The Smithsonian announces the discovery of the olinguito, the first new carnivorous species found in the Americas in 35 years.

An 8.0-magnitude earthquake off the Pacific coast devastates Ica and various regions of Peru, killing 514 and injuring 1,090.

In South Carolina, Shannon Faulkner becomes the first female cadet matriculated at The Citadel (she drops out less than a week later).

President Richard Nixon completes the break from the gold standard by ending convertibility of the United States dollar into gold by foreign investors.

Patricia Palinkas becomes the first woman to play professionally in an American football game.

The Woodstock Music & Art Fair opens in Bethel, New York, featuring some of the top rock musicians of the era.