Summary of the Day ✨ 7 January (07/01)
Multiple disasters struck globally as wildfires devastated Los Angeles destroying over 13,000 structures, while a magnitude 6.4 earthquake killed four in Puerto Rico and gunmen murdered twelve at Charlie Hebdo’s Paris office. In political news, Kevin McCarthy was finally elected Speaker of the U.S. House after an extended vote, and a car bomb in Yemen’s capital killed at least 38 people.
Historical Events 📜
- 2025: A series of wildfires ravage the Greater Los Angeles area, resulting in at least 16 deaths and 13,401 structures destroyed.
- 2023: The longest U.S. House of Representatives speaker election since the December 1859 – February 1860 U.S. speaker election concludes and Kevin McCarthy is elected 55th Speaker of the United States House of Representatives.
- 2020: The 6.4Mw 2019–20 Puerto Rico earthquakes kill four and injure nine in southern Puerto Rico.
- 2015: Two gunmen commit mass murder at the offices of Charlie Hebdo in Paris, executing twelve people and wounding eleven others.
- 2015: A car bomb explodes outside a police college in the Yemeni capital Sanaa with at least 38 people reported dead and more than 63 injured.
- 2012: A hot air balloon crashes near Carterton, New Zealand, killing all 11 people on board.
- 1999: The Senate trial in the impeachment of U.S. President Bill Clinton begins.
- 1994: A British Aerospace Jetstream 41 operating as United Express Flight 6291 crashes in Gahanna, Ohio, killing five of the eight people on board.
- 1993: The Fourth Republic of Ghana is inaugurated with Jerry Rawlings as president.
- 1993: Bosnian War: The Bosnian Army executes a surprise attack at the village of Kravica in Srebrenica.
- 1991: Roger Lafontant, former leader of the Tonton Macoute in Haiti under François Duvalier, attempts a coup d’état, which ends in his arrest.
- 1989: Sutton United, a team in the fifth tier of English league football, defeated top-tier Coventry City in one of the biggest upsets in FA Cup history.
- 1985: Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency launches Sakigake, Japan’s first interplanetary spacecraft and the first deep space probe to be launched by any country other than the United States or the Soviet Union.
- 1984: Brunei becomes the sixth member of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN).
- 1980: U.S. President Jimmy Carter authorizes legislation giving $1.5 billion in loans to bail out the Chrysler Corporation.
Famous Births 👶
- 2012: Blue Ivy Carter, American singer and actress
- 2007: Chloe Chua, Singaporean violinist, 2018 joint 1st prize winner of the Yehudi Menuhin International Competition for Young Violinists
- 2003: Ryan Dunn, American basketball player
- 2000: Marcus Scribner, American actor
- 1997: Ozzie Albies, Curaçaoan baseball player
- 1997: Lamar Jackson, American football player
- 1996: Alex Nedeljkovic, American ice hockey player
- 1995: Jordan Bell, American basketball player
- 1995: Yulia Putintseva, Kazakhstani tennis player
- 1994: Jarnell Stokes, American basketball player
- 1994: Lee Sun-bin, South Korean actress and singer
- 1994: MacKenzie Weegar, Canadian ice hockey player
- 1992: Erik Gudbranson, Canadian ice hockey player
- 1992: Tohu Harris, New Zealand rugby league player
- 1991: Tucker Barnhart, American baseball player
Notable Deaths 🕊️
- 2026: Glenn Hall, Canadian ice hockey goaltender (born 1931)
- 2025: Jean-Marie Le Pen, French intelligence officer and politician (born 1928)
- 2025: Peter Yarrow, American singer-songwriter, guitarist, and producer (born 1938)
- 2024: Franz Beckenbauer, German footballer and manager (born 1945)
- 2021: Michael Apted, English filmmaker (born 1941)
- 2021: Tommy Lasorda, American baseball player, coach, and manager (born 1927)
- 2021: Henri Schwery, Swiss cardinal (born 1932)
- 2020: Neil Peart, Canadian drummer, songwriter, and producer (born 1952)
- 2020: Silvio Horta, American screenwriter and television producer (born 1974)
- 2020: Elizabeth Wurtzel, author and feminist (born 1967)
- 2018: Jim Anderton, Former New Zealand Deputy Prime Minister (born 1938)
- 2018: France Gall, French singer (born 1947)
- 2017: Mário Soares, Portuguese politician; 16th President of Portugal (born 1924)
- 2016: Bill Foster, American basketball player and coach (born 1929)
- 2016: John Johnson, American basketball player (born 1947)
Holidays & Observances 🎉
- Christian Feast Day:
André Bessette (Canada) - Christian Feast Day:
Blessed Marie Thérèse Haze - Christian Feast Day:
Canute Lavard - Christian Feast Day:
Felix and Januarius - Christian Feast Day:
Lucian of Antioch - Christian Feast Day:
Raymond of Penyafort - Christian Feast Day:
Synaxis of John the Forerunner & Baptist (Julian calendar) - Christian Feast Day:
January 7 (Eastern Orthodox liturgics) - Christmas (Eastern Orthodox Churches and Oriental Orthodox Churches using the Julian calendar, Rastafari)
Christmas in Russia - Christmas (Eastern Orthodox Churches and Oriental Orthodox Churches using the Julian calendar, Rastafari)
Christmas in Ukraine - Christmas (Eastern Orthodox Churches and Oriental Orthodox Churches using the Julian calendar, Rastafari)
Christmas in Serbia - Christmas (Eastern Orthodox Churches and Oriental Orthodox Churches using the Julian calendar, Rastafari)
Ethiopian Christmas - Christmas (Eastern Orthodox Churches and Oriental Orthodox Churches using the Julian calendar, Rastafari)
Remembrance Day of the Dead (Armenia) - Distaff Day (medieval Europe)
- Pioneer’s Day (Liberia)