The First Youth Olympics Begins. he Olympic-style games meet was organized by the International Olympic Committee and was held in Singapore. Like the games, the Youth Olympics are held every 4 years and have both summer and winter versions. The first Winter Youth Olympics were held in Innsbruck, Austria in January 2012. Only athletes aged 14 to 18 years are allowed to compete in these games.

Stanford prison experiments begin. The controversial Stanford prison experiments to study the effects of authority in a prison setting began. The experiment had to be shut down by the 6th day because of the adverse effect on the subjects.

Pakistan becomes Independent from British rule. The South Asian country was part of British India Empire, until August 14, 1947, when the region held by the British was partitioned into India and Pakistan. The new country became a part of the commonwealth and appointed Liaquat Ali Khan as its first Prime Minister.

Social Security Act is Signed into Law in the United States. The act, which was signed by President Franklin D. Roosevelt, provided benefits to the unemployed, retirees, and the disabled.

Battle of Ulsan begins. Also known as the Battle of the Japanese Sea, the conflict took place between Russia and Japan during the Russo-Japanese War.