Instagram was launched and gained 25,000 users on its first day.
Source
Pope Benedict XVI's butler, Paolo Gabriele, was convicted and jailed for 18 months for leaking confidential documents.
Euridice, the oldest-surviving opera, premiered in Florence, Italy.
Protestors took to the streets in Hong Kong after the government announced a ban on face masks.
The first American Chess Congress started in New York.
'The Jazz Singer' was released. It was the first motion picture with pre-recorded dialogue, revolutionizing the movie industry.