20 people die in the Cavalese cable car disaster. The wings of a low-flying U.S. military aircraft cut the aerial tramway's cables, causing the cabin to plunge 80 meters.

Paraguay's dictator, Alfredo Stroessner, is overthrown. Stroessner had come to power in 1954 with a military coup.

The deadliest snowstorm in history kills 4000. The Iran Blizzard lasted a week and left whole villages without survivors.

Yasser Arafat becomes leader of the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO). Even after his death in 2011, Arafat remained a highly controversial figure, many Arabs praising him as a freedom fighter while many Israelis denouncing him as a terrorist.

Luna 9 touches down on the Moon. The unmanned Soviet spacecraft was the first to achieve a soft landing there.