Cyprus gained its independence from the United Kingdom.
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Edwin Prescott was awarded a patent for the vertical loop Roller Coaster.
The Junkers Ju 287, the first jet with forward-swept wings, made its first flight.
Michael Phelps won the 100-meter butterfly swim in a record 50:58 at the Beijing Olympic finals.
Julian Assange, who founded WikiLeaks, was given political asylum by Ecuador.
A solar flare from the sun created a geomagnetic storm, which caused Toronto's stock market to halt.