Greenpeace ship, Rainbow Warrior, sinks. The ship was in harbor in New Zealand when it was bombed and sunk, killing Fernando Pereira, a photographer who was aboard the ship. It was found out later that French government operatives were responsible for the incident.

New Zealand adopts new currency. The New Zealand pound was replaced by the New Zealand dollar. The denominations of the new currency followed a decimal system.

Telstar, the world's first communication satellite is launched in space. The satellite, made by a collaboration between organizations in the U.S., the U.K., and France, transmitted the first live television images in the world.

Battle of Britain. The German air force or Luftwaffe launched an air campaign against England. It was one of the first battles during the Second World War fought entirely between air forces and it ended a few months later with a British victory.

Death Valley, U.S experiences the highest temperature ever recorded on Earth. Measurements showed that the temperature had reached a whopping 134°F or 57°C!