Artemis Program: NASA launches Artemis 1 on the first flight of the Space Launch System, the start of the program's future missions to the moon.
Following a 31-year wait, Australia defeats Uruguay in a penalty shootout to qualify for the 2006 FIFA World Cup.
The first cases of the 2002–2004 SARS outbreak are traced to Foshan, Guangdong Province, China.
The Supreme Soviet of the Estonian Soviet Socialist Republic declares that Estonia is "sovereign" but stops short of declaring independence.
In the first open election in more than a decade, voters in Pakistan elect populist candidate Benazir Bhutto to be Prime Minister of Pakistan.
The first line of Bucharest Metro (Line M1) is opened from Timpuri Noi to Semănătoarea in Bucharest, Romania.
Skylab program: NASA launches Skylab 4 with a crew of three astronauts from Cape Canaveral, Florida for an 84-day mission.
U.S. president Richard Nixon signs the Trans-Alaska Pipeline Authorization Act into law, authorizing the construction of the Alaska Pipeline.
Venera program: The Soviet Union launches the Venera 3 space probe toward Venus, which will be the first spacecraft to reach the surface of another planet.
World War II: In support of the Battle of Hürtgen Forest, the town of Düren is destroyed by Allied aircraft.
The Jussi Awards, the Finnish film award ceremony, is held for the first time at Restaurant Adlon in Helsinki.
World War II: In response to the leveling of Coventry by the German Luftwaffe two days before, the Royal Air Force bombs Hamburg.
New York City's "Mad Bomber" George Metesky places his first bomb at a Manhattan office building used by Consolidated Edison.
LSD is first synthesized by Albert Hofmann from ergotamine at the Sandoz Laboratories in Basel.
The United States and the Soviet Union establish formal diplomatic relations.
Qantas, Australia's national airline, is founded as Queensland and Northern Territory Aerial Services Limited.
Indian Territory and Oklahoma Territory join to form Oklahoma, which is admitted as the 46th U.S. state.
English engineer John Ambrose Fleming receives a patent for the thermionic valve (vacuum tube).
Fisgard Lighthouse, built in the Colony of Vancouver Island, shines its first light, becoming the first permanent lighthouse in present-day British Columbia