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On This Day · The 219th day of the year

August 7

A look at August 7 through the almanac — historic events, famous birthdays including Jimmy Wales and David Cairns (politician born 1966), and the day's notable deaths and observances.

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Events

10 notable moments
  1. 1999

    Chechnya

    The Chechnya-based Islamic International Brigade invades neighboring Dagestan.

    Republic of Russia in
  2. 1998

    1998 United States embassy bombings

    Bombings at United States embassies in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania and Nairobi, Kenya kill approximately 212 people.

    Attacks on US embassies
  3. 1960

    Ivory Coast

    Ivory Coast becomes independent from France.

    Country in West Africa
  4. 1944

    IBM

    IBM dedicates the first program-controlled calculator, the Automatic Sequence Controlled Calculator (known best as the Harvard Mark I).

    American multinational technology company
  5. 1942

    World War II

    World War II: The Battle of Guadalcanal begins as the United States Marines initiate the first American offensive of the war with landings on Guadalcanal and Tulagi in the Solomon Islands.

    1939–1945 global conflict
  6. 1926

    British Grand Prix

    The first British Grand Prix was held at Brooklands.

    Formula One Grand Prix
  7. 1909

    Alice Huyler Ramsey

    Alice Huyler Ramsey and three friends become the first women to complete a transcontinental auto trip, taking 59 days to travel from New York, New York to San Francisco, California.

    Vehicular pioneer (1886–1983)
  8. 1819

    Simón Bolívar

    Simón Bolívar triumphs over Spain in the Battle of Boyacá.

    Venezuelan statesman and military
  9. 1782

    George Washington

    George Washington orders the creation of the Badge of Military Merit to honor soldiers wounded in battle. It is later renamed to the more poetic Purple Heart.

    U.S. Founding Father, president
  10. 1461

    Ming dynasty

    The Ming dynasty Chinese military general Cao Qin stages a coup against the Tianshun Emperor.

    Imperial dynasty of China
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Famous birthday twins

Born on August 7

Jimmy Wales

b. 1966

American-British entrepreneur, co-founder of Wikipedia

David Cairns (politician born 1966)

b. 1966

Scottish laicised priest and politician, Minister of State for Scotland

Louis Leakey

b. 1903

Kenyan-English palaeontologist and archaeologist

Jean-Luc Dehaene

b. 1940

French-Belgian lawyer and politician, 63rd Prime Minister of Belgium

Carl Ritter

b. 1779

German geographer and academic

Michael Shannon

b. 1974

American actor

Sofia Rotaru

b. 1947

Ukrainian singer-songwriter, producer, and actress

Constantius II

b. 317

Roman emperor

Deaths

  • 2023William Friedkin, American film director
  • 1970Jonathan P. Jackson, American bodyguard and kidnapper
  • 1941Rabindranath Tagore, Indian author, poet, and playwright, Nobel Prize laureate
  • 1938Konstantin Stanislavski, Russian actor and director
  • 1900Wilhelm Liebknecht, German lawyer and politician
  • 707AD 707, Chinese prince

Holidays & observances

  • —Assyrian Martyrs Day (Assyrian community)
  • —Battle of Boyacá Day (Colombia)
  • —Christian feast day: Albert of Trapani
  • —Christian feast day: Cajetan of Thienna
  • —Christian feast day: Carpophorus and companions
  • —Christian feast day: Dometius of Persia
  • —Christian feast day: Donatus of Arezzo
  • —Christian feast day: Donatus of Besançon

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