23 die in the Jerusalem wedding hall disaster. Hundreds of wedding guests fell two stories deep when a portion of the third floor collapsed. The tragedy was Israel's worst civil disaster.

Engineers begin drilling the world's deepest hole. The Kola Superdeep Borehole had reached the unsurpassed depth of 12,262 meters (40,230 feet) before the project was abandoned due to a lack of funding.

The first Eurovision Song Contest is held. Lys Assia won the first edition for Switzerland. The ESC is a major song contest in Europe and one of the world's longest-running TV programs. It is held in a different country each year.

Amy Johnson flies solo from England to Australia. The English aviatrix was the first woman to achieve this feat. Her 18,000 km (11,000 mi) flight aboard a de Havilland Gypsy Moth aircraft took her from Croydon, U.K. to Darwin, Australia in 19 days.

Mary had a little lamb is published. Sarah Josepha Hale's poem is one of the best-known English language nursery rhymes.