Chechen women detonate two bombs in the Moscow underground. 40 people died in the attack allegedly carried out by so-called “black widows”, or Islamist Chechen female suicide bombers.

Ireland becomes the first country to ban smoking in all workplaces. Contrary to initial concerns, the ban had no adverse economic effects, and soon several other countries passed similar legislation. According to the World Health Organization, tobacco smoke is the single greatest cause of preventable death globally.

The Terracotta Army is discovered in Sian, China. The famous collection of some 8000 soldier sculptures, depicting Emperor Qin Shi Huang's army, was located by local farmers when they were digging a water well.

Charles Manson is sentenced to death in the gas chamber. The sentence was never carried out because the California Supreme Court abolished the death penalty in 1972. The infamous criminal who ordered several murders served a life sentence and died on November 19, 2017.

Robert Scott makes his final diary entry. Scott wrote: “We shall stick it out to the end, but we are getting weaker, of course, and the end cannot be far.” The British explorer and his companions died on an expedition to the South Pole.