Today in History
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1989 Akihito is sworn in as Emperor of Japan
His accession to the throne followed the death of his father, Emperor Hirohito, on the same day.
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1979 The Khmer Rouge government of Cambodia is overthrown
Vietnamese forces captured the Cambodian capital Phnom Penh that day.
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1927 The first transatlantic telephone service is established
A 3-minute call between New York and London costs about $45, roughly $550 in today’s dollars.
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1785 Hot air balloon crosses the English Channel
French inventor Jean-Pierre Blanchard took about 2½ hours to fly from Dover (UK) to Guînes (France).
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1610 Galileo Galilei discovers the Galilean Moons
The Italian astronomer spotted the four largest moons of Jupiter that day: Io, Europa, Ganymede, and Callisto.
Births On This Day, January 7
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1991 Eden Hazard
Belgian footballer
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1985 Lewis Hamilton
English race car driver
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1967 Nick Clegg
English politician, Deputy Prime Minister of the United Kingdom
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1964 Nicolas Cage
American actor, producer, director
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1943 Sadako Sasaki
Japanese victim of the Atomic bombings of Hiroshima, Nagasaki
Deaths On This Day, January 7
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1995 Murray Rothbard
American economist, historian
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1989 Hirohito
Japanese Emperor
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1951 René Guénon
French/Egyptian author
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1943 Nikola Tesla
Serbian/American physicist, engineer
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1536 Catherine of Aragon
