Ötzi the Iceman is discovered by German tourists in the Ötztal Alps.

The Royal Opera House in London opens.

Vanessa Williams is crowned as the first black Miss America.

The Montreal Protocol is signed in order to protect the ozone layer from further depletion.

The John Bull becomes the oldest operable steam locomotive in the world when the Smithsonian Institution operates it under its own power outside Washington, D.C.

With the help of the CIA, Mobutu Sese Seko seizes power in a military coup in the Congo, suspending parliament and the constitution.

The Ulysses probe passes the Sun’s south pole.

The airline, Ansett Australia collapses due to increased strain on the international industry.10,000 people loose their jobs.

Two hijacked aircraft crash into the World Trade Center in New York City, while a third smashes into The Pentagon in Arlington County, Virginia, and…

Abebe Bikila becomes the first sub-Saharan African to win a gold medal at the 1960 Rome Olympics, winning the marathon running in barefeet.