The President of Poland, Lech Kaczyński, dies in a plane crash. Several high-ranking officials, senior members of the Polish clergy, as well as relatives of the Katyn massacre victims were killed. The accident was blamed on pilot error and bad weather.

Mercy killings become legal in the Netherlands. In a controversial decision the Dutch senate approved a bill legalizing euthanasia for patients with unbearable, terminal illness.

Negotiators in Northern Ireland reach an historic peace deal. The Good Friday Agreement ended 30 years of violent conflict about Northern Ireland's constitutional status (“The Troubles”).

The Beatles break up as Paul McCartney leaves the band. In their ten years of existence, the British rock group became one of the most successful bands of all time, selling over a billion albums, according to EMI. McCartney's announcement came a week before the release of his debut solo album, the starting point of a successful solo career.

Mount Tambora explodes in one of the largest volcanic eruptions in recorded history. At least 71,000 people were killed by the eruption. The explosion was heard up to 2000 km (1200 mi) away.