March 13 - In the US, Bryan Adams "Heat of the Night" becomes the first single to be commercially released on cassette. Cassette singles become known as cassingles[?].
April 23 - Carole King sues the owner of her record company, Lou Adler, claiming that she is owed more than $400,000 in royalties. King also asks for rights to her old recordings.
... Physics - Lord John William Strutt Rayleigh[?]
Chemistry - Sir William Ramsay
Medicine - Ivan Petrovich Pavlov
Literature - Frédéric Mistral, José Echegaray Y ...