Four terrorist bombings that were directed towards London's public transportation system failed to detonate and all four suspected suicide bombers managed to escape.

British politician, Tony Blair, was declared the winner of the leadership election of the British Labour Party.

The world's lowest recorded temperature was observed at Vostok Station, Antarctica at -89.2C (-129F).

British ambassador to the Republic of Ireland, Christopher Ewart-Biggs, was assassinated by the Provisional IRA.

A series of 22 bombs were detonated by the Provisional IRA around the city of Belfast, Northern Ireland. 9 people were killed and more than 120 were seriously injured.

Construction of the Aswan High Dam in Egypt was completed 11 years after it had started.

American astronauts, Neil A. Armstrong and Edwin 'Buzz' Aldrin, became the first men to walk on the Moon, as part of the Apollo 11 mission.

The Fellowship of the Ring, the first part of The Lord of the Rings trilogy, was published in the UK.

American actor, Robin Williams, was born in Chicago, Illinois. He began his career as a stand-up comic, performing for tips in various San Francisco clubs.

American lawyer, Kenneth Starr, was born in Texas. He became known worldwide for his report, the Starr Report, which led to US president Bill Clinton's impeachment on charges arising from the Monica Lewinsky scandal.

A high school teacher in Dayton, Tennessee, USA, was found guilty and fined for teaching evolution in class.

American writer, Ernest Hemingway, was born in Oak Park, Illinois. He is widely acknowledged as one of the top literary figures of the 20th century who was awarded the Nobel Prize in literature in 1954. He was suffering from depression and paranoia, which eventually led to his committing suicide.

king of Macedonia, Alexander the Great, was born in Pella, Macedon. He was arguably the most successful military commander in history, who had managed to conquer, what was then, the known world.