United States Congress apologizes for slavery. The U.S. House of Representatives publicly apologized for the institution of slavery and Jim Crow laws that discriminated against African Americans.

Wedding of Charles, Prince of Wales, and Lady Diana Spencer. The most talked about wedding of the year was watched on television by millions of people worldwide. The couple were married in St Paul's Cathedral, London, United Kingdom, and divorced 15 years later in 1996.

The International Atomic Energy Agency is established. The independent agency aims to ban the use of nuclear energy for military purposes. American W. Sterling Cole served as the agency's first director general.

The XIV Olympics opened in London, United Kingdom after a 12 year hiatus due to the Second World War. The last Summer Olympics before this were held in Berlin in 1936.

The Arc de Triomphe is inaugurated in Paris, France. The famous monument honors those to dies while fighting for France during the French Revolution and the Napoleonic Wars. It was designed by Jean Chalgrin.