From the archives
Classic headlineTuesday 13 October 2026
What happened, who was born, who we lost — plus today's horoscope for every sign.
Events, inventions, discoveries and releases. Looking for people or sport? See , and below.
No verified events yet for 7 August.
What happened on this day · Odd history for today
Hurricane Diane, the first Atlantic hurricane to cause more than $1 billion in damages, formed between the Lesser Antilles and Cape Verde.
Read more →Source: Wikipedia · CC BY-SA 4.0
The first section of the Great Northern Railway, now the southern section of the East Coast Main Line, opened between London and Peterborough.
Read more →Source: Wikipedia · CC BY-SA 4.0
Ming Chinese general Cao Qin staged a failed coup against the Tianshun Emperor.
Read more →Source: Wikipedia · CC BY-SA 4.0
The first Australian rules football match is played between Melbourne Grammar and Scotch College.
Read more →Source: Wikipedia · CC BY-SA 4.0
The first federal Indian Reservation is created by the United States.
Read more →Source: Wikipedia · CC BY-SA 4.0
From The Guardian Archives — On This Day

Competition and Markets Authority set to unveil focus on overdraft and bank account switching after two-year investig…
Read on The Guardian →
Surprise decision comes after jurors in his trial for 2012 shooting spree deliberated for two days and failed to reac…
Read on The Guardian →In a report that sharply criticized the Bush Administration's drug control efforts, the National Commission on AIDS t…
Read on NYTimes.com →Headlines via The Guardian Open Platform · Historic front pages via the NYT Archive API
Facts from Wikipedia On This Day API (CC BY-SA 4.0) via Wikimedia. Thumbnails CC BY-SA. Headlines via The Guardian Open Platform and the NYT Archive API. Historic pages via Library of Congress Chronicling America. Curated by OddlyTrue.
Strange but true headlines of the day
From the archives
Classic headlineDid you guess the year?
When was “Hurricane Diane, the first Atlantic hurricane to cause more than $1 billion in damages, formed between the Lesser Antilles and Cape Verde.” happening? Slide to your guess.
Hurricane Diane, the first Atlantic hurricane to cause more than $1 billion in damages, formed between the Lesser Antilles and Cape Verde.
Read more →Source: Wikipedia · CC BY-SA 4.0
The first section of the Great Northern Railway, now the southern section of the East Coast Main Line, opened between London and Peterborough.
Read more →Source: Wikipedia · CC BY-SA 4.0
Ming Chinese general Cao Qin staged a failed coup against the Tianshun Emperor.
Read more →Source: Wikipedia · CC BY-SA 4.0
Hall of Fame headlines are manually verified clippings (source linked); nothing is scraped from Newspapers.com. Facts from Wikipedia On This Day API (CC BY-SA 4.0) via Wikimedia. Clippings from the Library of Congress, Chronicling America: Historic American Newspapers site.
Viewing 7 August — today is 13 October.
No recorded births.
Five infamous ends — executed, assassinated or murdered — drawn at random from the archive. All infamous ends →

King Louis XVI of France was executed by guillotine in Paris during French Revolution.

Heath Ledger, actor, died on this day in 2008. Accidental prescription drug overdose. Remembered as: Acclaimed performances, including the Joker in The Dark Knight.

Kobe Bryant, professional basketball player, died on this day in 2020. Helicopter crash. Remembered as: Five-time NBA champion with the LA Lakers.

Abraham Lincoln, politician, died on this day in 1865. Assassinated by John Wilkes Booth. Remembered as: 16th President of the US, led the nation during the Civil War.

Robin Williams, actor and comedian, died on this day in 2014. Suicide. Remembered as: Known for his improvisational skills and wide variety of roles.
Today · 7 August
No famous birthdays recorded for 7 August yet.
Coming up this week
Honors the historic beacons of light that have guided mariners safely through treacherous waters.
Music · No.1 on this day
The official No.1 singles and albums in the UK and the USA on this date, decade by decade.
2016 10 yrs ago
2006 20 yrs ago
1996 30 yrs ago
1986 40 yrs ago
1976 50 yrs ago
1966 60 yrs ago
1956 70 yrs ago
Finals, medals and records decided on 7 August.
No recorded sporting finals on this date yet.
Sporting almanac
World Cups, Olympics, Wimbledon, the Masters, Super Bowl and more — year by year since 1877.
2016 10 yrs ago
2001 25 yrs ago
1976 50 yrs ago
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