✦ DateLore

On This Day · The 280th day of the year

October 7

A look at October 7 through the almanac — historic events, famous birthdays including Niels Bohr and Vladimir Putin, and the day's notable deaths and observances.

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Events

10 notable moments
  1. 2023

    Hamas

    Hamas and several other Palestinian militant groups launch an attack into Israel, which results in the deaths of around 1,200, mostly civilians, and the taking of 251 hostages, including civilians and soldiers. The attack initiated the Gaza war and the larger Middle Eastern crisis.

    Islamist Palestinian political and
  2. 2008

    2008 TC3

    Asteroid 2008 TC3 impacts the Earth over Sudan, the first time an asteroid impact is detected prior to its entry into Earth's atmosphere.

    2008 asteroid-type meteoroid
  3. 1988

    Operation Breakthrough

    A hunter discovers three gray whales trapped under the ice near Alaska; the situation becomes a multinational effort to free the whales.

    1988 US–Soviet gray whale
  4. 1985

    1985 Puerto Rico floods

    The Mameyes landslide kills almost 200 people in Puerto Rico.

    Flood event that took
  5. 1950

    Mother Teresa

    Mother Teresa establishes the Missionaries of Charity.

    Albanian-Indian Catholic saint (1910–1997)
  6. 1949

    East Germany

    The communist German Democratic Republic (East Germany) is formed.

    Country in Central Europe
  7. 1940

    World War II

    World War II: The McCollum memo proposes bringing the United States into the war in Europe by provoking the Japanese to attack the United States.

    1939–1945 global conflict
  8. 1864

    American Civil War

    American Civil War: A US Navy ship captures a Confederate raider in a Brazilian seaport.

    1861–1865 conflict in the
  9. 1840

    William II of the Netherlands

    Willem II becomes King of the Netherlands.

    King of the Netherlands
  10. 1777

    American Revolutionary War

    American Revolutionary War: The Americans defeat British forces under general John Burgoyne in the Second Battle of Saratoga, also known as the Battle of Bemis Heights, compelling Burgoyne's eventual surrender.

    1775–1783 conflict in North
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Famous birthday twins

Born on October 7

Niels Bohr

b. 1885

Danish physicist and philosopher, Nobel Prize laureate

Vladimir Putin

b. 1952

Russian colonel and politician, 4th President of Russia

Henriette Avram

b. 1919

American computer scientist and academic

Donald Tsang

b. 1944

Chinese civil servant and politician, 2nd Chief Executive of Hong Kong

Alesha Dixon

b. 1978

English singer-songwriter and dancer

Tim Minchin

b. 1975

English-Australian comedian, actor, and singer

Oscar Fantenberg

b. 1991

Swedish ice hockey player

Desmond Tutu

b. 1931

South African archbishop and activist, Nobel Prize laureate

Deaths

  • 2020Mario Molina, Mexican chemist
  • 2015Jurelang Zedkaia, Marshallese politician, 5th President of the Marshall Islands
  • 2006Anna Politkovskaya, American-Russian journalist and activist
  • 1944Helmut Lent, German colonel and pilot
  • 1849Edgar Allan Poe, American short story writer, poet, and critic
  • 951Emperor Shizong of Liao, emperor of the Liao Dynasty

Holidays & observances

  • —Christian feast day: Justina of Padua
  • —Christian feast day: Henry Muhlenberg (some Lutheran Churches, Episcopal Church of the USA)
  • —Christian feast day: Osgyth
  • —Christian feast day: Our Lady of the Rosary
  • —Christian feast day: Pope Mark
  • —Christian feast day: Sergius and Bacchus
  • —Christian feast day: October 7 (Eastern Orthodox liturgics)
  • —Teachers' Day (Laos)

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