The Sandinista National Liberation Front enters Managua after dictator Anastasio Somoza Debayle flees, ending the Somoza family's rule.
The Argentine military overthrows President Isabel Perón and installs a junta associated with the "Dirty War".
Argentina seizes the Falkland Islands; Britain dispatches a task force and retakes the islands after a 74-day conflict.
The Chilean military under General Augusto Pinochet overthrows President Salvador Allende, beginning a 17-year military dictatorship.
Chilean voters reject extending General Pinochet's rule, paving the way for a return to democracy.
Revolutionary Ernesto "Che" Guevara is captured and executed by the Bolivian army in La Higuera.
The North American Free Trade Agreement between the United States, Canada and Mexico takes effect, creating one of the world's largest trade blocs.