Viagra is approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. Pfizer's pill was the first drug against male impotence to be approved in the United States. In 2012, the company made 2 billion U.S. Dollars from Viagra alone.

Silvio Berlusconi rises to power in Italy. In his 20 years in Italian politics, Berlusconi arguably made more headlines for his numerous affairs and scandals than for his policies. In 2013, he was sentenced to 4 years imprisonment for tax fraud.

The oil rig Alexander L. Kjelland collapses in high winds in the North Sea. Only 89 of 212 crew survived the Norwegian platform's capsizing, which was caused by a fatigue crack in one of the legs.

The worst air crash in history occurs in Tenerife, Spain. 583 people died when 2 Boeing 747 aircraft collided on the runway.

England and Scotland compete in the first international rugby match. Like association football, rugby is a British invention. Today, it is a popular sport mainly in large parts of the British Commonwealth.