The Spanish National Assembly officially abolished slavery in Puerto Rico.
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The super-bright comet 'Hale-Bopp' reached its closest point to Earth at a distance of 1.215 AU, making it visible to the naked eye.
America built the first rocket to reach an altitude of 50 miles (80 km).
The first God of War game was released for the PlayStation 2 to the North American market.
Arthur Schawlow & Charles Townes was granted the first patent for a laser.
NASA's Columbia Space Shuttle was successfully launched from the Kennedy Space Center.
