Ten new countries officially become part of the European Union. The countries were Cyprus, Czech Republic, Estonia, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Malta, Poland, Slovakia, and Slovenia.

The first spam e-mail in history is circulated in the internet's predecessor, the ARPANET.

The Unites states National Railroad passenger corporation, Amtrak, was created. While an autonomous business entity, all of its preferred stock is owned by the US government and members of its board of directors are appointed by the President of the United States.

The Poliomyelitis vaccine is made available to the public for the first time. While the world health organization had vowed to eliminate poliomyelitis by the year 2000, several thousand cases still surface each year, primarily in Muslim countries, where the vaccine is viewed with some scepticism.

The Democratic People's Republic of Korea (North Korea) is established.

Orson Welles's controversial and highly acclaimed movie, Citizen Kane, premieres in New York City. It is considered one of the most innovative movies ever created and one that is still studied extensively in film schools.

The 1940 Summer Olympics are cancelled due the second world war.

The Empire State Building opens in New York City. It was to be the tallest building in the world for 41 years, up until the construction of the World Trade Centre.

The planet Pluto is officially named. It had been discovered a few months earlier by astronomer Clyde Tombaugh at the Lowell Observatory in Arizona, USA.

Greek literary figure, Yiannis Ritsos, was born in Monemvasia. He was a candidate for the 1968 Nobel Prize for literature.

An explosion in a mine shaft kills 200 workers in Scofield, Utah, USA, in one of the worlds worst mining accidents.

Scottish missionary and explorer, David Livingstone, died at the age of 60 in Tanzania, Africa. He was one of the greatest explorers in history.

American folkrole figure, Calamity Jane, was born in Princeton, Missouri. She was the most famous frontier woman of the old west era in the United States.

Slavery is abolished in all British colonies.

Under the 'Act of Union' England and Scotland join to form the Kingdom of Great Britain.