On This Day - What Happened On January 7 - Britannica

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Featured Event

1972 The first black hole is discovered On this day in 1972, scientists Louise Webster and Paul Murdin announced that they had confirmed the existence of a black hole for the first time. Using the Isaac Newton Telescope in East Sussex, England, the scientists measured the strangely powerful X-ray energy present in the northern constellation Cygnus. The scientists' findings revealed that Cygnus X-1 (or Cyg X-1), which had previously been classified as one star, was actually a binary system made up of a star and a black hole that was slowly pulling that star into its depths. Cyg X-1 is believed to be one of the fastest spinning black holes discovered. Read today's edition of Today in History >> Dana Berry/SkyWorks Digital/NASA

Featured Biography

Hirohito emperor of Japan bornApril 29, 1901Tokyo, JapandiedJanuary 7, 1989 (aged 87)Tokyo, JapanUniversal History Archive/Shutterstock.com 1967 Nick Clegg British politician 1964 Nicolas Cage American actor 1957 Katie Couric American broadcaster 1891 Zora Neale Hurston American author 1844 St. Bernadette of Lourdes French saint See All Biographies On This Day

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2025 The Palisades, Eaton, and Hurst fires began. They burned tens of thousands of acres and were just a few of the wildfires that destroyed parts of the Los Angeles region in early 2025. Explore a list of 10 of the world's largest firesEncyclopædia Britannica, Inc. 2015 Two gunmen connected to al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula, a Yemeni-based militant group, stormed the Paris offices of Charlie Hebdo and killed 12 people in retribution for the satirical magazine's portrayals of the Prophet Muhammad; the attackers were later killed by police.© Geoffroy Van der Hasselt S—Anadolu Agency/Getty Images 2003 By presidential decree, Christmas—this day on the Coptic Orthodox calendar—was celebrated for the first time as a national holiday in Egypt, an almost entirely Muslim country. Test your knowledge of Egyptian history 2001 John Kufuor was inaugurated as president of Ghana in that country's first peaceful transition from one elected government to another. Take our quiz about African leadersEric Draper/The White House 1979 Vietnamese forces took control of Phnom Penh, Cambodia, ousting the Khmer Rouge and its leader, Pol Pot. How much do you know about Asia?© Bettmann/Getty Images 1968 Uncrewed U.S. space probe Surveyor 7 was launched and, a few days later, made a soft landing on the Moon. Test your knowledge of the MoonNASA/JSC 1957 American broadcast journalist Katie Couric, who was the first solo female anchor of a major network (CBS) evening news program, was born. Sort fact from fiction in our quiz about pop culture© Everett Collection/Shutterstock.com 1955 American contralto Marian Anderson first performed with the Metropolitan Opera in New York City. Discover how much you know about operaCourtesy of RCA Records 1891 Zora Neale Hurston, an American folklorist and writer associated with the Harlem Renaissance who celebrated black culture of the rural South, was born. Take our writers of the Harlem Renaissance quizBrown Brothers 1844 St. Bernadette, the French girl whose visions of the Virgin Mary led to the founding of the shrine of Lourdes, was born in that town. Test your knowledge of saintsBBC Hulton Picture Library 1800 Millard Fillmore, the 13th U.S. president, was born. Take our presidents of the United States quizLibrary of Congress, Washington, D.C. SIGN UP FOR History's Biggest Headlines Discover the fascinating events that shaped the world, straight from our editors. SIGN UP Thanks for signing up for Today in History. Your first newsletter will arrive soon! SIGN UP By clicking "Sign Up" you are agreeing to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.