A fire in Dabwali, India, killed 540 people, including 170 children, during a school celebration.

Deposed Romanian President, Nicolae Ceausescu and his wife, Elena, were apprehended while fleeing the country.

The first ever non-stop flight around-the-world was completed without refuelling was completed with the experimental airplane Voyager.

An earthquake measuring 6.5 on the Richter scale hit Managua, Nicaragua. More than 10,000 people lost their lives in its wake.

Soviet, Lavrenty Beria, died at the age of 54. He was a prominent figure of the Soviet communist regime and is most remembered as the head of the secret police who executed Joseph Stalin's great purge. After Stalin's death he was executed by Stalin's successors.

American, Wesley Clark, was born in Chicago, Illinois. He was a general with the US Army, who was the commander of Operation Allied Force (Kossovo Conflict) and NATO's Supreme allied commander at the same time.

American forces were forced to surrender to the Japanese Imperial army in Wake Island.

Painter, Vincent Van Gogh, cut off the lower part of his left ear. He later presented his cut off ear to a prostitute in a brothel.

American, Madame C. J. Walker, was born in Louisiana. She was the first person from her family to be born free. She founded a company that created hair tonic which by 1917 was the largest business in the United States owned by an African American. According to the 'Guinness Book of Records' she was the first female American self-made millionaire.

The poem 'A Visit From St. Nicholas', most known as 'The Night Before Christmas' was published in a newspaper.

American, Joseph Smith, Jr. was born in Vermont. He was the founder of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and an influential religious and political force within America.