An annular eclipse of the sun is visible across much of North America.
Illinois executes serial killer John Wayne Gacy by lethal injection for the murder of 33 young men and boys.
The Channel Tunnel, which took 15,000 workers over 7 years to complete, opens between England and France, enabling passengers to travel between the 2 countries in 35 minutes.
Nelson Mandela is inaugurated as South Africa's first black president.
