The Irish paramilitary organization IRA ends an 18-month ceasefire by exploding a large bomb in London. The explosion in London's Canary Wharf left 2 people dead and 39 injured.

The Boeing 747 flies for the first time. The “Jumbo Jet” was the world's largest passenger aircraft at the time.

The Beatles embark on their first tour in the United States. Their appearance in the Ed Sullivan Sow marked the beginning of the “British Invasion”

The world's first intercontinental ballistic missile becomes operational in the USSR. The Soviet R-7 Semyorka missile had a range of 8800 km (5500 mi).

U.S. Senator Joseph McCarthy launches his anti-communist campaign. On this day, McCarthy accused the U.S. State Department of being infiltrated by communists.