British actor, Oliver Reed, died at the age of 61. He gained international fame as a film star in the 60's and 70's. He died during the time he was filming his last role as the gladiator trainer Proximo, in the movie 'Gladiator'.

The European Central Bank was founded in Brussels with the purpose of defining and executing the monetary policy of the European Community.

The Labour Party, under the leadership of Tony Blair won the general elections in the United Kingdom. This win ended 18 years of Conservative Party rule in Britain.

American politician, J. Edgar Hoover, died at the age of 77. He was director of the FBI for 48 years and was considered to be the most powerful man in the United States during his unprecedented long run as director of the FBI.

Italian fashion designer, Donatella Versace, was born in Reggio di Calabria, Italy. She assumed the head position of the Versace group when her brother was shot dead in Miami, in 1997.

Greek author, Penelope Delta, committed suicide when the Nazi armies entered Athens. She is one of the most celebrated Greek authors of the 20th century.

German airplane pilot, Manfred von Richthofen, died during an aerial engagement of the First World War. He was nicknamed 'The Red Baron' and is considered to this day as of the greatest fighter pilots of all time.

The Chevrolet Motor Company was acquired by rival General Motors.

American paediatrician, Dr. Benjamin Spock, was born in New Haven, Connecticut. He was a very influential person in America, who helped shape the parenting philosophies of the 50's and 60's. His ideas created a lot of controversy and a lot of people became enemies of his ideas of permissiveness.

Italian artist and inventor, Leonardo da Vinci, died at the age of 67 in Clos Luce, France. He is generally acknowledged as one of the true geniuses to have graced humankind and was a polymath who involved himself with architecture, music, anatomy, engineering, sculpting and geometry. Besides being recognized as one of the greatest artists of all time he was also one of the great innovators and visionaries of all time, having come up the idea of the helicopter, solar power and many other such futuristic concepts long before these could become a reality.