- 1913 – The New York World newspaper publishes its first crossword puzzle
- 1937 – Walt Disney releases the first full-length animated film: Snow White and the Seven Dwarves
- 1945 – General George S. Patton dies from injuries suffered in a freak car accident
- 1948 – Samuel L. Jackson is born
- 1959 – Florence Griffith Joyner (“Flo-Jo”), the “World’s Fastest Woman,” is born
- 1968 – Apollo 8 launches from Cape Kennedy, the first mission to orbit the moon
- 1971 – The United Arab Emirates is formed
- 1988 – Pan Am Flight 103 explodes over Scotland, killing all 243 passengers, 16 crew members and 11 Lockerbie residents
- 2012 – “Gangnam Style” becomes the first YouTube video to reach one billion views
