Medical researcher Oswald Hope Robertson performed the first-ever blood transfusion using stored and refrigerated blood.
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The Euro currency was introduced and adopted by 11 Member States.
Portuguese navigators discovered Rio de Janeiro.
A monk put an end to gladiator fighting in Rome.
The Union Jack flag was flown for the first time in Dublin, Ireland, to commemorate the union between Great Britain and Ireland.
Romania and Bulgaria joined the European Union.