An independence referendum, later declared illegal by the Constitutional Court of Spain, takes place in Catalonia.
3G wireless technology first becomes available when it is adopted by Japanese telecommunications company NTT Docomo.
Croatian War of Independence: The Siege of Dubrovnik begins.
Denmark introduces the world's first legal same-sex registered partnerships.
Sony and Phillips launch the compact disc in Japan; on the same day, Sony releases the model CDP-101 compact disc player, the first player of its kind.
Pope John Paul II begins his first pastoral visit to the United States.
Tuvalu gains independence from the United Kingdom.
The first practical CT scanner is used to diagnose a patient.
Concorde breaks the sound barrier for the first time.
West Coast Airlines Flight 956 crashes with no survivors in Oregon. This accident marks the first loss of a DC-9.
James Meredith becomes the first African American student to enroll at the University of Mississippi.
The United States Defense Intelligence Agency is formed, becoming the country's first centralized military intelligence organization.
The CTV Television Network, Canada's first private television network, is launched.
Nigeria gains independence from the United Kingdom.
The National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics is replaced by NASA.
The motto In God We Trust first appears on U.S. paper currency.
Andhra State is formed, consisting of a Telugu-speaking area carved out of India's Madras State.
A United States-South Korea mutual defense treaty is concluded in Washington, D.C.
The North American F-86 Sabre flies for the first time.
World War II: After the Four Days of Naples, Allied troops enter the city.