This Day in History on January 7 - History and Headlines

January 7, 2015: Je suis Charlie (Terrorism Hits France as Free Speech is Attacked)

By Major Dan on January 7, 2019 Crime, January 7, Politics, Religion

A Brief History On January 7, 2015, a day celebrated by millions of Eastern Orthodox Christians (Greek Catholic, Russian Orthodox, Ukrainian Catholic, etc) as Christmas Day, France was stunned by a vicious terrorist attack on the Charlie Hebdo satirical newspaper offices that left 12 people dead and another 11 wounded. The incident was a case of misguided Islamic extremism fueled by religious outrage over the politically incorrect newspaper’s penchant for poking fun at anyone and everyone, including the Prophet Muhammad. Outrage over the terrorist attack and murders vis-à-vis the assault on free speech spurred the phrase, “Je suis Charlie,” French…

January 7, 2018: Jerks of the Year, 2017

By Abdul Alhazred on January 7, 2018 Crime, January 7, Lists, Politics, Society

A Brief History On January 7, 2018, we look back at the tumultuous year of 2017 and the jerks that made the year so interesting. Politics, sexual harassment, crimes, terrorism, and general buffoonery ruled the year, and we now recognize 10 of the most egregious offenders of 2017. Who would you add to this list? Who did we include that you object to? Let us know, just don’t be a jerk about it! Digging Deeper 1. Stephen Paddock, Mass Murderer. This guy has to come first. He holed up in the Mandalay Bay Hotel of Las Vegas and opened fire on…

January 7, 1797: Napoleon’s Influence on Italian Flag

By Major Dan on January 7, 2017 January 7, Politics

A Brief History On January 7, 1797, the first use of the Green, White, and Red tricolor Italian flag was seen in use by the Cisalpine Republic (formerly Milan) after Napoleon Bonaparte’s conquest of that region in 1796. It seems obvious that the tricolor pattern of what became the modern flag of Italy was much influenced by the French tricolor flag adopted by the Revolutionary French Government in 1790. Digging Deeper Napoleon Bonaparte, former Emperor of the French, is one of history’s most influential characters, as evidenced by the fact that more has been written about him than any other…

January 7, 1960: First Successful Test Launch of Polaris Submarine Launched Ballistic Missile

By Major Dan on January 7, 2016 January 7, Military, Vehicles

A Brief History On January 7, 1960 the United States first successfully test launched the Polaris Submarine Launched Ballistic Missile (SLBM) from their launching facility in Cape Canaveral, Florida. The Polaris would be the first missile deployed in the world that could be launched from a submerged submarine and carry a nuclear warhead, changing the game of nuclear brinkmanship forever. Digging Deeper In July of 1960 the first successful launch of a Polaris missile from a submerged USS Washington missile submarine led to the arming of 41 US submarines with 16 Polaris missiles each, with each missile carrying a single…

In 1959, the U.S. Recognized Castro’s Cuba / In 2014, the U.S. Did It Again!

By Major Dan on January 7, 2015 December 17, January 7, Politics

History: January 7, 1959: The U.S. Recognizes Fidel Castro’s Government of Cuba On January 7, 1959, the United States officially recognized the new government of Cuba that was headed by Fidel Castro who, together with his revolutionaries, had overthrown the corrupt dictator Fulgencio Batista. Batista had originally seized power in a coup after having lost a presidential election in 1952, so the U.S., expecting return to democracy, actually welcomed Castro and his revolution. Alas, it was not to be as Castro declared himself a communist in 1961, and it quickly became evident that he was just another dictator. Worse yet for the U.S., this placed a communist ally of the…