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

The caliphate of Abd al-Rahman III in Al-Andalus is recognized by the Fatimid Caliphate in North Africa.

Henry I is crowned King of England at Westminster Abbey, succeeding his brother William II.

Theodosius III is proclaimed Byzantine Emperor after the deposition of Alexios V.

Construction of the Cologne Cathedral in Germany begins.

The papal court moves from Rome to Avignon, beginning the Avignon Papacy.

Louis IV, Holy Roman Emperor, confirms the city rights of Bern, Switzerland.

Charles IV, Holy Roman Emperor, issues the Golden Bull of 1354, formalizing the electoral college of the Holy Roman Empire.

John Wycliffe presents his views on church reform to Parliament in England.

John Montacute, Earl of Salisbury, and Thomas Holland, Duke of Surrey, are executed for their involvement in a plot against King Henry IV of England.

The Medici Bank in Florence suffers a financial crisis, leading to its restructuring.

The Grand Duke of Muscovy, Ivan III, marries Zoe Palaiologina, niece of the last Byzantine Emperor.

The reign of King Henry VII of England begins after his victory at the Battle of Bosworth Field.

The city of Nuestra Señora de La Paz (La Paz) is founded in Bolivia by Spanish conquistadors.

Calais, the last English possession on mainland France, falls to the French, ending English territorial claims in France.

A document detailing the Spanish Armada's preparations for invasion is discovered in Madrid.

The Long Parliament of England is convened, marking a significant period in English history.

Queen Elizabeth I of England dies, and James VI of Scotland becomes James I of England, uniting the crowns.

Johannes Fabricius observes sunspots through a telescope, contributing to early astronomy studies.

The New River, an artificial waterway supplying London with fresh water, is opened.

The first edition of French newspaper "Mercure Galant" is published in Paris.

The Williamite War in Ireland concludes with the Treaty of Limerick, granting religious freedom to Catholics under certain conditions.

Jamaica's Port Royal is consumed by an earthquake causing two thirds of the town to sink into the sea and destroying every building or other substantial structure in the Island, A series of fires and hurricanes followed and the town was never restored to its former British naval station glory and remains as a small fishing village today. Two thousand people died immediately and an additional 3000 died of injuries and disease shortly after. More

Johann Beringer, a German scholar, discovers the controversial "Lügensteine" or "lying stones," later revealed as a hoax.

The Royal Opera House, Covent Garden, opens in London.

French balloonist Jean-Pierre Blanchard and American John Jeffries make the first aerial crossing of the English Channel in a hydrogen balloon. More

The first U.S. presidential election is held, resulting in George Washington's unanimous election as the nation's first president.

Ernest Shackleton's expedition reaches the magnetic South Pole.

The Second Italo-Ethiopian War begins as Italy invades Ethiopia.

The U.S. Senate rejects the nomination of Hugo Black to the Supreme Court due to his Ku Klux Klan involvement.

American troops land on the main Philippine Island of Luzon, after the capture the Philippine islands of the Leyte and Mindoro Island to the south in late December 1944, where two airfields were established from which aircraft would be launched to assist in the landings on Luzon. Mexican and Australian troops also participated in the battle for Luzon, as well as a very large number of Filipino fighters. Japanese losses were 217,000 dead, with 9,050 taken prisoners. U.S. losses were 8,310 killed and 29,560 wounded. Civilian casualties are estimated at 120,000 to 140,000 dead. More

President Harry S. Truman announced in his last State of the Union message to Congress that the United States had developed a hydrogen bomb. More

Marian Anderson, made her debut at the Metropolitan Opera in New York Cityas Ulrica in Verdi’s Un ballo in maschera. She was the first African American to perform with the company.

The United States recognizes the new Cuban government after a general strike in early January forces the military Junta Government, left by Batista, to relinquish power to the 26th of July Movement. Fidel Castro arrives in Havana on January 8. The following month, on February 16, 1959, Castro was sworn in as Prime Minister of Cuba, and accepted the position on the condition that the Prime Minister's powers be increased. More

The Aswan High Dam in Egypt construction starts. The rock-fill dam across the Nile River at Aswān, Egypt, was completed in 1970 and inaugurated in 1971. It now generates large amounts of electric power and allows for the control of the annual Nile flood providing major benefits to the Egyptian economy. More

In a television address, President Richard Nixon announces the end of the convertibility of the United States dollar into gold.

OPEC ends its oil embargo against the United States, Europe, and Japan.

The Charlie Hebdo shooting occurs in Paris, killing 12 people in an attack on the satirical magazine's office.