On This Day - July 7, 2026

National days, ongoing national weeks and months, and global observances for July 7, 2026. Plus historical events and birthdays.

2026

Ongoing National Weeks

These observances run for a full week; this calendar day falls inside the week.

Ongoing National Months

These observances last the full month; this date is part of that month-long celebration.

Showing the first 12 on this date; there are more month-long observances. See the full months list for July.

Global Observances

International and other global observances on this date (may include days, weeks, or months).

Historical Events on July 7

Events that occurred on July 7 throughout history

1802

The first comic book, The Wasp, is published in New York by Harry Croswell. The publication was a satirical political pamphlet primarily designed to mock President Thomas Jefferson and his Republican allies.

1846

U.S. troops occupy Monterey and Yerba Buena, marking the beginning the US conquest of California.

1865

Co-conspirators Mary Surratt, Lewis Powell, David Herold, and George Atzerodt are hanged for their involvement in the assassination of President Abraham Lincoln.

1898

President William McKinley signs the Newlands Resolution, annexing Hawaii as a U.S. territory. The annexation formally ended the Hawaiian monarchy.

1911

The United States, UK, Japan, and Russia sign the North Pacific Fur Seal Convention of 1911 banning open-water seal hunting. The treaty address the Fur Seal being near extinction due to hunting. It was also the first international treaty to address wildlife preservation issues.

1928

Sliced bread is sold for the first time by the Chillicothe Baking Company of Chillicothe, Missouri. The date of sale was in honor of the inventor's 48th birthday.

1930

Industrialist Henry J. Kaiser begins construction of Boulder Dam. The Dam as renamed as Hoover Dam in honor of of President Herbert Hoover in 1947.

1936

Henry Phillips receives patents for a new "cross-recessed" screw and screwdriver. Phillips purchased the original screw invention from John P. Thompson, improving it before he submitted it to be patented. Phillips did invent the screwdriver.

1946

Mother Francesca S. Cabrini becomes the first American to be canonized. During her life, she established 67 institutions, including orphanages, schools, and hospitals across the United States, Europe, and Latin America.

1958

President Dwight D. Eisenhower signs the Alaska Statehood Act into law after multi-decade lobbying effort by prominent Alaskans and federal advocates. However, the state wasn't admitted to the Union until January 3, 1959.

1981

President Ronald Reagan nominates Sandra Day O'Connor to the U.S. Supreme Court. Justice O'Connor became the first female member to serve on the Supreme Court. She served until her retirement in 2006.

1983

Samantha Smith, a U.S. schoolgirl, flies to the Soviet Union to meet General Secretary Yuri Andropov after sending him a letter about the importance of peace between the U.S. and the Soviet Union.

2019

The U.S. Women's National Soccer Team wins the FIFA Women's World Cup, defeating Norway 2-1 in the final.

Born on July 7

People born on July 7

1949
SD

Shelley Duvall

Actress who played Wendy Torrance in The Shining  and Olive Oyl in the movie Popeye.

1906
SP

Satchel Paige

Professional baseball player/pitcher who played in the Negro League and Major League. He joined the Major League at the age of 42, making him the oldest player in the history of baseball. He retired at the age of 59.

1906
RH

Robert Heinlein

His dedication to emphasize scientific accuracy in his fiction earned him the name the "Dean of Science Fiction Writers".

1880
OF

Otto Frederick Rohwedder

Inventor and engineer who created the first automatic bread-slicing machine for commercial use. He was often referred to as the "Inventor of Sliced Bread."

1907
HJ

Helene Johnson

Acclaimed Harlem Renaissance poet.