Australia and England play the first One Day International (ODI) cricket match at the Melbourne Cricket Ground.
In Los Angeles, Charles Manson and three female "family" members are found guilty of the 1969 Tate-LaBianca murders.
The United States, United Kingdom, and the USSR (along with others) sign the Seabed Treaty, outlawing nuclear weapons on the ocean floor.
A ban on radio and television cigarette advertisements goes into effect in the United States.
The first Starbucks coffee shop opens, in Pike Place Market, Elliott Bay, Seattle.
The 26th Amendment to the United States Constitution is formally certified by President Richard Nixon, lowering the voting age from 21 to 18.
Apollo 15 astronauts, David Scott and James Irwin, become the first to ride in a lunar rover, a day after landing on the Moon.
Satchel Paige becomes the first Negro league player to become voted into the Baseball Hall of Fame.
A Boeing 727 (Alaska Airlines Flight 1866) crashes into the side of a mountain near Juneau, Alaska, killing all 111 people onboard.
Walt Disney World Resort opens in Florida.
Intel releases the world's first commercially available microprocessor, the Intel 4004.
Southwest Airlines, the most successful low-cost carrier in history, begins its first flights between Dallas, Houston and San Antonio.
New York Times Co. v. United States: The Supreme Court of the U.S. rules that the Pentagon Papers may be published, rejecting government injunctions as unconstitutional prior restraint.
George Lucas founds Lucasfilm.
Anti-war activists attempt to disrupt government business in Washington, D.C. Police and military units arrest as many as 12,000, most of whom are later released.
1976
Super Bowl X: The Pittsburgh Steelers defeat the Dallas Cowboys 21–17 at the Orange Bowl in Miami, Florida.
The United States vetoes a United Nations resolution that calls for an independent Palestinian state.
The 1976 Winter Olympics in Innsbruck, Austria and Summer Olympics in Montreal, Quebec, Canada are held.
A 7.5 magnitude earthquake affects Guatemala and Honduras, leaving 23,000 dead and 76,000 injured.
Steve Jobs, Steve Wozniak, and Ronald Wayne form Apple Computer Company and develop the Apple I personal computer.
The first class of women is inducted at the United States Naval Academy in Annapolis, Maryland.
The Seattle Seahawks and Tampa Bay Buccaneers play their first football game.
U.S. presidential election: Jimmy Carter defeats incumbent Gerald Ford, becoming the first candidate from the Deep South to win since the Civil War.
World Series: The Cincinnati Reds sweep the New York Yankees in four games to win the 1976 World Series.
The first megamouth shark is discovered off Oahu in Hawaii.
The Lutz family flees from 112 Ocean Avenue in Amityville, Long Island, New York, in the United States, 28 days after having moved in on December 18, 1975, inspiring the story The Amityville Horror.
Patty Hearst is found guilty and sentenced to seven years in prison for her role in a 1974 bank robbery.
Hundreds of Western tourists are moved from Beirut and taken to safety in Syria by the U.S. military, following the murder of the U.S. ambassador to Lebanon.
United States Bicentennial: From coast to coast, the United States celebrates the 200th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence.
Hotel California by The Eagles is released.
1981
ONGOING:
Iran hostage crisis (1979–1981)
Early 1980s recession (1981–1982)
Ronald Reagan is sworn in as the 40th President of the United States. Minutes later, Iran releases the 52 Americans held for 444 days, ending the Iran hostage crisis.
U.S. President Ronald Reagan is shot in the chest outside a Washington, D.C. hotel by John Hinckley Jr.
Major League Baseball goes on strike, forcing the cancellation of 38 percent of the schedule.
U.S. President Ronald Reagan appoints the first female U.S. Supreme Court Justice, Sandra Day O'Connor.
World Series: The Los Angeles Dodgers defeat the New York Yankees, four games to two, to win their fifth World Series title.
Cold War: In Geneva, representatives from the United States and the Soviet Union begin negotiating intermediate-range nuclear weapon reductions in Europe.
The first American test-tube baby, Elizabeth Jordan Carr, is born in Norfolk, Virginia.
After 19 years hosting the CBS Evening News, Walter Cronkite signs off for the last time.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention report that five homosexual men in Los Angeles, California, have a rare form of pneumonia seen only in patients with weakened immune systems (the first recognized cases of AIDS).
Raiders of the Lost Ark, directed by Steven Spielberg is released as the first film of the Indiana Jones film series.
First release of Donkey Kong and debut of Mario.
MTV (Music Television) is launched on cable television in the United States.
1986
ONGOING:
Iran–Contra affair (1985–1987)
The first federal Martin Luther King Jr. Day, honoring Martin Luther King Jr., is observed.
Space Shuttle, Challenger, disintegrates 73 seconds after launch, killing the crew of 7 astronauts.
The United States Senate approves a treaty outlawing genocide.
A major fire at Los Angeles Public Library caused by arson destroys 400,000 volumes.
1986 West Berlin discotheque bombing: The West Berlin discothèque, a known hangout for United States soldiers, is bombed, killing three and injuring 230. Libya is held responsible.
Roger Clemens sets the record for the most strikeouts in a 9-inning Major League Baseball game, striking out 20 batters.
The United Kingdom and the Kingdom of the Netherlands sign a peace treaty, thus ending the Three Hundred and Thirty-Five Years' War, one of the longest wars in human history.
Hands Across America: Approximately 6.5 million people form a human chain from New York City to Long Beach, California, to raise money to fight hunger and homelessness.
U.S. President Ronald Reagan signs the Goldwater–Nichols Act into law, making official the largest reorganization of the United States Department of Defense since the Air Force was made a separate branch of service in 1947.
Space Shuttle Columbia is launched with the first Hispanic-American astronaut, Dr. Franklin Chang Díaz.
Ed Catmull and Alvy Ray Smith found Pixar.
Halley's Comet reaches the closest point to the Earth during its second visit to the solar system in the 20th century. The next time it will be seen is predicted for 2061.
The Oprah Winfrey Show debuts nationally, making Oprah one of the most influential people in the world.
The centennial of the Statue of Liberty's dedication is celebrated in New York Harbor.
1991
ONGOING:
Gulf War (1990–1991)
Iraqi no-fly zones (1991–2003)
The Cold War ends as president of the Soviet Union, Mikhail Gorbachev, resigns and the Soviet Union dissolves.
More than fifty tornadoes sweep across six Midwestern states in just one day.
The Chicago Bulls win their first NBA championship by defeating the Los Angeles Lakers.
Terminator 2: Judgement Day is released in American movie theaters and becomes the highest-grossing film of 1991 in the U.S.
The United States and the Soviet Union sign the START I treaty limiting strategic nuclear weapons.
Germany formally regains complete independence after the four post-World War II occupying powers (France, United Kingdom, United States, and Soviet Union) relinquish all remaining rights.
The Pittsburgh Penguins defeat the Minnesota North Stars 8–0 in Game 6 to win their first Stanley Cup in franchise history.
The Super Nintendo Entertainment System (or "Super Nintendo") is first released in the United States.
The World Wide Web is publicly available.
Sharon Pratt Dixon is sworn in as mayor of the District of Columbia, becoming the first African-American woman to be mayor of a major U.S. city.
Gulf War: The Congress of the United States passes a resolution authorizing the use of military force to liberate Kuwait.
An amateur video captures the beating of motorist Rodney King by Los Angeles, California police officers. Four officers are indicted.
Queen Elizabeth II becomes the first British monarch to address the United States Congress.
The United States win the first ever FIFA Women's World Cup in China against Norway in the Final.
The 50th anniversary of the Attack on Pearl Harbor.
1996
Super Bowl XXX: The Dallas Cowboys become the first NFL franchise to win three Super Bowls in a span of four seasons, as they defeat the Pittsburgh Steelers 27–17 at Sun Devil Stadium in Tempe, Arizona.
One of the worst blizzards in American history hits the eastern states, killing more than 150 people.
The North Cape oil spill occurs as an engine fire forces the tugboat Scandia ashore on Moonstone Beach in South Kingstown, Rhode Island. The North Cape barge is pulled along with it and leaks 820,000 gallons of home heating oil.
Suspected "Unabomber," Theodore Kaczynski, is arrested at his Montana cabin.
The U.S. wins the inaugural 1996 World Cup of Hockey by defeating Canada.
President Bill Clinton signs the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty at the United Nations.
The 1996 Summer Olympics open in Atlanta, Georgia.
Binti Jua, a gorilla, saves a three-year-old boy who fell into the 20-foot-deep gorilla enclosure at Brookfield Zoo, Chicago.
Tiger Woods makes his professional PGA Tour debut at the Greater Milwaukee Open, four days after winning his third consecutive U.S. Amateur Championship.
The New York Yankees defeat the Atlanta Braves to win their first World Series in 18 years.
President Bill Clinton signs the Electronic Freedom of Information Act Amendments.
The People's Republic of China begins surface-to-surface missile testing and military exercises off Taiwanese coastal areas. The United States government condemns the act as provocation, and the Taiwanese government warns of retaliation.
2001
ONGOING:
War in Afghanistan (2001–2021)
9/11 attacks: Almost 3,000 people are killed in four suicide attacks at the World Trade Center in New York City; the Pentagon in Arlington, Virginia; and in rural Shanksville, Pennsylvania.
Super Bowl XXXV: The Baltimore Ravens defeat the New York Giants 34–7, winning their first Super Bowl title.
Sila Calderón becomes the first female governor of US territory Puerto Rico.
Iraq disarmament crisis: British and U.S. forces carry out bombing raids, attempting to disable Iraq's air defense network.
NASCAR legend, Dale Earnhardt, dies in a last lap crash in the 43rd annual Daytona 500.
FBI agent Robert Hanssen is arrested and charged with spying for Russia for 15 years.
The United States enters the early 2000s recession; the unemployment rate rises to 4.4%.
Barry Bonds of the San Francisco Giants breaks the single season home run record, with his 71st and 72nd home runs of the year.
War on Terror: In the first such act since World War II, U.S. President George W. Bush signs an executive order allowing military tribunals against any foreigners suspected of having connections to terrorist acts or planned acts against the United States.
U.S. singer, Aliyah, dies in a plane crash in the Bahamas.
Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone, directed by Chris Columbus, is released in theaters as the first film of the Harry Potter film series.
Nintendo releases the Nintendo Gamecube in North America.
English musician, singer, songwriter, music and film producer and former Beatle, George Harrison, dies of lung cancer in Los Angeles.
Apple launches its first portable music player, the iPod.
The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring, directed by Peter Jackson, is released in theaters as the first film of The Lord of the Rings film series.
2006
ONGOING:
Iraq War (2003–2011)
The Blu-ray Disc format is released in the United States.
The Augustine Volcano in Alaska erupts twice, marking its first major eruption since 1986.
London Metropolitan Police make 21 arrests in connection to an apparent terrorist plot that involved aircraft traveling from the United Kingdom to the United States. As of September 26, the Transportation Security Administration adjusts its ban on liquids, aerosols and gels, a procedure that came to be known as "3–1–1 for carry-ons" (3.4 ounce containers in a 1 quart bag, 1 bag per passenger).
The Walt Disney Company buys Pixar Animation Studios from Lucasfilm Ltd. for $7.4 billion, making Pixar a subsidiary of Walt Disney Pictures.
Michelle Bachelet becomes a first woman president of Chile history.
Montenegro declares its independence from Serbia and Montenegro after a May 21 referendum and becomes a sovereign state.
The International Astronomical Union (IAU) formally defines the term "planet"—excluding Pluto and reclassifying it as a dwarf planet.
The world's tallest living tree, a 379.3 feet tall coast redwood (sequoia) now named "Hyperion," is discovered in Redwood National Park.
Nintendo's Wii is released in America.
Papahānaumokuākea Marine National Monument is established as the largest protected area in the world.
Vice President Dick Cheney accidentally shoots and wounds a lawyer while quail hunting in southern Texas.
While filming Ocean's Deadliest, television host, Steve Irwin, is stung by a sting ray and killed off the coast of Australia.
The New Orleans Saints play their first game at the Superdome since Hurricane Katrina with a 23–3 victory over NFC South rival Atlanta Falcons.
2011
ONGOING:
Southern United States Drought (2010-2013)
The US Constitution is read aloud on the floor of the US House of Representatives for the first time in history.
A 9.0-magnitude earthquake and subsequent tsunami hits the east of Japan, killing 15,840 and leaving another 3,926 missing. Tsunami warnings are issued in 50 countries and territories. Emergencies are declared at four nuclear power plants affected by the quake.
President Barack Obama announces that Osama bin Laden, the suspected mastermind behind the 9/11 terror attacks against America, had been killed during an American military operation in Pakistan.
NASA's Messenger spacecraft becomes the first man-made technology to establish an orbit around Mercury.
The United States Congress votes on a deal to resolve the United States debt-ceiling crisis with the House of Representatives passing it. U.S. Rep. Gabby Giffords (D--Arizona) casts her first vote since her traumatic brain injury at the hands of an assassination attempt.
Cuba and its partners announce plans to drill for oil in Cuban waters in The Gulf of Mexico.
Hackers break Into US Senate computers.
The United Nations declares a famine in southern Somalia, the first in over 30 years.
The United States formally declares an end to the Iraq War.
The majority of children under one year old are minorities, which is a first according to a 2012 U.S. Census Bureau estimate.
In a landmark study that will ultimately see the cure for AIDS, a new technique renders T-Cells resistant to HIV.
The 9/11 National Memorial & Museum in New York City opens; the ceremony commemorates the tenth anniversary of the 9/11 attacks.
Occupy Wall Street: Thousands march on Wall Street in response to high unemployment, record executive bonuses and extensive bailouts of the financial system.
The United States military officially ends its policy of Don't Ask, Don't Tell, allowing gay and lesbian personal to publicly declare their sexual orientation.
Amanda Knox is released from Italian prison following a successful appeal of her murder conviction.
2016
Hawaii becomes the first state to raise the legal smoking age to 21. California later follows and raises the legal smoking age from 18 to 21 and restricts the use of electronic cigarettes in public places.
The World Health Organization announces an outbreak of the Zika virus.
The US conducts its first commercial flight to Cuba in 50 years.
Orlando nightclub shooting: Omar Mateen, a 29-year-old man, killed 49 people and wounded 53 more, making this the deadliest mass shooting in United States history. The shooting is investigated as a domestic terrorist attack.
Hillary Clinton becomes the Democratic candidate at the 2016 DNC, becoming the first female to be nominated for a major political party.
2016 United States presidential election: Businessman and television personality Donald Trump is elected the 45th President of the United States, becoming the oldest man elected president at the age of 70 as well as the first president in history to take the office without any prior political or military experience.
John Hinckley Jr., the man who tried to assassinate US President Ronald Reagan in 1981, is released from a psychiatric hospital after 35 years.
Two paintings by Vincent van Gogh with a combined value of $100 million, Seascape at Scheveningen and Congregation Leaving the Reformed Church in Nuenen, are recovered after having been stolen on December 7, 2002, from the Van Gogh Museum in Amsterdam.
NASA confirms the discovery of more than 1,284 exoplanets by its Kepler space observatory.
Four states, California, Nevada, Maine and Massachusetts, vote to legalize the use, sale and consumption of recreational marijuana.
The 70th annual Tony Awards are presented; the cultural icon musical Hamilton wins 11 awards including Best Musical from a record 16 nominations.
Susannah Mushatt Jones, the world's oldest person and the last surviving American born in the 1800s, dies in New York at age 116.
The Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus officially retires its elephants after a final show in Providence, Rhode Island.
For the first time in its history, the national Powerball lottery prize surpasses $1 billion.
President Obama announces a federal state of emergency in Flint, Michigan, allowing additional support from the Federal Emergency Management Agency and the Department of Homeland Security in response to the ongoing contamination of tap water in the city.
2018
Super Bowl LII: February 4 – The Philadelphia Eagles win their first Super Bowl in franchise history by defeating the New England Patriots, 41–33, ending a 57-year championship drought.
The Hawaii Emergency Management Agency sends a false alarm warning of an incoming ballistic missile attack, causing widespread panic across the state.
Amazon opens the first Amazon Go store to the public, the first completely cashier-less grocery store, located in Seattle.
A mass shooting occurs at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida, killing 17. It is the deadliest high school shooting in the United States, surpassing the 1999 Columbine High School massacre.
Avengers: Infinity War is released by Marvel Studios as the 19th film of the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) and becomes the highest-grossing film of 2018.
The deadliest and most destructive wildfire in California history burns through northern California’s Butte County. 85 people are killed, 153,336 acres of land are burned, and 18,804 buildings are destroyed.
Hurricane Michael makes landfall at Mexico Beach, Florida as a Category 5 hurricane with winds of 160 mph (260 km/h) and is the most intense hurricane to hit the mainland United States since Camille in 1969.
Joseph James DeAngelo, a suspect in the Golden State Killer case, is apprehended after law enforcement matched his DNA to the serial rapist and murder.
Kim Jong-un crosses into South Korea to meet with President Moon Jae-in, becoming the first North Korean leader to cross the Demilitarized Zone since its creation in 1953.
The national unemployment rate hits 3.9 percent, the lowest rate since 2000.
Koko, a western Lowland gorilla largely known for having learned to communicate in American Sign Language, dies in her sleep in California. "The Queen of Soul" Aretha Franklin dies from pancreatic cancer at age 76 in her Detroit home. Marvel Comics cowriter and CEO Stan Lee dies from a combination of organ failures and aspiration pneumonia, a month shy of his 96th birthday.
Facebook
Twitter
YouTube
Instagram
Flickr