On This Day August 7th

 OTD 

August 7 is the 219th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar; 146 days remain until the end of the year.

Events

626 – The Avar and Slav armies leave the siege of Constantinople.

1479 – Battle of Guinegate: French troops of King Louis XI were defeated by the Burgundians led by Archduke Maximilian of Habsburg.

1782 – George Washington orders the creation of the Badge of Military Merit to honor soldiers wounded in battle. It is later renamed to the more poetic Purple Heart.

1789 – The United States Department of War is established.

1794 – U.S. President George Washington invokes the Militia Acts of 1792 to suppress the Whiskey Rebellion in western Pennsylvania.

1858 – The first Australian rules football match is played between Melbourne Grammar and Scotch College.

1909 – Alice Huyler Ramsey and three friends become the first women to complete a transcontinental auto trip, taking 59 days to travel from New York, New York, to San Francisco, California.

1942 – World War II: The Battle of Guadalcanal began as the United States Marines initiated the first American war offensive with landings on Guadalcanal and Tulagi in the Solomon Islands.

1959 – Explorer program: Explorer 6 launches from the Atlantic Missile Range in Cape Canaveral, Florida.

1964 – Vietnam War: The U.S. Congress passes the Gulf of Tonkin Resolution, giving U.S. President Lyndon B. Johnson broad war powers to deal with North Vietnamese attacks on American forces.

1976 – Viking program: Viking 2 enters orbit around Mars.

2007 – At AT&T Park, Barry Bonds hits his 756th career home run to surpass Hank Aaron's 33-year-old record.


 Birthdays

1560 – Elizabeth Báthory, Hungarian aristocrat and purported serial killer (d. 1614)

1574 – Robert Dudley, English explorer, and cartographer (d. 1649)

1742 – Nathanael Greene, American general (d. 1786)

1779 – Carl Ritter, German geographer and academic (d. 1859)

1868 – Ladislaus Bortkiewicz, Russian-German economist and statistician (d. 1931)

1876 – Mata Hari, Dutch dancer, and spy (d. 1917)

1903 – Louis Leakey, Kenyan-English paleontologist, and archaeologist (d. 1972)

1929 – Don Larsen, American baseball player (d. 2020)

1935 – Lee Corso, American college football coach and broadcaster.

1942 – Garrison Keillor, American humorist, novelist, short story writer, and radio host

1945 – Alan Page, American football player, and jurist.

1958 – Bruce Dickinson, English singer-songwriter and guitarist.


Holidays & Observances

National Lighthouse Day

Lighthouses have a rich history dating back to ancient times, but their significance soared during the Age of Exploration. Serving as crucial beacons along coastlines, they guided ships safely and warned of hazards. Advancements in technology led to improved visibility and reliability, with electric lights and Fresnel lenses enhancing their range and intensity.

Though modern navigation tools have reduced their importance, lighthouses remain relevant today. They are backup references in emergencies and offer cultural and historical insights as iconic landmarks. Preserved as tourist attractions, they showcase maritime heritage and promote nautical tourism.

Furthermore, lighthouses aid conservation efforts, providing bird nesting sites in ecologically sensitive areas. Their legacy endures as reminders of human ingenuity in engineering and their crucial role in shaping global trade and transportation. While their primary function has evolved, their importance persists as symbols of maritime history and vital contributions to maritime safety and development.


Others include.

Battle of Boyaca

British Columbia Day

Civic Holiday

Côte d'Ivoire Independence Day

Heritage Day in Alberta

New Brunswick Day

New South Wales Bank Holiday

Northern Territory Picnic Day

National Sea Serpent Day


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