Israel's prime minister, Yitzhak Rabin, was assassinated by an right-wing Israeli.

Iranian radicals, mostly students, invaded the United States embassy in Tehran taking 90 people hostage. The crisis lasted until January 20, 1981.

Portuguese footballer, Luis Figo, was born in Lisbon.

American actor, Matthew McConaughey, was born in Texas.

Most of the city of Florence, Italy was submerged in water when the river Arno flooded resulting in the death of 113 people and the destruction of countless renaissance pieces of art.

American actor, Ralph Macchio, was born in New York. He became famous after his participation in the hit teen movie, The Karate Kid.

Soviet troops invaded Hungary in order to bring an end to the revolution that had started on October the 23rd. Thousands of people were killed several hundred thousands were forced to flee the country.

T.S. Eliot was awarded the Nobel Prize in Literature.

Japanese Prime Minister, Hara Takashi assassinated, by a military officer at Tokyo Station.

The German Revolution began after 40,000 sailors took over the port of Kiel. Also known as November Revolution the revolution took place during the end of the first world war and right after its end and in the end culminated with the overthrow of the Kaiser and the establishment of the Weimar Republic which lasted until the ascend of Adolf Hitler in 1933.

Sigmund Freud's, The Interpretation of Dreams, was first published.

The first issue of the scientific journal Nature was published. The magazine is still in publication today (2006) and is one of the oldest magazines in print today.