The world's first national internet election is held. Estonia was the first country to allow its citizens to vote in a parliamentary election through the world wide web.

Robert Mugabe becomes Zimbabwe's first black prime minister. A hero of the black struggle against the white minority rule in his country, Mugabe won a landslide victory. More recently, his oppressive style of leadership has been condemned domestically and internationally.

The Vrancea earthquake claims over 1500 lives. Most of the victims were residents of Romania's capital Bucharest.

The first documented cases of the Spanish flu herald a deadly worldwide pandemic. The disease quickly spread around the world, causing over 25 million deaths.

The U.S. Constitution is put into effect. The law is one of the world's oldest constitutions still in use. The oldest is the Constitution of San Marino, which was issued in 1600.