- Michael Faraday, English scientist, discovered electromagnetic induction, invented 1st electric motor, born in Newington Butts, England (d. 1867)
- Stephen Dill Lee, American 1st president of Mississippi State University, Lt General in Confederate Army, born in Charleston, South Carolina (d. 1908)
- Christabel Pankhurst, English suffragist, daughter of Emmeline Pankhurst, born in Manchester, England (d. 1958)
- Nello Santi, Italian opera conductor (Opernhaus Zürich; NY Metropolitan Opera), born in Adria, Veneto, Italy (d. 2020)
- Raul Machado, Portuguese soccer centre-back (11 caps; Leixões SC, SL Benfica), born in Matosinhos, Portugal (d. 2023)
- Junko Tabei, Japanese mountain-climber, 1st woman to climb Mount Everest, born in Miharu (d. 2016)
- King Sunny Adé [Sunday Adeniyi Adegeye], Nigerian jùjú and Afrobeat singer, songwriter, guitarist, and keyboard player (Jùjú Music; Synchro System; Odu), born in Oshogbo, Nigeria
- Dot Richardson, American softball infielder (Olympic gold 1996), born in Orlando, Florida
- US Open Men's Golf, Myopia Hunt GC: Willie Anderson wins his third consecutive Open title, and his record fourth overall, two strokes ahead of runner-up Alex Smith
- KMTC (now KDEB) TV channel 27 in Springfield, MO (IND) begins broadcasting
- US TV series "Full House," starring Bob Saget and John Stamos, premieres
- A Transair Georgian Airlines Tu-154 is shot down by a missile in Sukhumi, Georgia
- Angela Merkel and the Christian Democrats win a third term with their best result since 1990 in the German federal elections
- Anna of Austria, Spanish princess, Austrian archduchess, Queen of France as wife of Louis XIII and regent of France (1643-51) for her son Louis XIV, born in Benavente Palace, Valladolid, Spain (d. 1666)
- Eppa Hunton, American representative and Brigadier-General who fought in most ANV campaigns, born in Warrenton, Virginia (d. 1908)
- Fay Weldon [Franklin Birkinshaw], British feminist, novelist (Praxis; The Lives and Loves of a She-Devil), playwright, and screenwriter, born in Birmingham, England (d. 2023)
- Neil Cavuto, American television commentator (Fox), born in Westbury, New York
- Kofi Burbridge, American blues-rock keyboardist and flute player (Derek Trucks Band, 1999-2019; Tedeschi Trucks Band, 2010-2019), born in The Bronx, New York (d. 2019)