December 7
December 7 is the 342nd day of the year in the Gregorian calendar; 24 days remain until the year's end. It falls in autumn (northern hemisphere) and under the astrological sign of Sagittarius.
External references
Curated jump-off points to the major almanacs, encyclopaedias and primary sources for this date.
Astronomy
On December 7 the Sun's declination is approximately -22.9°. At this latitude the Sun is south of the celestial equator, giving the Northern Hemisphere shorter days than nights.
For specific rise/set times at your location, see the U.S. Naval Observatory, or the NASA APOD archive for any imagery published on a December 7.
Position in the year
Holidays & observances
- Armed Forces Flag Day (India)
- Christian feast day: Aemilianus (Greek Church)
- Christian feast day: Ambrose
- Christian feast day: Buíte of Monasterboice
- Christian feast day: Maria Giuseppa Rossello
Events
A selection of widely-documented historical events that took place on this date. Years marked BCE follow standard astronomical convention.
2025 — British racing driver Lando Norris wins the Formula One World Drivers' Championship in 2025 with McLaren. ↗(1 years ago)more
Lando Norris is a British racing driver who competes in Formula One for McLaren. Norris won the Formula One World Drivers' Championship in 2025 with McLaren, and has won 11 Grands Prix across eight seasons.
2025 — An attempted coup takes place in Benin, but is thwarted, and order restored. ↗(1 years ago)more
On 7 December 2025, several soldiers of the Benin Armed Forces (FAB) led by Lieutenant Colonel Pascal Tigri announced on national television the overthrow of Patrice Talon, the president of Benin, following an attack on Talon's residence in Cotonou and the residences of other top-ranking military officials.
2024 — Battle of Damascus (2024): Syrian opposition forces enter the Rif Dimashq Governorate, reaching within 20 km of the capital Damascus. ↗(2 years ago)more
On 7 December 2024, the Syrian opposition group known as the Southern Operations Room, in co-ordination with the Military Operations Command, led forces that entered the Rif Dimashq region of Syria from the south, and those forces then came within 20 kilometres (12 mi) of the capital Damascus. The Syrian Army withdrew from multiple points in the outskirts.
2017 — Aztec High School shooting: William Atchison kills two students at his former high school. ↗(9 years ago)more
On December 7, 2017, a school shooting occurred at Aztec High School in Aztec, New Mexico, United States. The perpetrator, William Atchison, a 21-year-old former student of Aztec High, entered the school disguised as a student and hid in the school restroom.
2016 — Pakistan International Airlines Flight 661, a domestic passenger flight from Chitral to Islamabad, operated by an ATR-42-500 crashes near Havelian, killing all 47 on board. ↗(10 years ago)more
Pakistan International Airlines Flight 661 was a Pakistani domestic passenger flight from Chitral to Islamabad, operated by Pakistan's flag carrier Pakistan International Airlines. On 7 December 2016, the aircraft serving the route, an ATR 42-500 twin-turboprop, crashed near Havelian following an engine failure.
2015 — The JAXA probe Akatsuki successfully enters orbit around Venus five years after the first attempt. ↗(11 years ago)more
The Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) is the Japanese national air and space agency.
2014 — The annual furry convention Midwest FurFest is targeted in an unsolved chlorine gas attack. ↗(12 years ago)more
A furry convention is a formal gathering of members of the furry fandom – people who are interested in the concept of fictional non-human animal characters with human characteristics. These conventions provide a place for fans to meet, exchange ideas, transact business and engage in entertainment and recreation centered on this concept.
2005 — Rigoberto Alpizar, a passenger on American Airlines Flight 924 who allegedly claimed to have a bomb, is shot and killed by a team of U.S. federal air marshals at Miami International Airport. ↗(21 years ago)more
Rigoberto Alpizar was a Costa Rican-born United States citizen who was fatally shot at Miami International Airport by two United States Federal Air Marshals.
- 2003 — The Conservative Party of Canada is officially registered, following the merger of the Canadian Alliance and the Progressive Conservative Party of Canada. ↗(23 years ago)
more
The Conservative Party of Canada, sometimes referred to as the Tories, is a federal political party in Canada. The party sits at the centre-right to right of the Canadian political spectrum, with their federal rival, the centre to centre-left Liberal Party of Canada, positioned to their left.
1995 — The Galileo spacecraft arrives at Jupiter, a little more than six years after it was launched by Space Shuttle Atlantis during Mission STS-34. ↗(31 years ago)more
Galileo was an American robotic space probe that studied the planet Jupiter and its moons, as well as the asteroids Gaspra and Ida. Named after the Italian astronomer Galileo Galilei, it consisted of an orbiter and an entry probe. It was delivered into Earth orbit on October 18, 1989, by Space Shuttle Atlantis, during STS-34.
1995 — Khabarovsk United Air Group Flight 3949 crashes into the Bo-Dzhausa Mountain, killing 98. ↗(31 years ago)more
Khabarovsk United Air Group Flight 3949 was a Russian domestic passenger flight from Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk to Khabarovsk, that crashed on 7 December 1995 local time, killing all ninety-eight people aboard. The crash occurred after the aircraft had entered into a steep downward spiral during automated flight at an altitude of 10,600 metres (34,800 ft).
1995 — An Air Saint Martin (now Air Caraïbes) Beechcraft 1900 crashes near the Haitian commune of Belle Anse, killing 20. ↗(31 years ago)more
Air Caraïbes is a French West Indian airline, with its headquarters in Les Abymes, Guadeloupe. The airline's main base of operations is at Pointe-à-Pitre International Airport in Guadeloupe, with a focus city at Martinique Aimé Césaire International Airport, near Fort-de-France in Martinique.
Notable births
2002 — Torri Huske, American swimmer ↗(24 years ago)more
Victoria Huske is an American competitive swimmer and the reigning Olympic champion in the 100-meter butterfly. She holds world records in two relays: the 4x100-meter medley and 4x100-meter mixed medley. She is the former American record holder in the 50- and 100-meter butterfly.
- 2001 — Jalen McMillan, American football player ↗(25 years ago)
more
Jalen McMillan is an American professional football wide receiver for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Washington Huskies and was selected by the Buccaneers in the third round of the 2024 NFL draft.
2000 — Dane Belton, American football player ↗(26 years ago)more
Dane Jacob Belton is an American professional football safety for the New York Jets of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Iowa Hawkeyes.
1999 — Boo Buie, American basketball player ↗(27 years ago)more
Daniel Richard "Boo" Buie III is an American professional basketball player for the Xinjiang Flying Tigers of the Chinese Basketball Association (CBA). He played college basketball for the Northwestern Wildcats of the Big Ten Conference, where he set the school career scoring record.
1999 — Pavol Regenda, Slovak ice hockey player ↗(27 years ago)more
Pavol Regenda is a Slovak professional ice hockey player who is a winger for the San Jose Sharks of the National Hockey League (NHL). Regenda previously played for the Anaheim Ducks of the NHL and HK Dukla Michalovce of the Slovak Extraliga. He has represented Slovakia national team several times and won a bronze medal with them at the 2022 Winter Olympics.
Notable deaths
- 2024 — Doudou Adoula, Congolese atalaku and composer (born 1965) ↗(2 years ago)
more
Antoine Pierre-Emmanuel Adoula Monga, professionally known as Doudou Adoula, was a Congolese singer-songwriter, atalaku and composer, best known for his longstanding role in Zaïko Langa Langa.
2023 — Benjamin Zephaniah, British writer and dub poet (born1958) ↗(3 years ago)more
Benjamin Obadiah Iqbal Zephaniah was a British writer, dub poet, actor, musician and professor of poetry and creative writing. Over his lifetime, he was awarded 20 honorary doctorates in recognition of his contributions to literature, education, and the arts. He was included in The Times list of Britain's top 50 post-war writers in 2008.
2023 — Refaat Alareer, Palestinian professor and writer (born1979) ↗(3 years ago)more
Refaat Alareer was a Palestinian writer, poet, professor, and activist from the Gaza Strip.
2023 — Emiko Miyamoto, Japanese volleyball player (born 1937) ↗(3 years ago)more
Emiko Miyamoto was a Japanese volleyball player. She was a member of the Japanese winning teams, Oriental Witches, at the 1962 World Championships and 1964 Summer Olympics. Miyamoto died from sepsis in Takahagi, on December 7, 2023, at the age of 86.
2020 — Dick Allen, American baseball player and tenor (born 1942) ↗(6 years ago)more
Richard Anthony Allen, nicknamed "Crash" and "the Wampum Walloper", was an American professional baseball player. During his 15-year Major League Baseball (MLB) career, he played as a first baseman and third baseman, most notably for the Philadelphia Phillies and Chicago White Sox, and was one of baseball's top sluggers of the 1960s and early 1970s.
Numerical & calendrical curiosities
| Day-of-year (342) | 2 × 3^2 × 19 · composite (no) |
|---|---|
| Days remaining (24) | 2^3 × 3 |
| Date code DDMMYYYY | 07122026 · next palindrome year: 2170 |
| Sun declination | -22.88° (Cooper approximation) |
| Distance from solstice | 13 days |