essays about the Black American experience.
David Bowie and supermodel Iman tied the knot in Lausanne, Switzerland.
Nelson Mandela and Winnie Madikizela revealed their separation.
Donna Summer received her star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.
Marvin Gaye was given a star on Hollywood's Walk of Fame.
Tom Hanks and Rita Wilson got married.
Flight attendant Clarabelle 'C.B.' Lansing was blown out of Aloha Airlines Flight 243.
