The first Lord of the Rings film installment, “The Fellowship of the Ring,” directed by Peter Jackson, premiered in London.
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King Berger of Sweden celebrated Christmas with his brothers before throwing them in his dungeons to die.
Isaac Newton's calculations and theories based on Kepler's laws were read to the Royal Society in London.
Winston Churchill was awarded the Nobel prize in Literature.
The First Nobel Peace Prizes were awarded to the Red Cross founder Jean Henri Dunant and peace activist Frederic Passy.
Mississippi was admitted to the Union, making it the 20th American state.