Titanic becomes the first film to gross $1 billion. James Cameron's epic account of the sinking of the Titanic had a budget of $ 200 million and grossed over $ 2 billion in the end.

Internet giant Yahoo! is incorporated. The company was founded in January 1994 as Jerry's guide to the World Wide Web by Jerry Yang and David Filo.

The International Monetary Fund (IMF) is formed. The IMF's primary goal of improving the economies of its member countries has frequently been overshadowed in the past by criticisms about the fund's alleged support of dictatorships and negative impact on the environment.

Aviator Charles Lindbergh's son is kidnapped. The toddler's abduction and death was one of the most publicized crimes of the century.

Henri Becquerel discovers radioactivity. The French physicist made his groundbreaking discovery while trying to prove his erroneous theory that phosphorescent uranium salts absorb sunlight and reemit it as X-rays.