July 7 carries the weight of wartime attacks, diplomatic milestones, and cultural celebrations.
Four suicide bombers attacked London's public transport system during the morning rush hour, killing 52 people and injuring over 700. The coordinated attacks on three Underground trains and a bus were the UK's deadliest terrorist incident.
A clash between Chinese and Japanese troops at the Marco Polo Bridge near Beijing sparked the Second Sino-Japanese War. This conflict, which merged into World War II, resulted in millions of Chinese casualties.
Commodore John D. Sloat raised the American flag at Monterey, claiming California for the United States during the Mexican-American War. Within two years, the discovery of gold would transform the territory.
Chocolate was introduced to Europe from Mesoamerica, where it had been consumed as a bitter beverage for millennia. Spanish colonists brought cacao beans back, eventually transforming chocolate into the sweet treat enjoyed worldwide.
President Reagan nominated Sandra Day O'Connor to the Supreme Court, making her the first woman ever nominated to the nation's highest court. She was confirmed unanimously and served for 24 years.
Pre-sliced bread was sold for the first time by the Chillicothe Baking Company in Missouri, using Otto Rohwedder's bread-slicing machine. The innovation became so popular that 'the best thing since sliced bread' entered the English language.
The inventor of the Jacquard loom was born in Lyon, France. His programmable loom used punch cards to control weaving patterns, a concept that later influenced Charles Babbage's analytical engine and modern computing.