The ''Hebei Spirit'' oil spill begins in South Korea after a crane barge being towed by a tug collides with the Very Large Crude Carrier, ''Hebei Spirit''.

A tornado strikes Kensal Green, North West London, seriously damaging about 150 properties.

Rigoberto Alpizar, a passenger on American Airlines Flight 924 who allegedly claimed to have a bomb, is shot and killed by a team of U.S. federal air marshals at Miami International Airport.

The Conservative Party of Canada is officially recognized after the merger of the Canadian Alliance and Progressive Conservative Party of Canada.

The Recording Industry Association of America files a lawsuit against the Napster file-sharing client alleging copyright infringement.

The Galileo spacecraft arrives at Jupiter, a little more than six years after it was launched by Space Shuttle Atlantis during Mission STS-34.

Norfolk Southern ends its steam excursion program. This is the last time that Norfolk and Western 611 is under steam.

The Long Island Rail Road massacre: Passenger Colin Ferguson murders six people and injures 19 others on the LIRR in Nassau County, New York.

Spitak Earthquake: In Armenia an earthquake measuring 6.9 on the Richter scale kills nearly 25,000, injures 15,000 and leaves 400,000 homeless.

Yasser Arafat recognizes the right of Israel to exist.

Pacific Southwest Airlines Flight 1771 crashes near Paso Robles, California, killing all 43 on board, after a disgruntled passenger shoots his ex-boss traveling on the flight, then shoots both pilots and himself.

Alianza Lima air disaster. A plane crashes killing all Alianza Lima team in Ventanilla, Callao, Peru.

An Iberia Airlines Boeing 727 collides with an Aviaco DC-9 in dense fog while the two airliners are taxiing down the runway at Madrid Barajas International Airport, killing 93 people.

In Texas, Charles Brooks, Jr. becomes the first person to be executed by lethal injection in the United States.

Indonesia invades East Timor.

Apollo 17, the last Apollo moon mission, is launched. The crew takes the photograph known as ''The Blue Marble'' as they leave the Earth.

Pakistan President Yahya Khan announces the formation of a Coalition Government at Centre with Nurul Amin as Prime Minister and Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto as Vice-Prime Minister.

The first ever general election on the basis of direct adult franchise is held in Pakistan for 313 National Assembly seats.

A fire at an army barracks in Erzurum, Turkey kills 68 people.

Pope Paul VI and Patriarch Athenagoras simultaneously lift mutual excommunications that had been in place since 1054.

Instant Replay is used for the first time in a Army-Navy game by its inventor, director, Tony Verna.

Prince Rainier III of Monaco revises the principality's constitution, devolving some of his power to advisory and legislative councils.

Chinese Civil War: The government of Republic of China moves from Nanking to Taipei.

A fire at the Winecoff Hotel in Atlanta, Georgia kills 119 people, the deadliest hotel fire in U.S. history.

World War II: Attack on Pearl Harbor

Australian cricketer Jack Fingleton becomes the first player to score centuries in four consecutive Test innings.

W1XAV in Boston, Massachusetts broadcasts video from the CBS radio orchestra program, ''The Fox Trappers''. The broadcast also includes the first television commercial in the United States, an advertisement for I.J. Fox Furriers, who sponsored the radio show.

World War I: The United States declares war on Austria-Hungary.

Max Planck, in his house at Grunewald, on the outskirts of Berlin, discovers the law of black body emission.

US Civil War: Battle of Prairie Grove, Arkansas.

Delaware becomes the first state to ratify the United States Constitution.

Marquis de Lafayette attempts to enter the American military as a major general.

The Royal Opera House opens at Covent Garden, London.

Tumult of Thorn

Connecticut Route 108, third oldest highway in Connecticut, is laid out to Trumbull.