Donus begins his reign as Catholic Pope, replacing Pope Adeodatus II.

Velma Barfield becomes the first woman executed in the U.S. since 1962.

Peter I is proclaimed Emperor of all the Russias.

North and South Dakota are admitted as the 39th and 40th U.S. states.

The Balfour Declaration is issued, declaring British support for a Jewish state in Palestine.

President John F. Kennedy announces that Soviet missile bases in Cuba are being dismantled.

Faisal bin Abdulaziz Al Saud takes over the government of Saudi Arabia in a coup.

University of Minnesota student Johnny Campbell leads a cheer, sparking organized cheerleading in the U.S.

Birth of Australian tennis player Ken Rosewall.

Birth of Indian actor Shahrukh Khan.

The first commercial radio station begins broadcasting with U.S. presidential election results.

The Air Commerce Act is passed, providing federal aid for airlines and airports in the U.S.

Howard Hughes flies the Spruce Goose, the largest fixed-wing aircraft ever built.

The first resident crew arrives at the International Space Station.

President Ronald Reagan signs a bill to create Martin Luther King, Jr. Day.