Turkish journalist Hrant Dink is assassinated. The murderer was a 17-year old Turkish nationalist who disagreed with Dink's view on the Turkish denial of the Armenian Genocide of 1915.

Nazi war criminal Klaus Barbie is arrested in Bolivia. Barbie was known as the “Butcher of Lyon”.

Indira Gandhi becomes India's first female prime minister. She was assassinated on October 31, 1984.

Georges Claude patents his neon discharge tube. Neon lighting soon became popular for outdoor advertising.

Goethe's “Faust” (Part 1) is premiered. The work is considered one of the greatest works of German literature.