The computer mouse was first introduced by the Xerox PARC company, a research division of the Xerox Corporation.

American journalist, Edward R. Murrow, died at the age of 57. He was a pioneer of early television news broadcasting and a stanch enemy of Senator Joseph McCarthy. His news reports helped bring about the end of the McCarthy era.

In South Africa, the 'Group Areas Act' was passed, officially segregating races. The act was repealed 41 years later, in 1991.

German troops entered the city of Athens, Greece.

Opening ceremony of the 1908 Summer Olympics in London.

Russian composer, Sergei Prokofiev, was born in Sontsovka, Russia (Now Ukraine). he is considered as one of the greatest composers of the 20th century. Towards the later part of his life and mostly due to the increased regulation of music by the Soviet state, he turned hi attention to writing music for children, the most famous piece being that of "Peter and the Wolf".

American author, Ralph Waldo Emerson, died at the age of 79. He was the founder of the Transcendentalism movement in literature.

Cornell University was created by the New York State senate.

American inventor, Samuel F. B. Morse, was born in Charlestown, Massachusetts. He was the inventor of the signalling alphabet known as Morse Code.

Portuguese explorer, Ferdinand Magellan, died at the age of 41. He was the first person to ever circumnavigate the Earth and is considered to have been the greatest explorer in history. He was killed the Battle of Mactan against indigenous forces of Mactan in the Philippine islands.