On this day in 1973, Marlon Brando, American film actor, refused to accept his Oscar award for his leading role in "The Godfather" because of Hollywood's abuses of the American Indians.
On this day in 1996, after eight years of construction, the Mucha Line of the Taipei Mass Rapid Transit System in Taiwan formally began operations.
On this day in 2005, a Sumatra earthquake rocked Indonesia, and at magnitude 8.7 was the fourth strongest earthquake to hit the country since 1965. More than 2,000 died.