The trial of Nazi guard dubbed “Ivan the Terrible”, accused of being a in Treblinka extermination camp, begins in Jerusalem.

The first draft of the complete human genome is published in Nature.

Australia decimalises its currency.

The Austrian Civil War starts.

The Islamic revolution of Iran establishes an Islamic theocracy lead by Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini.

IBM’s supercomputer Deep Blue defeats Garry Kasparov in chess.

Senator Joseph McCarthy accuses the United States Department of State of being filled with Communists.

The Devil’s Footprints appear in southern Devon.

Bushfires in Victoria are the worst natural disaster in Australia’s history, leaving 173 dead.