The Battle of Lepanto Breaks Ottoman Naval Power in the Mediterranean
The Holy League fleet destroyed the Ottoman navy at Lepanto on October 7, 1571, in the last great battle fought by oared galleys.
The Royal Proclamation Closes the West to Colonial Settlement
On October 7, 1763, the Royal Proclamation closed land west of the Appalachians to settlement and reserved it for Native Americans.
Spain Abolishes Slavery in Cuba
A Spanish royal decree ended slavery in Cuba on October 7, 1886, two years before Brazil, closing the last slave economy in the Americas.
KLM Is Founded, the Oldest Airline Still Flying Under Its Own Name
KLM was founded in The Hague on October 7, 1919, and remains the oldest airline in the world flying under its original name.
The German Democratic Republic Is Founded in the Soviet Zone
The German Democratic Republic was founded on October 7, 1949, in the Soviet occupation zone, four months after the West German state.
Luna 3 Photographs the Far Side of the Moon
Luna 3 photographed the far side of the Moon on October 7, 1959, and sent back the first images of a hemisphere never seen from Earth.
The Hijacking of the Achille Lauro and the Killing of Leon Klinghoffer
Gunmen from the Palestine Liberation Front seized the cruise ship Achille Lauro on October 7, 1985, and killed passenger Leon Klinghoffer.
The United States Begins Air Strikes in Afghanistan
American and British forces began air strikes in Afghanistan on October 7, 2001, starting a war that ran for almost twenty years.