Edmond Halley was given the senior post as the second Astronomer Royal at Greenwich Observatory.
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The first US fire extinguisher patent was granted to Alanson Crane, Virginia.
Two Australian warships, the HMAS Melbourne and the HMAS Voyager, collided off the New South Wales coast.
Amy Winehouse scored five awards at the 50th Grammy Awards.
Tom and Jerry made their debut appearance.
A computer defeated world champion chess player Gary Kasparov for the first time.
