This Day in History: October 7
Featured Event
1944
UN's foundations built
The Dumbarton Oaks Conference concluded in Washington, D.C., on this day in 1944. During the weeks-long conference, the United States, China, the Soviet Union, and the United Kingdom formulated proposals for a world organization that became the basis for the United Nations.
Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc.
Featured Biography
Desmond Tutu
South African archbishop
1959
Simon Cowell
British television producer
1955
Yo-Yo Ma
American cellist
1952
Vladimir Putin
president of Russia
1931
Desmond Tutu
South African archbishop
1900
Heinrich Himmler
German Nazi leader
More Events On This Day
2023
The Israel-Hamas War began when Hamas launched an attack on Israel from the Gaza Strip that resulted in more than 1,200 deaths. Explore the history behind the Israeli-Palestinian conflict
© Mahmud Hams—AFP/Getty Images
2022
Ales Bialiatski, the Center for Civil Liberties, and Memorial were jointly awarded the Nobel Prize for Peace, months after Russia invaded Ukraine.
Anders Wiklund–AFP/Getty Images
2001
Triggered by the September 11 attacks, the Afghanistan War began when U.S. and British warplanes started bombing Taliban targets. Take our history of warfare quiz
Erik de Castro—Reuters/Newscom
1996
Fox News Channel, a satellite and cable news network created by Roger Ailes for Rupert Murdoch's News Corporation, was launched in the United States.
Jim Cooper/AP Images
1985
Four members of the Palestine Liberation Front, a faction within the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO), hijacked the Italian cruise ship Achille Lauro, taking 97 passengers hostage and later killing one.
TSGT Pat Nugent/U.S. Department of Defense
1971
The American crime thriller The French Connection, directed by William Friedkin and starring Gene Hackman, had its world premieres in New York City and Los Angeles. It won the Academy Award for best picture.
Courtesy of Twentieth Century-Fox Film Corporation
1959
The romantic comedy Pillow Talk was released nationwide in the United States; it was the first of several on-screen pairings of actors Rock Hudson and Doris Day. Sort fact from fiction in our quiz about A-list actors
© 1959 Universal Pictures Company, Inc.
1955
Cellist Yo-Yo Ma, who was known for his extraordinary technique and rich tone, was born in Paris. Take our quiz about musical instruments
Stephen Danelian
1952
Vladimir Putin, president of Russia from 1999 to 2008 and again from 2012, was born in Leningrad, Russia.
President of Russia, The Kremlin, Moscow
1949
A constitution went into effect in the Soviet occupation zone of Germany that formed the country of East Germany, which existed alongside West Germany until 1990, when the two Germanys reunited. Learn more about the most powerful man in newly created East Germany
Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc.
1934
Playwright, poet, novelist, and essayist Amiri Baraka, who wrote of the experiences and anger of African Americans, was born in Newark, New Jersey. Take our quiz about famous authors
AP/REX/Shutterstock.com
1849
Short-story writer, poet, and critic Edgar Allan Poe died in Baltimore, Maryland. How did Edgar Allan Poe die?
U.S. Signal Corps/National Archives, Washington, D.C.
1826
The Granite Railway, the first chartered railroad in the United States, began service.
1780
Militia forces supporting American independence defeated British loyalists at the Battle of Kings Mountain in South Carolina. It was one of few battles during the American Revolution fought solely between Americans. Explore a timeline of the American Revolution
Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc.
1765
The Stamp Act Congress convened in New York City to frame resolutions of “rights and grievances” of the American colonies. Test your knowledge of early America
Rare Books and Manuscripts Division, The New York Public Library, Astor, Lenox and Tilden Foundations
1571
Allied Christian forces defeated the Ottoman Turks during a naval engagement at the Battle of Lepanto. Take our quiz about the Ottoman Empire
Photos.com/Jupiterimages
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