The world's tallest tower is opened to the public. At 643 meters (2080 feet), the Tokyo Skytree in Japan's capital city is also the second tallest structure in the world after Burj Khalifa in Dubai. Its prime purpose is relaying TV and radio signals.

The worst air crash involving a Boeing 737 kills 158. Air India Express Flight 812 overshot the runway on landing at Mangalore International Airport. It fell over a cliff and burst into flames. The 737 is the world's most widely flown aircraft.

The arcade game Pac-Man is released. The game featuring a dot-munching round yellow figure moving through a maze has become one of the best-known video games in history. It was produced by Namco.

The most violent earthquake in recorded history hits Chile. The Great Chilean Earthquake rated 9.5 on the moment magnitude scale. According to estimates, between 2230 and 6000 people were killed.

The Wright brothers' flying machine is patented. The American aviation pioneers are credited with having performed “the first sustained and controlled heavier-than-air powered flight.” (Fédération Aéronautique Internationale)