The Governor of Illinois, Rob Blagojevich, is arrested by federal officials for a number of alleged crimes including attempting to sell the United States Senate seat being vacated by President-elect Barack Obama's election to the Presidency.

Moscow suffers its worst fire since 1977, killing 45 women in a drug rehabilitation center.

A blast in the center of Moscow kills six people and wounds several more.

The Supreme Court of the United States stays the sixth Florida recount.

The Michael Hughes Bridge in Sligo, Ireland is officially opened.

Israeli-Palestinian conflict: The First Intifada begins in the Gaza Strip and West Bank.

The eradication of the smallpox virus is certified, making smallpox the first and to date only human disease driven to extinction.

The United Arab Emirates join the United Nations.

NLS (a system for which hypertext and the computer mouse were developed) is publicly demonstrated for the first time in San Francisco.

Barbados joins the United Nations.

The Kecksburg UFO incident: a fireball is seen from Michigan to Pennsylvania; witnesses report something crashing in the woods near Pittsburgh. In 2005 NASA admits that it examined an object.

The Petrified Forest National Park is established in Arizona.

Tanganyika becomes independent from Britain.

The trial of Nazi Adolf Eichmann in Israel ends with verdicts of guilty on 15 criminal charges, including charges of crimes against humanity, crimes against the Jewish people and membership of an outlawed organization.

The first episode of Britain's longest running television soap opera ''Coronation Street'' is broadcast.

The John Birch Society was founded in the United States.

Trans-Canada Air Lines Flight 810, a Canadair North Star, crashes near Hope, British Columbia, Canada, killing all 62 people on board.

Red Scare: General Electric announces that all communist employees will be discharged from the company.

Harry Gold is sentenced to thirty years in jail for helping Klaus Fuchs pass information about the Manhattan Project to the Soviet Union. His testimony is later instrumental in the prosecution of Julius and Ethel Rosenberg.

The "Subsequent Nuremberg Trials" begin with the "Doctors' Trial", prosecuting doctors alleged to be involved in human experimentation.

World War II: The Republic of China, Cuba, Guatemala, the Provisional Government of the Republic of Korea, and the Philippine Commonwealth, declare war on Germany and Japan.

World War II: The 19th Bombardment Group attacks Japanese ships off the coast of Vigan, Luzon.

World War II: Operation Compass

Second Sino-Japanese War: Battle of Nanjing

Walter Liggett, American newspaper editor and muckraker, is killed in gangland murder.

The Constituent Cortes approves the constitution which establishes the Second Spanish Republic.

Gabriel Narutowicz is announced the first president of Poland.

In Palestine, Field Marshal Edmund Allenby captures Jerusalem.

In France, the law separating church and state is passed.

Activist Marguerite Durand founds the feminist daily newspaper, ''La Fronde'', in Paris.

Statistician Herman Hollerith installs his computing device at the United States War Department.

The Massachusetts Rifle Association, "America's Oldest Active Gun Club", is founded.

In Louisiana, P. B. S. Pinchback becomes the first serving African-American governor of a U.S. state.

American Civil War: The Joint Committee on the Conduct of the War is established by the U.S. Congress.

The Iranian city of Bushehr surrenders to occupying British forces.

The first YMCA in North America is established in Montreal, Quebec.

The Republic of Texas captures San Antonio, Texas.

Patriot forces led by General Antonio José de Sucre defeat a Royalist army in the Battle of Ayacucho, putting an end to the Peruvian War of Independence.

New York City's first daily newspaper, the ''American Minerva'', is established by Noah Webster.

The Virgin of Guadalupe first appears to Juan Diego at Tepeyac, Mexico City.

The Catholic University of Leuven is founded.

Byzantine General Belisarius enters Rome while the Ostrogothic garrison peacefully leaves the city, returning the old capital to its empire.