Mark McGwire and Sammy Sosa each chase the homerun recod set previously by Roger Maris[?] in 1961. Both men end up breaking the record; McGwire with 70 and Sosa with 66.
World Cup - France wins 3-0 over Brazil in Paris, winning their first cup. More than a million delirious fans jammed the Champs-Élysées , dancing through the night.
For the first time, professional players from the National Hockey League (NHL, USA) participated in the Winter Olympics. And also for the first time in Olympic history, women took part in ice hockey.
... February 7 - A fire in Baltimore, Maryland destroys over 1,500 buildings in 30 hours.
February 8 - Japanese surprise attack on Port Arthur (Lushun)[?] start ...