Browse Historical Events by Day: What Happened on December 7th?

The birth of the Roman poet Horace (Quintus Horatius Flaccus), known for his Odes and Satires.

Delaware ratifies the Constitution of the United States Union becoming the 1st State to do so.

The United States declares war on Austria-Hungary. More

The attack on Pearl Harbor by the Japanese Empire leads to the United States' entry into World War II. The attack was preceded by months of negotiations between the U.S. and Japan over the future of the Pacific. Japanese demands included that the U.S. end its sanctions against Japan, cease aiding China in the Second Sino-Japanese war, and allow Japan to access the resources of the Dutch East Indies. More than 2,400 U.S. servicemen were killed in the attack. More

Ivory Coast (Côte d'Ivoire) gains independence from French colonial rule.

The United States launches the communication satellite Syncom 3, which broadcasts the first live transatlantic television program.

Roman Catholic Pope Paul VI and Orthodox Patriarch Athenagoras I, lift the mutual excommunications that led to the split of the two churches in 1054 in the Great Schism. Today, the two branches of Christianity remain distinct expressions of a similar faith.

Apollo 17, the final Apollo moon mission, launches from Kennedy Space Center, Florida with the last three astronauts to travel to the moon;  Eugene A. Cernan, Commander, Harrison H. Schmitt and Ronald E. Evans. They splashed down safely in the Pacific Ocean on December 19. More

The Armenian earthquake. A 6.9 earthquake in Spitak, Armenia kills an estimated 60,000 people and leaves 130,000 injured. and up to 500,000 homeless. More