The Norwegian expedition led by Roald Amundsen becomes the first to reach the geographic South Pole.
Austria-Hungary declares war on Serbia, drawing Europe's powers into a global war that lasts until the armistice of 11 November 1918.
The US-built Panama Canal officially opens, linking the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans.
An H1N1 influenza pandemic spreads worldwide, killing tens of millions of people, one of the deadliest pandemics in history.
The peace treaty ending the war between Germany and the Allies is signed in the Hall of Mirrors, imposing war guilt, territorial losses and heavy reparations on Germany.
The first Nobel Prizes are awarded on the fifth anniversary of Alfred Nobel's death; Wilhelm Röntgen receives the first Nobel Prize in Physics.
The first Summer Olympics of the modern era are held in Athens, organised by the International Olympic Committee.