The Pink Panther film premiered, directed by Blake Edwards with a theme by Henry Mancini.
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James Cameron's 'Avatar' was released in the US. It became the highest-grossing film of all time at the time.
The Two Towers, the second of the Lord of the Rings films, was released in theaters.
The film 'The Color Purple,' based on the novel by Alice Walker, directed by Steven Spielberg, premiered in New York.
Nevada became the first US state with a female-majority legislature, with new appointments taking it to 51%.
The modern state of Qatar was founded with Jassim Bin Mohammad Al Thani as its leader.