Martin Luther King Jr. was assassinated.
He was shot at the Lorraine Motel in Memphis, Tennessee, by James Earl Ray.
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Jack Ma founded Alibaba Group Holding Limited.
NASA's Challenger Space Shuttle was launched from Florida on its maiden voyage.
The Pink Star Diamond sold for a record USD 71 million in Hong Kong.
The Kangra earthquake in India killed over 20,000 people.
Finland officially joined NATO, becoming the 31st member of the security alliance.