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What Happened Today in History on October 7

Explore the historical events that shaped our world on October 7th. From major milestones to cultural achievements, see what happened on this day in history. Dates for earlier events may be approximate.

The Battle of Lepanto takes place, with the Holy League defeating the Ottoman Empire's navy in a significant naval battle.

The German Democratic Republic. The GDR, commonly known as East Germany is created from the Soviet occupation zone of occupation on October 7, 1949. The United States responded by stating its position that the GDR was “without any legal validity,” and that the United States would “continue to give full support to the Government of the German Federal Republic FDR at Bonn in its efforts to restore a truly free and democratic Germany.”

The deportation order by the U.S. Immigration and Naturalization Service of John Lennon's and his wife, Yoko Ono, is reversed by U.S. Federal Appeals Court judge, Chief Judge Irving Kaufman; allowing them to legally remain in the United States.

Four terrorists from the Arab Liberation Front, hijack the Italian cruise ship MS Achille Lauro shortly after it left Alexandria, Egypt. During the hijack the terrorists killed Leon Klinghoffer, a disabled American man who was in a wheelchair. More

The U.S. led attack on Afghanistan begins as the United States, supported by its allies, launches military operations against the Taliban regime in response to the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001 on New, York and Washington D.C. On September 18 2001, President Bush had signed into law a joint resolution authorizing the use of force against those responsible for attacking the United States on September. The war in Afghanistan lasted almost two decades.

The 2011 Nobel Peace Prize is jointly awarded to three female political activists Two African and one Asian female ."for their non-violent struggle for the safety of women and for women’s rights to full participation in peace-building work". The joint Laureated were: Liberian President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, Liberian activist Leymah Gbowee and Yemeni politician Tawakkul Karman. All Nobel Peace Prizes