The audience for the program was greater than that watching the inauguration of President Dwight D. Eisenhower the following day. In fact, the Lucille Ball 'baby' story knocked the inauguration off the front page of many major newspapers. A presidential news conference was filmed for television for the first time, with permission from President Eisenhower. Philadelphia comedian, Ernie Kovacs, became a major star, when he was able to pull off the challenge of doing a half-hour TV show without saying a single word of dialogue. Indira Gandhi was elected prime minister of India.
Officials report that the U.S. is flying helicopter missions for Laos troops.
Keeler played the role of Sue Smith in the revival of the 1925 hit musical. Klaus Barbie, notorious SS chief of Lyon in Nazi-occupied France, was arrested in Bolivia. A second Iraqi missile attack caused 29 injuries in Tel Aviv. Allied forces began bombarding Iraq's elite Republican Guard. The first American combat troops flew home from their humanitarian mission in Somalia.