Junko Tabei becomes the first woman to conquer Mount Everest. The ascent by the Japanese adventurer came 22 years after Sir Edmund Hillary and Tenzing Norgay became the first to reach the summit.

In China, the Cultural Revolution begins. The publication of the May 16 notification marks the beginning of the political campaign, which was initiated by Mao Zedong and lasted ten years. Its objective was to strengthen communism by removing capitalist, traditional and cultural elements from Chinese society.

Theodore Maiman fires the first functional laser. The American physicist's invention, an advancement of earlier research by scientists in the U.S. and the Soviet Union, was patented in 1967.

The Oscars are awarded for the first time. The first Academy Awards were presented at a private dinner with about 270 attendees. Today, it is the world's most important entertainment awards ceremony.

Albert Cushing Read takes off on the first transatlantic flight in history. The crossing from New York State, USA to Lisbon, Portugal on a Curtiss NC-4 flying boat took 19 days.