American driller Edwin Laurentine Drake successfully drilled the first oil well in Pennsylvania, US.
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In Java, Indonesia, the Krakatoa volcano erupted and destroyed 70% of the island and its surroundings.
Mars made its closest approach to Earth in nearly 60,000 years.
The British defeated the Americans in the Battle of Long Island, also known as the Battle of Brooklyn.
For the first time in history, the BBC (British Broadcasting Company) transmitted a two-hour-long live broadcast from Calais, France, to television screens in the UK.
Disney's Mary Poppins was released and premiered at Grauman's Chinese Theatre in Los Angeles.
