What Happened on August 7
Significant Events
- 1461 Ming Dynasty Chinese military general Cao Qin stages a coup against the Tianshun Emperor
- 1714 The Battle of Gangut: the first important victory of the Russian Navy during the Great Northern War against Sweden
- 1933 The Iraqi Government slaughters over 3,000 Assyrians in the village of Sumail. The day becomes known as Assyrian Martyrs Day.
- 1955 Tokyo Telecommunications Engineering, the precursor to Sony, begins selling its first transistor radios in Japan
- 1990 Operation Desert Shield begins - US deploys troops to Saudi Arabia
Did You Know?
George Washington creates the Purple Heart medal (original name Badge of Military Merit) as commander of the Continental Army
On August 7, 1782
Famous Birthdays
Elizabeth Báthory
(1560 - 1614)
Nathanael Greene
(1742 - 1786)
Mata Hari
(1876 - 1917)
Louis Leakey
(1903 - 1972)
Ralph Bunche
(1904 - 1971)
Charlize Theron
42 Years Old
Would You Believe?
Valais witch trial proceedings begin in Valais Canton, Switzerland, first organized witch trials
On August 7, 1428
Famous Weddings
- 1869 Inventor Ferdinand von Zeppelin (31) weds Isabella Freiin von Wolff from the house of Alt-Schwanenburg
- 1936 Animator William Hanna (26) weds Violet Blanch Wogatzke (23)
- 1954 Musician Johnny Cash (22) marries 1st wife Vivian Liberto (20)
- 1966 Latin music king Xavier Cugat (60) weds singer Charo (20) at Caesars Palace in Las Vegas
- 1974 Actress Faye Dunaway weds Peter Wolf of J. Geils Band
Henry IV
Rabindranath Tagore
Oliver Hardy
Peter JenningsAugust in History
The Strange, Mysterious Story of the Balloon Expedition to the North Pole
The discovery of Swedish engineer S. A. Andrée's tragic, long-lost polar expedition in 1930 led to more questions than answers.
August 5, 1930
A Pill to Cure All Ills
Not well? Take a Beecham’s Pill was often the advice. So popular was it that nobody doubted it’s extravagant claim in the world’s first advertising slogan.
August 6, 1859
Why Mata Hari Was Not the Spy You Thought She Was
The controversial life and death of Mata Hari, the glamorous WWI double agent, executed in 1917, has recently been reassessed in the light of new evidence.
August 7, 1876
Ship Of Gold Sails Into Oblivion
A frigate with more than 150 souls on board, as well as nearly three tons of gold, sailed out of Melbourne on this day – never to be seen again.
August 12, 1853