Croatia and Albania join NATO

The Serious Organised Crime Agency, dubbed the "British FBI", is created in the United Kingdom.

Same-sex marriage becomes legal in the Netherlands, the first country to allow it.

Former President of Federal Republic of Yugoslavia Slobodan Milošević surrenders to police special forces, to be tried on war crimes charges.

An EP-3E United States Navy surveillance aircraft collides with a Chinese People's Liberation Army Shenyang J-8 fighter jet. The Navy crew makes an emergency landing in Hainan, People's Republic of China and is detained.

Nunavut is established as a Canadian territory carved out of the eastern part of the Northwest Territories.

Comet Hale-Bopp is seen passing over perihelion.

The Halifax Regional Municipality in Nova Scotia is created.

Start of the Bosnian war.

Margaret Thatcher's new local government tax, the Community Charge (commonly known as the "poll tax"), is introduced in Scotland.

Daylight saving time is introduced in the USSR.

Iran becomes an Islamic Republic by a 98% vote, officially overthrowing the Shah.

The Philippine College of Commerce, through a presidential decree, becomes the Polytechnic University of the Philippines.

Conrail takes over operations from six bankrupt railroads in the Northeastern U.S..

The Jovian-Plutonian gravitational effect hoax is first reported by British astronomer Patrick Moore.

Apple Inc. is formed by Steve Jobs and Steve Wozniak.

In the United Kingdom, the Metropolitan and non-metropolitan counties come into being.

Project Tiger, a tiger conservation project, is launched in the Corbett National Park, India.

President Richard Nixon signs the Public Health Cigarette Smoking Act into law, requiring the Surgeon General's warnings on tobacco products and banning cigarette advertisements on television and radio in the United States, starting on January 1, 1971.

The Hawker Siddeley Harrier enters service with the Royal Air Force.

The United States Department of Transportation begins operation.

The BBC broadcasts the spaghetti tree hoax on its current affairs programme ''Panorama''.

The EOKA rebellion against The British Empire begins in Cyprus, with the goal of obtaining the desired unification ("enosis") with Greece.

President Dwight D. Eisenhower authorizes the creation of the United States Air Force Academy in Colorado.

The twenty-six counties of the Irish Free State become the Republic of Ireland.

The Canadian government repeals Japanese Canadian internment after seven years.

Chinese Civil War: The Communist Party of China holds unsuccessful peace talks with the Kuomintang in Beijing, after three years of fighting.

Cold War: Berlin Airlift – Military forces, under direction of the Russian-controlled government in East Germany, set-up a land blockade of West Berlin. * 1948

Aleutian Island earthquake: A 7.8 magnitude earthquake near the Aleutian Islands creates a tsunami that strikes the Hawaiian Islands killing 159, mostly in Hilo.

Formation of the Malayan Union.

World War II: Battle of Okinawa|Operation Iceberg

Navigation errors lead to an accidental American bombing of the Swiss city of Schaffhausen.

The Blockade Runner Badge for the German navy is instituted.

Generalísimo Francisco Franco of the Spanish State announces the end of the Spanish Civil War, when the last of the Republican forces surrender.

Aden becomes a British crown colony.

Orissa formerly known as Kalinga or Utkal becomes a state in India.

English cricketer Wally Hammond set a record for the highest individual Test innings of 336 not out, during a Test match against New Zealand.

The recently elected Nazis under Julius Streicher organize a one-day boycott of all Jewish-owned businesses in Germany, ushering in a series of anti-Semitic acts.

The Royal Canadian Air Force is formed.

Adolf Hitler is sentenced to five years in jail for his participation in the "Beer Hall Putsch". However, he spends only nine months in jail, during which he writes ''Mein Kampf''.

The Royal Air Force is created by the merger of the Royal Flying Corps and the Royal Naval Air Service.

The Territorial Force (renamed Territorial Army in 1920) is formed as a volunteer reserve component of the British Army.

The rank of Chief Petty Officer in the United States Navy is established.

The Wrigley Company is founded in Chicago, Illinois.

Mumbai Fire Brigade is established.

The British steamer {{RMS|Atlantic}} sinks off Nova Scotia, killing 547.

The first stage of the Brill Tramway opened.

Singapore becomes a British crown colony.

American Civil War: Battle of Five Forks

''Hard Times'' begins serialisation in Charles Dickens' magazine, ''Household Words''.

The Convention of 1833, a political gathering of settlers in Mexican Texas to help draft a series of petitions to the Mexican government, begins in San Felipe de Austin

Samuel Morey patents the internal combustion engine.

In New York City, the United States House of Representatives holds its first ''quorum'' and elects Frederick Muhlenberg of Pennsylvania as its first House Speaker.

In the Eighty Years' War, the Watergeuzen capture Brielle from the Spaniards, gaining the first foothold on land for what would become the Dutch Republic.

Niels Ebbesen kills Gerhard III of Holstein in his bedroom, ending the 1332-1340 interregnum in Denmark.

Berwick-upon-Tweed is captured by the Scottish from the English.

Robert Winchelsey leaves England for Rome, to be consecrated as Archbishop of Canterbury.

Byzantine Emperor Justin I names his nephew Justinian I as co-ruler and successor to the throne.