What Happened On
The Blue Marble
December 7, 1972
The first color photo of the full Earth. Taken by Apollo 17, it is one of the most reproduced images in human history.
This flight was the last of the NASA Moon landing missions and the last time humans have set foot on the Moon.
First Football Instant Replay
December 7, 1963
CBS uses the newly-developed Ampex video tape recorder to replay a 1-yard touchdown by Army quarterback Rollie Stichweh during the Army-Navy game. As the replay was shown, commentator Lindsey Nelson advised viewers "Ladies and gentlemen, Army did not score again!"
But, due technical problems with the replay machine, that was the only replay of the game.
The magnetic tape recorder at the time weighed 1,300 pounds (590 kg) and had no easy way to quickly rewind to a precise starting point of what had been recorded. Tape counters were too inaccurate. CBS sports director Tony Verna added the ability to insert audio tones at critical points so that technicians could listen for them as they rewound.
The video tape of that game was not saved. Navy won 21-15.
USS Arizona
USS Arizona
Pearl Harbor - A Date Which Will Live in Infamy
December 7, 1941
The Hawaiian U.S. naval base Pearl Harbor is attacked by the Japanese, killing 2,403 people, sinking four U.S. battleships, and destroying 188 U.S. aircraft. The Japanese only lost 29 aircraft and five midget submarines, with 64 servicemen killed and one captured.
Japan announced a declaration of war on the U.S. later that day and the U.S. declared war on Japan the following day.
Because Japan attacked without a declaration of war, this act was later declared a war crime, with U.S. President Franklin D. Roosevelt calling it "a date which will live in infamy."
All the sunk battleships were raised, except the USS Arizona, with six of the eight damaged ships returning to service. Japan made a severe tactical error by overestimating the importance of battleships in the upcoming war, thereby focusing on destroying them instead of the Pearl Harbor's repair yards, oil tank farms, submarine base, and the Old Administration Building, which housed the cryptanalytic unit, all of which were vital to war effort in the Pacific. While battleships were vital to previous wars, their slow speed and high fuel consumption limited their usefulness in World War II, whereas submarines and aircraft carriers proved superior in modern warfare. None of the three Pacific Fleet aircraft carriers were in port at Pearl Harbor at the time of the attacks.
Dunlop on a bicycle with his tires
Dunlop on a bicycle with his tires
Pneumatic Rubber Tire
December 7, 1888
John Boyd Dunlop applies for a patent for his pneumatic rubber tire (pressurized by air). The patent was granted the following year, although it was later discovered that the principle of the pneumatic tire had been patented in 1846. Dunlop originally developed pneumatic tires for his son's tricycle and soon had them made commercially in Scotland. A cyclist using his tires began winning all his races and drew the attention of Harvey Du Cros, who then went into business with Dunlop.
Earlier bicycle tires were iron bands on wooden wheels, followed later by solid rubber tires.
First State in the Union
December 7, 1787
Delaware ratifies the Constitution.
USS Cole Bombing
December 7, 2000
U.S. officials announce there is evidence linking suspects in the October 12, 2000 bombing of the USS Cole in Yemen with known operatives of Osama bin Laden's organization.
Artist's rendering of Galileo at Io with Jupiter in the background
Artist's rendering of Galileo at Io with Jupiter in the background
First Probe to Fly Through the Atmosphere of Jupiter
December 7, 1995
A probe released earlier by the U.S. spacecraft Galileo enters the atmosphere of the gas giant Jupiter. Galileo was launched in 1989 and en route to Jupiter it also became the first spacecraft to explore an asteroid.
Drug Legalization
December 7, 1993
Surgeon General Joycelyn Elders states that the legalization of drugs merits further study and might reduce the crime rate. Her 28-year-old son was arrested two weeks later for selling cocaine to undercover police the previous summer. He was convicted and he was sentenced to 10 years in prison, of which he served four months.
Marching to a Different Tune
December 7, 1992
Members of the Texas Southern University's marching band are caught stealing $22,000 worth of goods from Japanese merchants. They were in Japan to play during the half-time of an NCAA game the previous day.
Last Vietnam Draft Call
December 7, 1972
The U.S. Selective Service makes its last draft call for the Vietnam War. It was announced the next month that there would be no more draft calls.
New York Philharmonic
December 7, 1842
The New York Philharmonic orchestra gives its first performance, in the Apollo Rooms on lower Broadway before an audience of 600. It was founded by Ureli Corelli Hill, who also served as its first conductor.
Birthdays
Photo Credit: Dutch National Archives
Photo Credit: Dutch National Archives
Father of Modern Planetary Science
Gerald Peter Kuiper
Born December 7, 1905 d. 1973
Netherlands-born American astronomer. "Father of Modern Planetary Science." Discovered Miranda (1948) one of Uranus' moons and Neptune's satellite Nereid (1949). He correctly predicted the rings of Saturn are composed of particles of ice and that the Moon's surface would be like walking on "crunchy snow." He is for whom the Kuiper Belt is named.
Voice of Donald Duck
Clarence Nash
Born December 7, 1904 d. 1985
American voice actor. Voice of Donald Duck and his nephews Huey, Dewey, and Louie.
Priscilla Barnes
Born December 7, 1954
American actress. TV: Three's Company (replaced Suzanne Somers) and Vacation in Hell (1979, also starring Maureen McCormick and Barbara Feldon).
Tom Waits
Born December 7, 1949
American singer, songwriter, actor.
Quote: The world is a hellish place, and bad writing is destroying the quality of our suffering.
It cheapens and degrades the human experience, when it should inspire and elevate.
Johnny Lee Bench
Born December 7, 1947
American baseball Hall of Famer, 1976 World Series MVP.
Photo Credit: Wikipedia
Photo Credit: Wikipedia
World's Heaviest Twins
Billy Leon (died 1979) and Benny Loyd (died 2001) McCrary (McGuire)
Born December 7, 1946
American wrestlers known as the McGuire Twins. They were the world's heaviest twins at 338 kilograms (745 pounds, Benny) and 328 kilograms (723 pounds, Billy).
Billy died on July 14, 1979 of injuries from a motorcycle accident en route to Ripley's Believe It or Not! Benny died 21 years later in 2001 of heart failure. They are buried side by side with their grave marked with 13-foot wide granite headstone, believed to be the largest in the world.
Vincent Baggetta
Born December 7, 1944 d. 2017
American actor. TV: The Eddie Capra Mysteries (1978-79, Eddie Capra) and The Colbys (Asst. D.A. John Moretti).
Richest African American
Reginald Lewis
Born December 7, 1942 d. 1993
American businessman. He was the richest African-American man during the 1980s, with a net worth of about $400 million. He was the first African American to build a billion dollar company, Beatrice Foods, which he bought in 1987. Motto: "Keep going, no matter what." Writings: Why Should White Guys Have All the Fun?
Harry Chapin (Harry Forster Chapin)
Born December 7, 1942 d. 1981
American Grammy-winning Hall of Fame folk-rock singer. Music: Taxi (1972) and Cat's In The Cradle (1974, #1).
Ellen Burstyn (Edna Rae Gillooly)
Born December 7, 1932
American actress. In 1975, she won an Oscar, a Tony, and a British Oscar.
Victor Kiam (Victor Kermit Kiam II)
Born December 7, 1926 d. 2001
American entrepreneur. President and TV spokesman for Remington Products Inc. He bought the NFL's New England Patriots for US$84 million (1988).
Quote: "I liked their shaver so much, I bought the company."
Ted Knight as Ted Baxter
Ted Knight as Ted Baxter
Ted Knight (Tadeusz Wladyslaw Konopka)
Born December 7, 1923 d. 1986
American actor. TV: The Mary Tyler Moore Show (1970-77, Ted Baxter), Too Close for Comfort (1980-87, Henry Rush), and as narrator of many of Filmation's superhero cartoons. Film: Caddyshack (1980, Judge Elihu Smails).
Knight dropped out of high school to enlist in the U.S. Army in World War II, earning five battle stars while serving in the European Theatre.
He died of colon cancer, which he had been battling since his diagnosis in 1977.
Eli Wallach
Born December 7, 1915 d. 2014
American Emmy-winning actor. Film: Baby Doll (1956), The Magnificent Seven (1960, Calvera), and The Good, the Bad and the Ugly (1966, Tuco -"The Ugly").
Richard Warren Sears
Born December 7, 1863 d. 1914
American businessman, co-founded Sears, Roebuck and Co.
Deaths
Chuck Yeager
Died December 7, 2020 b. 1923
American test pilot, flying ace. He was the first person to break the sound barrier during level flight (1947).
Inventor of the 33â…“ LP Record
Peter Carl Goldmark
Died December 7, 1977 b. 1906
Hungarian-born American engineer. He invented the 33â…“ LP (Long Play) record (1948). One side played for 23 minutes as compared to about 4 minutes for the current 78 records. His 33⅓ LP records are still an industry standard for vinyl records. There were originally 10-inch and 12-inch versions, but the 10-inch version was soon phased out.
Why is it called a "Record Album"?
Prior to the 33â…“ Long Play, records had a thicker groove and ran at 78 rpms and therefore were only about 3-5 minutes per side. Because of this, music was sold on multiple records gathered together in a book called an "album." The new 33â…“ LP could play about 23 minutes per side, therefore, all the records from a typical "album" could by stored on a single 33â…“ LP, but the name "album" stuck.
He also invented the first commercial color television (1940). His television used a spinning color wheel that alternated transmission in red, green, and blue. CBS broadcast used his system from 1950 to 1951, but it was not compatible with the existing black and white sets and was dropped in favor of a competing technology developed for RCA and NBC. He also developed the "Highway Hi-Fi," which could play 7-inch LP records in automobiles.
Goldberg's Self-Operating Napkin
Goldberg's Self-Operating Napkin
Rube Goldberg (Reuben Garrett Lucius Goldberg)
Died December 7, 1970 b. 1883
American Pulitzer-winning cartoonist (1948). Known for designing elaborate machines to perform simple tasks. The term "Rube Goldberg Machine" has come to refer to such overly-complicated devices. The board game Mouse Trap was based on his contraptions.
Coral Castle-The American Stonehenge
Ed Leedskalnin
Died December 7, 1951 b. 1887
Latvian sculptor. He built Coral Castle, working alone and using what he claimed were the lost secrets of the Egyptian pyramid builders. He quarried and sculpted 1,100 short tons (997,903 kg) of oolite limestone to build his castle. He was able to move by himself sections of the wall that were 8 feet tall, 4 feet wide, 3 feet thick, and weighing more than 5.8 tons without the aid of heavy construction equipment.
Originally built in Florida City in the 1920s, he moved the castle to its present location near Homestead, Florida in the 30s.
Leedskalnin's first booklet, a treatise on moral education, was printed on only the left-hand pages, and began with the following preface: "Reader, if for any reason you do not like the things I say in the little book, I left just as much space as I used, so you can write your own opinion opposite it and see if you can do better."
Billy Idol filmed the video Sweet Sixteen at Coral Castle. The song was inspired by Ed's unrequited love for 16-year-old Agnes Scuffs who left him the day before they were to be wed. Ed built the castle for her.
Santa Claus and a Nast political cartoon
Santa Claus and a Nast political cartoon
Thomas Nast
Died December 7, 1902 b. 1840
American cartoonist. Created the elephant image used by the Republican party and the modern-day version of the Santa Claus image. He is referred to as the "Father of the American Cartoon." Although Nast popularized the use of the donkey to represent the Democratic party, the donkey was originally used by Andrew Jackson for his presidential campaign.
Bligh and his men being set adrift
Bligh and his men being set adrift
Mutiny On the Bounty
Captain Bligh (William Bligh)
Died December 7, 1817 b. 1754
English naval officer. The crew, led by Fletcher Christian, of the HMS Bounty mutinied (1789), setting Bligh and 18 of his men adrift. Bligh survived a 47-day 3,600-mile voyage to safety. Christian and the mutineers landed at Pitcairn Island where they lived out their lives.
1960 Olympics
1960 Olympics
Paul Elvstrøm
Died December 7, 2016 b. 1928
Danish Hall of Fame yachtsman. He is one of only four athletes who have competed in the Olympics over a span of 40 years (1948-88), along with fencer Ivan Joseph Martin Osiier, sailor Durward Knowles, and sailor Magnus Konow. He is one of only four people to win four consecutive individual Olympic gold medals (1948, '52, '56, '60). He also pioneered the technique of "hiking" (aka "sitting out."). He was the first to use toe-straps in the bottom of his dinghy to enable him to get more of his body weight outside the boat.
Greg Lake
Died December 7, 2016 b. 1947
British bass player, singer, with Emerson, Lake and Palmer. Music: Lucky Man (1970), Tarkus (1971), Brain Salad Surgery (1974), and I Believe In Father Christmas (1975).
Ken Weatherwax as Pugsley Addams with Morticia
Ken Weatherwax as Pugsley Addams with Morticia
Ken Weatherwax
Died December 7, 2014 b. 1955
American actor. TV: The Addams Family (1964-66, Pugsley). His uncle was Rudd Weatherwax, Lassie's trainer and owner of the first dog to play the role. He died of a heart attack at age 59.
Harry Morgan (Harry Bratsburg)
Died December 7, 2011 b. 1915
American actor. TV: Dragnet 1967 (1967-70, Joe Friday's partner Bill Gannon), M*A*S*H (1974-83, Col. Sherman T. Potter), Pete and Gladys (1960-62, Pete), and Roots: The Next Generations (1979, Bob Campbell).
Pierre Holmes
Died December 7, 1993 b. 1912
British-born French radio announcer. During World War II, he passed coded messages to the French Resistance during his nightly BBC radio show from London. He used a line of verse from the poet Paul Verlaine, "Long violin sobs rock my heart in monotonous languish" to signal Resistance fighters to carry out sabotage attacks and diversionary operations ahead of the Allied forces for the D-Day invasion at Normandy on June 6, 1944.
Joan Bennett
Died December 7, 1990 b. 1910
American actress. TV: Dark Shadows (Elizabeth/Flora Collins).
David Richmond
Died December 7, 1990 b. 1941
American civil-rights protester. One of the initiators the Greensboro Sit-In (1960). He and three other black college students (The Greensboro Four) refused to move from a North Carolina Woolworth's lunch counter after being denied service. The peaceful protest quickly spread; 70,000 people participated, resulting in 1,600 arrests.
Jeanne Cagney
Died December 7, 1984 b. 1919
American actress. She appeared in several films with her brother James Cagney, including Man of a Thousand Faces (1957). TV: Queen for a Day (co-host).
Thornton Wilder
Died December 7, 1975 b. 1897
American Pulitzer-winning novelist, playwright. Writings: The Bridge of San Luis Rey (1927, Pulitzer), Our Town (1938, Pulitzer), and The Skin of Our Teeth (1942, Pulitzer). Quote: "Marriage is the price men pay for sex; sex is the price women pay for marriage."
Aaron Montgomery Ward
Died December 7, 1913 b. 1843
American businessman. Creator of mail-order (1872).
The Billion Dollar Congress
Thomas Brackett Reed (Thomas Brackett Reed Jr.)
Died December 7, 1902 b. 1839
American politician, Speaker of the House from Maine. His ability to spend taxpayer's money earned his Congress (1889-91) the name "The Billion Dollar Congress".
Innocent IV
Died December 7, 1254 b. circa 1180
Italian religious leader, 180th Pope (1243-54).
Otto II
Died December 7, 983 b. 955
Emperor of the Holy Roman Empire (973-83).
Saint Eutychian
Died December 7, 283 b. ????
religious leader, 27th Pope (275-283).
Marcus Tullius Cicero
Died December 7, 43 B.C. b. 106 B.C.
Roman philosopher, statesman. One of Rome's greatest orators. Before being killed by Mark Antony's assassins, he declared "There is nothing proper about what you are doing, soldier, but do try to kill me properly."