Osun Defender History Corner: April 7 In Focus

Today, on the history corner, we take a trip in the realm of flashback and recall some events that marked this day.

April 7, 529

First draft of Corpus Juris Civilis (a fundamental work in jurisprudence) is issued by Eastern Roman Emperor Justinian I.

April 7, 1348

Charles University is founded in Prague, making it the first university in Central Europe.

April 7, 1724

Premiere performance of Johann Sebastian Bach’s “St John Passion” at St. Nicholas Church in Leipzig, Germany.

April 7, 1805

The Lewis and Clark Expedition sets out from St. Louis, Missouri, on its journey to explore the American West.

April 7, 1868

Thomas D’Arcy McGee, one of the Canadian Fathers of Confederation, is assassinated in Ottawa.

April 7, 1922

Teapot Dome scandal: The United States Secretary of the Interior leases Teapot Dome oil reserves in Wyoming.

April 7, 1933

Prohibition in the United States is repealed for beer of no more than 3.2% alcohol by weight, eight months before the ratification of the 21st Amendment.

April 7, 1945

World War II: The Japanese battleship Yamato, the largest battleship ever constructed, is sunk by American aircraft during Operation Ten-Go.

April 7, 1948

The World Health Organization (WHO) is established as a specialized agency of the United Nations.

April 7, 1954

President Dwight D. Eisenhower gives his “domino theory” speech during a news conference, outlining the importance of preventing the spread of communism in Southeast Asia.

April 7, 1964

IBM introduces the System/360, the first family of mainframe computers designed for businesses of all sizes.

April 7, 1969

The first successful test flight of the Concorde supersonic jet takes place in Toulouse, France.

April 7, 1990

Iran-Contra affair: John Poindexter is found guilty of five charges for his part in the scandal (on appeal, the convictions were reversed).

April 7, 2001

Mars Odyssey is launched by NASA to explore Mars.

April 7, 2003

U.S. troops capture Baghdad, effectively ending the regime of Saddam Hussein in Iraq.

April 7, 2009

Former Peruvian President Alberto Fujimori is sentenced to 25 years in prison for ordering killings and kidnappings by security forces.

April 7, 2017

United States drops the largest non-nuclear bomb ever used in combat, the GBU-43/B Massive Ordnance Air Blast bomb (MOAB), on an ISIS tunnel complex in Nangarhar Province, Afghanistan.

April 7, 2018

Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán’s Fidesz party wins a third consecutive term in power.

April 7, 2019

Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir is overthrown in a military coup after months of protests against his rule.

April 7, 2020

The World Health Organization reports that more than 1.3 million confirmed cases of COVID-19 have been reported globally, with over 70,000 deaths attributed to the virus.

Please note that these are just a few historical events that happened on April 7. History is full of numerous other significant events on this day, ranging from politics and warfare to cultural and scientific milestones.