U.S. President Ronald Reagan is shot. A lone gunman opened fire outside a hotel in Washington D.C. The mentally ill assassin claimed his only motive was to become famous.

Thousands of Palestinians protest against Israel's massive land expropriation. In the event, which is annually commemorated on Land Day, 6 protesters were killed and scores injured by Israeli police.

Jeopardy! is aired for the first time. The program, which is still on the air today, is one of the world's most popular game shows.

The United States buys Alaska from Russia. The territory at the north-western tip of North America cost only $7.2 million.

The Treaty of Paris is signed, ending the Crimean War. Russia lost the war to a coalition of the Ottoman Empire, France, Britain, and Sardinia.