Three tornadoes hit Central Florida, killing 42 people.

A Cebu Pacific Flight 387 DC-9-32 crashes into a mountain near Cagayan de Oro, Philippines, killing 104.

Apartheid: F.W. de Klerk allows the African National Congress to function legally and promises to release Nelson Mandela.

Soviet war in Afghanistan: The last Soviet armoured column leaves Kabul.

After the 1986 People Power Revolution the Philippines enacts a new constitution.

Hama Massacre: Syria attacks the town of Hama.

Reports surface that the FBI was targeting allegedly corrupt Congressmen in the Abscam operation.

The Groundhog Day gale hits the north-eastern United States and south-eastern Canada.

The F-16 Fighting Falcon flies for the first time.

The British embassy in Dublin is destroyed in protest at Bloody Sunday.

Idi Amin replaces President Milton Obote as leader of Uganda.

The American Basketball Association is formed.

Pakistan suggests a six-point agenda with Kashmir after the Indo-Pakistani War of 1965.

Iskander Mirza of Pakistan lays the foundation-stone of the Guddu Barrage.

The Hungarian Republic is proclaimed.

World War II: The Battle of Stalingrad comes to conclusion as Soviet troops accept the surrender of 91,000 remnants of the Axis forces.

Frank Sinatra debuts with the Tommy Dorsey orchestra.

Leonarde Keeler tests the first polygraph machine.

The Export-Import Bank of the United States is incorporated.

The Charlevoix-Kamouraska earthquake strikes northeastern North America.

Serum run to Nome: Dog sleds reach Nome, Alaska with diphtheria serum, inspiring the Iditarod race.

''Ulysses'' by James Joyce is published.

France occupies Memel.

The Tartu Peace Treaty is signed between Estonia and Russia.

Grand Central Terminal is opened in New York City.

Funeral of Queen Victoria.

The Australian Premiers' Conference held in Melbourne decides to locate Australia's capital city, Canberra, between Sydney and Melbourne.

In Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania the first Groundhog Day is observed.

The Knights of Columbus are formed in New Haven, Connecticut.

Greece declares war on Turkey.

The National League of Professional Baseball Clubs of Major League Baseball is formed.

California Gold Rush: The first ship with Chinese immigrants arrives in San Francisco, California.

Mexican-American War: The Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo is signed.

Russia establishes a fur trading colony at Fort Ross, California.

The Supreme Court of the United States convenes for the first time.

Alexander Selkirk is rescued after being shipwrecked on a desert island, inspiring the book ''Robinson Crusoe'' by Daniel Defoe.

New Amsterdam (later renamed The City of New York) is incorporated.

Portuguese under Christovão da Gama capture a Moslem-occupied hill fort in northern Ethiopia in the Battle of Baçente.

Spaniard Pedro de Mendoza founds Buenos Aires, Argentina.

The Battle of Diu takes place near Diu, India, between Portugal and Turkey.

Conrad II, Holy Roman Emperor becomes King of Burgundy.

''Translatio imperii'': Pope John XII crowns Otto I, Holy Roman Emperor, the first Holy Roman Emperor in nearly 40 years.

Alaric II, eighth king of the Visigoths promulgates The Breviary of Alaric (''Breviarium Alaricianum'' or ''Lex Romana Visigothorum'') a collection of Roman law.