American actor, Roy Rogers, died at the age if 87. He was nicknamed, King of the Cowboys, and was one of the most famous western movie actors of all time.

The Comoros declared their independence from the rule of France.

Brazilian footballer, Ze Roberto, was born in Ipiranga.

American musician, Louis Armstrong, died at the age of 69. He was one of the most influential jazz singers of all time.

Nigerian forces invaded Biafra, marking the beginning of the Biafran War. The war was prompted by the attempted secession of the south eastern provinces of Nigeria as the self-proclaimed Republic of Biafra. The war became notorious for the starvation that occurred in some of the war bound regions.

Malawi declared its independence from the rule of the United Kingdom.

Australian actor, Geoffrey Rush, was born in Toowoomba, Queensland. His debut was in the Australian film Hoodwink in 1981, however he did not achieve fame until 1996 when he starred in the critically acclaimed movie, Shine. From that point on, his career exploded into stardom.

American politician, George W. Bush, was born in New Haven, Connecticut. He was elected as the 43rd President of the United States and was inaugurated on January 20, 2001. He was re-elected in 2004.

American actor, Sylvester Stallone, was born in Hell's Kitchen New York. Stallone's father was an immigrant from Castellammare del Golfo, Sicily while his mother was American. He is most known for his numerous and hugely successful action films.

American actor, Ned Beatty, was born in Louisville, Kentucky. He is a popular support actor who has appeared in over 100 films and is most known for his part as Lex Luthor's henchman, Otis, in Superman.

American actress, Janet Leigh, was born in California. She was best known for her role in Alfred Hitchcock's 1960 film Psycho. She was also the mother of actress Jamie Lee Curtis, from her marriage to her third husband, Tony Curtis.

President of Poland, Wojciech Jaruzelski, was born in Kurow. He was the most prominent communist politician of post-war Poland. He served as prime minister from 1981 to 1985, head of the Polish Council of State from 1985 to 1989 and President from 1989 to 1990.

American actress, Nancy Reagan, was born in New York. She was an actress prior to her marriage Ronald Reagan and was the First Lady of the United States from 1981 to 1989.

The first ever crossing of the Atlantic by an airship was completed by the British airship R34.

Louis Pasteur successfully tested his vaccine against rabies on a boy who had been bitten by a rabid dog.

The first convention of the U.S. Republican Party took place in Jackson, Michigan.

The dollar was chosen as the monetary unit of the United States.

American naval commander, John Paul Jones, was born in Scotland. He is considered as the father of the American navy and was an important figure of the American revolutionary war.

Sir Thomas More was executed for treason by King Henry VIII for refusing to agree with the decision to separate the English church from the Roman Catholic Church.