| Jun | Fiction: The Pied Piper exacted his revenge upon the German town of Hamelin this day. The townspeople had promised to pay the piper a large fee if he could rid their town the nasty rats running all over the place. He had played his trusty pipe and the rats had followed him out of town and into the River Weser. But once the rodents were eliminated, the local folks decided not to pay after all. The piper was not pleased and repaid the townspeople by playing his pipe for the children of Hamelin, just like he had done for the rats. And just like the rats, the children followed him out of town. The Pied Piper of Hamelin led the kiddies into a hole in a hillside. They were never seen again. | Ref: 4 |
| Mar | Fiction: Romeo & Juliet's wedding day, according to Shakespeare. | Ref: 5 |
| Apr | Fiction: 1st date in James Clavell's novel Shogun (OS). | Ref: 5 |
| Dec | Fiction: Robinson Crusoe leaves his island after 28 years (as per Defoe). | Ref: 5 |
| Nov | Fiction: First date in James Clavell's novel Tai-Pan. | Ref: 5 |
| Jan | Fiction: Sherlock Holmes Mycroft, fictional detective (via Arthur Conan Doyle), is born. | Ref: 5 |
| Jan | Fiction: Dr John H Watson is introduced to Sherlock Holmes. | Ref: 5 |
| Mar | Fiction: Holmes & Watson begin "A Study in Scarlet", first case together. | Ref: 5 |
| Apr | Fiction: Start of Sherlock Holmes "Adventure of the Speckled Band" (BG). | Ref: 5 |
| Apr | Fiction: Start of Sherlock Holmes adventure "Reigate Squires" (BG). | Ref: 5 |
| Mar | Fiction: Start of the Sherlock Holmes Adventure, "A Scandal in Bohemia". | Ref: 5 |
| Apr | Fiction: Start of Sherlock Holmes adventure "Yellow Face" (BG). | Ref: 5 |
| May | Fiction: Tarzan is born. | Ref: 10 |
| Nov | Fiction: Tarzan of the Apes, according to Edgar Rice Burroughs' novel, is born. | Ref: 5 |
| Apr | Fiction: Start of Sherlock Holmes "Adventure of The Copper Beeches" (BG). | Ref: 5 |
| Mar | Fiction: Start of Sherlock Holmes "The Adventure of Wisteria Lodge" (BG). | Ref: 5 |
| Apr | Fiction: Start of Sherlock Holmes adventure "Final Problem". | Ref: 5 |
| May | Fiction: Sherlock Holmes "dies" at Reichenbach Falls. | Ref: 5 |
| Apr | Fiction: Start of Sherlock Holmes "Adventure of the Empty House" (BG). | Ref: 5 |
| Apr | Fiction: Start of Sherlock Holmes "Adventure of the 3 Students" (BG). | Ref: 5 |
| Apr | Fiction: Start of Sherlock Holmes "Adventure of the Solitary Cyclist" (BG). | Ref: 5 |
| Mar | Fiction: Start of Sherlock Holmes "The Adventure of The Devil's Foot" (BG). | Ref: 5 |
| Jan | Fiction: First date in John dos Passos' USA trilogy (The 42nd Parallel). | Ref: 5 |
| Feb | Fiction: Date of events in movie "Picnic at Hanging Rock". | Ref: 5 |
| May | Fiction: Start of Sherlock Holmes "The Adventure of the Priory School" (BG). | Ref: 5 |
| May | Fiction: Start of Sherlock Holmes "The Adventure of Shoscombe Old Place" (BG). | Ref: 5 |
| May | Fiction: Start of Sherlock Holmes "The Adventure of the 3 Gables" (BG). | Ref: 5 |
| Jul | Fiction: Prof. Harold Hill, The Music Man, arrives in River City, Iowa | Ref: 62 |
| Feb | Fiction: Fritz Behrendt German/Dutch cartoon character (The Slogan), is born. | Ref: 5 |
| Feb | Fiction: Smokey The Bear, is born. | Ref: 5 |
| Jan | Fiction: Holling Gustav Vapor character on Northern Exposure, is born. | Ref: 5 |
| Apr | Fiction: Tony Maselli (fictional character on "Who's the Boss"), is born. | Ref: 5 |
| May | Fiction: Homer Simpson animation (Simpsons) is born. | Ref: 5 |
| Nov | Fiction: Date returned to in "Back to the Future" & "Back to the Future II". | Ref: 5 |
| Feb | Fiction: Pebbles Flintstone fictional character on "The Flintstones", is born. | Ref: 5 |
| Feb | Fiction: Dana Katherine Scully fictional character (X-Files), is born. | Ref: 5 |
| Jan | Fiction: Elizabeth Montgomery’s character, Samantha, on Bewitched, had a baby. Tabitha was the name given to the witch’s daughter. She could wriggle her nose and cause all kinds of problems for daddy, just like her mom. | Ref: 4 |
| Dec | Fiction: Mike and Gloria Stivic (Rob Reiner and Sally Struthers) had a baby on "All In the Family" on CBS-TV. | Ref: 4 |
| Mar | Fiction: On TV show "Dallas", J.R. is shot. | Ref: 5 |
| Nov | Fiction: Edith Bunker (fiction) dies on "All in the Family". | Ref: 5 |
| Nov | Fiction: Luke marries Laura on General Hospital. | Ref: 5 |
| Oct | Fiction: Jock Ewing dies in an aircrash on TV show "Dallas". | Ref: 5 |
| Apr | Fiction: Winston Smith in Orwell's "1984" begins his secret diary. | Ref: 5 |
| May | Fiction: Joanie (Erin Moran) and Chachi (Scott Baio) got married on Happy Days! The comedy series, starring Henry Winkler, Tom Bosley and Marion Ross (Ron Howard and Anson Williams had already left the show), was winding down in its final season on ABC-TV. In the same episode, Fonzie (brilliantly portrayed by Winkler), filed papers to adopt a son. | Ref: 4 |
| May | Fiction: Date of $5 million check in "View to a Kill". | Ref: 5 |
| May | Fiction: Prince Michael of Moldavia and Amanda Carrington tied the knot in wedded bliss on the nighttime soap opera, Dynasty. The series was canceled shortly after the wedding and Joan Collins says she hasn’t gotten a letter or anything from the couple. | Ref: 4 |
| May | Fiction: Bobby Ewing died on the season finale of Dallas on CBS-TV. “Grief gushed faster than oil,” said the critics on this five-hanky episode. Bobby, played by actor Patrick Duffy, died in a violent car explosion, but came back to life the following season (he was seen taking a shower, of all things, just as Victoria Principal, his TV wife, was about to step into the shower stall). | Ref: 4 |
| May | Fiction: Bobby Ewing (Patrick Duffy) comes back from dead on Dallas. | Ref: 5 |
| May | Fiction: Pam Ewing (Victoria Principal) character on Dallas, is killed off | Ref: 2 |
| Feb | Fiction: Hulk fictional character in "Death of Incredible Hulk" on NBC, dies. | Ref: 5 |
| May | Fiction: Daily Planet fires cub reporter Jimmy Olson (Superman character) | Ref: 5 |
| Sep | Fiction: Doogie Howser loses his virginity | Ref: 5 |
| Apr | Fiction: Balki & Mary Ann wed on "Perfect Strangers". | Ref: 5 |
| Feb | Fiction: Pebbles Flintstone & Bamm Bamm Rubble wed. | Ref: 5 |
| May | Fiction: Barbara Jean Jones fictional character on General Hospital, dies at 7. | Ref: 5 |
| Jan | Fiction: HAL becomes operational (2001: A Space Odyssey); this date was given as January 12, 1992 on screen, but 1997 is the date used in both the novel and screenplay. | Ref: 5 |
| Aug | Fiction: According to the film "Terminator II", the Skynet computer defense system becomes self-aware and launches the War of the Day of Judgement. | Ref: 73 |