The ceiling of the Sistine Chapel, painted by Michelangelo, is opened to the public.

The first issue of Ebony magazine is published, chronicling Black life in America.

The Beatles' album 'Abbey Road' reaches number one on the U.S. charts.

A massive earthquake strikes Lisbon, Portugal, destroying over 9,000 buildings and killing tens of thousands.

United Airlines Flight 629 is destroyed by a bomb over Colorado.

John Adams becomes the first U.S. president to move into the White House.

The Congress of Vienna opens to reorganize Europe following the Napoleonic Wars.

President Abraham Lincoln appoints George McClellan as general-in-chief of the Union armies, replacing Winfield Scott.

The Maastricht Treaty officially enters into force, establishing the European Union.

Dr. Émile Roux of Paris announces the development of a vaccine for diphtheria.

The United States tests 'Ivy Mike,' the world's first thermonuclear (hydrogen) bomb, in the Marshall Islands.

Jacques Plante becomes the first NHL goaltender to regularly wear a protective facemask during games.

Scientists detect evidence of light from the universe's first stars, estimated to have formed 500 million years after the Big Bang.

The racehorse Seabiscuit defeats War Admiral in a highly publicized match race.

Chuck Cooper becomes the first African American player to be drafted into the NBA.