Hurricane Katrina hit the US Gulf Coast from Louisiana to the Florida Panhandle, causing severe destruction and killing more than 1800 people. The property damage caused was estimated to have been more than 115 billion dollars.

A Russian, Vnukovo Airlines passenger flight crashed into a mountain on the Arctic island of Spitsbergen. All 141 people aboard were killed in the crash.

The Soviet Communist Party party was dissolved. The party had led the October Revolution and was responsible for establishing of a socialist state in Russia.

Swedish actress, Ingrid Bergman, died at the age of 67. She died on the day of her 67th birthday following a long battle with breast cancer.

The first flight of the McDonnell Douglas DC-10 passenger jet took place. It has been one of the primary passenger aircraft of the later part of the 20th and early 21st centuries.

American musician, Michael Jackson, was born in Gary, Indiana. He began his career at the age of seven as the lead singer of 'The Jackson 5' and released his first solo recording, 'Got to Be There' in 1971.

The Soviet Union detonated its first atomic bomb, at a test site in Semipalatinsk, Kazakhstan.

American film director, Joel Schumacher, was born in New York City.

American actor, Elliott Gould, was born in Brooklyn, New York. He was one of the most prominent American film actors in the early-1970s and was best known for playing Trapper John in Robert Altman's 1970 film MASH.

British film director and actor, Richard Attenborough, was born in Cambridge. He is one of the most highly regarded actors of his generation, who is as much active in theatre as he is in major Hollywood productions. He is also an award wining director who is highly acclaimed for movies such as Gandhi and A Bridge Too Far.

Swedish actress, Ingrid Bergman, was born in Stockholm. She is widely regarded as one of the greatest female movie stars of all time.

The Goodyear tire company was founded by American entrepreneur, Frank Seiberling. It is the third largest tire and rubber company in the world.

The first ever motorcycle was patented by, German engineer, Gottlieb Daimler. Daimler was a pioneer of internal-combustion engines and also one of the original founders of the company now known as Daimler-Benz AG, which is now part of DaimlerChrysler.

English philosopher, John Locke, was born in Somerset. He is widely regarded as one of the most influential Enlightenment thinkers in history.

The last emperor of the Inca Empire, Atahualpa, was executed in Cajamarca by Spanish conquistadores under the command of Francisco Pizarro.