Basketball superstar, Michael Jordan, made his final comeback to the NBA with the Washington Wizards. He would play for 2 seasons before retiring for the last time. He was 38 years old at the time of his last comeback and still was able to lead his team in scoring, assists and steals despite several injuries that plagued him that season.

The Miss Saigon musical was performed for the last time in London after 10 years and 4264 performances.

A referendum for the independence of Quebec, Canada, is narrowly voted down. The vote was 50.6% against and 49.4% for.

The Philip Morris company purchased Kraft Foods for US$13.1 billion.

Prince Juan Carlos became Spain's acting head of state, after dictator, General Francisco Franco's health deteriorated.

Muhammad Ali knocks out George Foreman during the "The Rumble in the Jungle" boxing match that took place in Kinshasa, Zair, thus regaining the World Heavyweight Boxing Championship title.

The Soviet Union detonated the largest hydrogen bomb ever to be detonated. It was called the Tsar Bomba and it had a yield of 58 megatons. In comparrison, the total yield of all bombs used during the second world war, including the 2 atomic bombs, did not exceed 2 megatons.

Argentinian footballer, Diego Armando Maradona, was born in Villa Fiorito a town in the outskirts of Buenos Aires. Maradona was spotted by a talent scout at the age of 10 while he was playing football for his neighbourhood club.

Orson Welles broadcast his radio play adaptation of H. G. Wells's The War of the Worlds. The radio play supposedly caused a nationwide panic, in the United States, as many listeners believed that a Martian invasion was actually in progress.

Soviet (Ukrainian) gymnast, Polina Astakhova, was born in the Ukraine. She was one of the greatest gymnasts of the 20th century, who won 10 medals in 3 different Olympic games. She was also the captain of the Soviet Women's gymnastics team. In 1960 the Soviet government rewarded her achievements with a small three-room apartment.

Italian race car driver, Giuseppe Farina, was born in Turin. He was a famous Italian race driver and the first ever Formula One World Champion driving for the Alfa Romeo team.

Russian writer, Fyodor Dostoevsky, was born in Moscow. He was arguably the most influential writer of Russian history, and is considered by many as one of the most important writers of modern times.