Angela Merkel was proclaimed to be the new chancellor of Germany. She is the first woman head of state in Germany.

An earthquake measuring 7.5 on the Richter Scale struck the city of San Salvador, El Salvador. Approximately 1,500 people died in the wake of the quake.

The Pac-Man arcade game was released in Japan.

Vice President of the United States Spiro Agnew resigned after he was charged with federal income tax evasion.

The 1964 Summer Olympics opened in Tokyo, Japan.

American singer, David Lee Roth, was born in Indiana, USA. He is best known for his work with the hard rock band Van Halen.

American film maker, Ed Wood, was born in New York, USA. He was an American film director, screenwriter, actor, and producer and is widely considered by many critics as one of the worst directors ever.

Construction on the Panama Canal is completed. The canal was formally opened on August 15, 1914.

Italian composer, Giuseppe Verdi, was born in the Duchy of Parma and Piacenza (Present day Parma, Italy). He is considered by many as the most influential composer of the 19th century's Italian School of Opera.

A huge hurricane killed over 20,000 in the Caribbean region.