Approximately 300 people died in Neyshabur, Iran when a freight train caught fire and exploded. Most of the dead were rescue workers who responded to the incident.

A fire in South Korea's Daegu subway resulted in the death of more than 198 people. The fire was set by an arsonist who wanted to protest the poor medical treatment the state was providing him. He survived the fire.

Thirteen people were shot dead during the robbery of an illegal gambling club in Seattle, USA. It is one of the worst, robbery motivated, murder cases in history.

British footballer, Gary Neville, was born in Bury, England.

Italian footballer, Roberto Baggio, was born in Caldogno. He is widely acknowledged as one of the best and most revered football players of the 1990's.

American physicist, Robert Oppenheimer, died at the age of 62. He was a theoretical physicist, most known for having been the director of the Manhattan Project, which was responsible for developing the first nuclear weapons in history. After the atomic bombs were used to destroy the Japanese cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, he became an advocate against the use of nuclear weapons as well as the arms race between the United States and the Soviet Union. He died of throat cancer.

Gambia became an independent nation. It was previously part of the United Kingdom.

British actress, Greta Scacchi, was born in Milan, Italy. Her most famous role was in the blockbuster 1990 movie, Presumed Innocent.

American actor, John Travolta, was born in New Jersey. He is most known for his roles in the movies, Saturday Night Fever and Grease, as well as his amazing return to stardom in 1994 with Quentin Tarantino's hit movie, Pulp Fiction.

The first ever 3D film was released. The film was called, Bwana Devil, whose plot revolved around the torment that railroad workers suffered in Uganda from the attack of lions.

The planet, Pluto, was discovered by the American astronomer, Clyde Tombaugh. In the late 20th and early 21st century Pluto was declassified from a 'planet' to a 'dwarf planet'.

The first Academy Awards were awarded. The first movie to ever receive the 'Best Picture' award was 'Wings', a 1927 silent movie about World War I.

The first official transfer of mail via plane took place in British India.

Italian automotive pioneer, Enzo Ferrari, was born in Emilia-Romagna. He was the founder of the Ferrari Grand Prix motor racing team and subsequently the Ferrari cars manufacturer.

Mark Twain's novel, Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, was published for the first time.

Greek writer, Nikos Kazantzakis, was born in Heraklion, Crete. He is considered as one of the most important Greek writers of the 20th century. He is most known around the world for his novel, Zorba the Greek, which was transferred to the big screen by the filmmaker Michael Cacoyannis.

American politician, Jefferson Davis, was inaugurated as the first and only (provisional) President of the Confederate States of America. After the American civil war was over, he was imprisoned for 2 years and subsequently released without ever being charged with a crime.

Italian artist, Michelangelo Buonarroti, died at the age of 88. Commonly known as Michelangelo he was a sculptor, painter, architect and poet who along with fellow Florentine artist, Leonardo da Vinci, is considered as one of the most talented artists of the Italian Renaissance period and one of the greatest artists of all time.