February 7
Events
Pre-1600
- 457 - Leo I becomes the Eastern Roman emperor.
- 987 - Bardas Phokas the Younger and Bardas Skleros, Byzantine generals of the military elite, begin a wide-scale rebellion against Emperor Basil II.
- 1301 - Edward of Caernarvon becomes the first English Prince of Wales.
- 1313 - King Thihathu founds the Pinya Kingdom as the de jure successor state of the Pagan Kingdom.
- 1365 - Albert III of Mecklenburg grants city rights to Ulvila.
- 1497 - In Florence, Italy, supporters of Girolamo Savonarola burn cosmetics, art, and books, in a "Bonfire of the vanities".
1601–1900
- 1756 - Guaraní War: The leader of the Guaraní rebels, Sepé Tiaraju, is killed in a skirmish with Spanish and Portuguese troops.
- 1783 - American Revolutionary War: French and Spanish forces lift the Great Siege of Gibraltar.
- 1795 - The 11th Amendment to the United States Constitution is ratified.
- 1807 - Napoleonic Wars: Napoleon finds Bennigsen's Russian forces taking a stand at Eylau. After bitter fighting, the French take the town, but the Russians resume the battle the next day.
- 1812 - The strongest in a series of earthquakes strikes New Madrid, Missouri.
- 1813 - In the action of 7 February 1813 near the Îles de Los, the frigates Aréthuse and Amelia batter each other, but neither can gain the upper hand.
- 1819 - Sir Thomas Stamford Raffles leaves Singapore after just taking it over, leaving it in the hands of William Farquhar.
- 1842 - Battle of Debre Tabor: Ras Ali Alula, Regent of the Emperor of Ethiopia defeats warlord Wube Haile Maryam of Semien.
- 1854 - A law is approved to found the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology. Lectures started October 16, 1855.
- 1863 - sinks off the coast of Auckland, New Zealand, killing 189.
- 1894 - The Cripple Creek miner's strike, led by the Western Federation of Miners, begins in Cripple Creek, Colorado, United States.
- 1898 - Dreyfus affair: Émile Zola is brought to trial for libel for publishing J'Accuse...!
- 1900 - Second Boer War: British troops fail in their third attempt to lift the Siege of Ladysmith.
- 1900 - A Chinese immigrant in San Francisco falls ill to bubonic plague in the first plague epidemic in the continental United States.
1901–present
- 1904 - The Great Baltimore Fire begins in Baltimore, Maryland; it destroys over 1,500 buildings in 30 hours.
- 1940 - The second full-length animated Walt Disney film, Pinocchio, premieres.
- 1943 - World War II: Imperial Japanese Navy forces complete the evacuation of Imperial Japanese Army troops from Guadalcanal during Operation Ke, ending Japanese attempts to retake the island from Allied forces in the Guadalcanal campaign.
- 1944 - World War II: In Anzio, Italy, German forces launch a counteroffensive during the Allied Operation Shingle.
- 1951 - Korean War: More than 700 suspected communist sympathizers are massacred by South Korean forces.
- 1962 - The United States bans all Cuban imports and exports.
- 1964 - The Beatles land in the United States for the first time, at the newly renamed John F. Kennedy International Airport.
- 1966 - The Great Fire of Iloilo breaks out in a lumber yard in Iznart Street and burns for almost half a day destroying nearly three-quarters of the City Proper area and Php 50 million pesos in total properties' damage.
- 1974 - Grenada gains independence from the United Kingdom.
- 1979 - Pluto moves inside Neptune's orbit for the first time since either was discovered.
- 1981 - A plane crash at Pushkin Airport kills 50 people, including 16 members of the Pacific Fleet.
- 1984 - Space Shuttle program: STS-41-B Mission: astronauts Bruce McCandless II and Robert L. Stewart make the first untethered space walk using the Manned Maneuvering Unit.
- 1986 - Twenty-eight years of one-family rule end in Haiti, when President Jean-Claude Duvalier flees the Caribbean nation.
- 1990 - Dissolution of the Soviet Union: The Central Committee of the Soviet Communist Party agrees to give up its monopoly on power.
- 1991 - Haiti's first democratically elected president, Jean-Bertrand Aristide, is sworn in.
- 1991 - The Troubles: The Provisional IRA launches a mortar attack on 10 Downing Street in London, the headquarters of the British government.
- 1992 - The Maastricht Treaty is signed, leading to the creation of the European Union.
- 1995 - Ramzi Yousef, the mastermind of the 1993 World Trade Center bombing, is arrested in Islamabad, Pakistan.
- 1999 - Crown Prince Abdullah becomes the King of Jordan on the death of his father, King Hussein.
- 2001 - Space Shuttle program: Space Shuttle Atlantis is launched on mission STS-98, carrying the Destiny laboratory module to the International Space Station.
- 2009 - Bushfires in Victoria leave 173 dead in the worst natural disaster in Australia's history.
- 2012 - President Mohamed Nasheed of the Republic of Maldives resigns, after 23 days of anti-governmental protests calling for the release of the Chief Judge unlawfully arrested by the military.
- 2013 - The U.S. state of Mississippi officially certifies the Thirteenth Amendment, becoming the last state to approve the abolition of slavery. The Thirteenth Amendment was formally ratified by Mississippi in 1995.
- 2014 - Scientists announce that the Happisburgh footprints in Norfolk, England, date back to more than 800,000 years ago, making them the oldest known hominid footprints outside Africa.
- 2016 - North Korea launches Kwangmyŏngsŏng-4 into outer space violating multiple UN treaties and prompting condemnation from around the world.
- 2021 - The 2021 Uttarakhand flood begins.
- 2024 - Pakistan election offices are hit by twin bombings, killing at least 24 people a day before general elections.
Births
Pre-1600
- 574 - Prince Shōtoku of Japan
- 1102 - Empress Matilda, Holy Roman Empress and claimant to the English throne
- 1449 - Adriana of Nassau-Siegen, German countess
- 1478 - Thomas More, English lawyer and politician, Lord Chancellor of England
- 1487 - Queen Dangyeong, Korean royal consort
- 1500 - João de Castro, viceroy of Portuguese India
1601–1900
- 1612 - Thomas Killigrew, English playwright and manager
- 1622 - Vittoria della Rovere, Italian noble
- 1693 - Empress Anna of Russia
- 1722 - Azar Bigdeli, Iranian anthologist and poet
- 1726 - Margaret Fownes-Luttrell, English painter
- 1741 - Henry Fuseli, Swiss-English painter and academic
- 1758 - Benedikt Schack, Czech tenor and composer
- 1796 - Thomas Gregson, English-Australian lawyer and politician, 2nd Premier of Tasmania
- 1802 - Louisa Jane Hall, American poet, essayist, and literary critic
- 1804 - John Deere, American blacksmith and businessman, founded Deere & Company
- 1812 - Charles Dickens, English novelist and critic
- 1825 - Karl Möbius, German zoologist and ecologist
- 1834 - Alfred-Philibert Aldrophe, French architect
- 1837 - James Murray, Scottish lexicographer and philologist
- 1864 - Arthur Collins, American baritone singer
- 1867 - Laura Ingalls Wilder, American author
- 1870 - Alfred Adler, Austrian-Scottish psychologist and therapist
- 1871 - Wilhelm Stenhammar, Swedish pianist, composer, and conductor
- 1873 - Thomas Andrews, Irish shipbuilder and businessman, designed the RMS Titanic
- 1875 - Erkki Melartin, Finnish composer
- 1877 - G. H. Hardy, English mathematician and geneticist
- 1878 - Ossip Gabrilowitsch, Russian-American pianist and conductor
- 1885 - Sinclair Lewis, American novelist, short-story writer, and playwright, Nobel Prize laureate
- 1885 - Hugo Sperrle, German field marshal
- 1887 - Eubie Blake, American pianist and composer
- 1889 - Harry Nyquist, Swedish-American engineer and theorist
- 1893 - Joseph Algernon Pearce, Canadian astrophysicist and astronomer
- 1893 - Nicanor Abelardo, Filipino pianist, composer and teacher
- 1895 - Anita Stewart, American actress
1901–present
- 1901 - Arnold Nordmeyer, New Zealand minister and politician, 30th New Zealand Minister of Finance
- 1904 - Ernest E. Debs, American politician
- 1905 - Paul Nizan, French philosopher and author
- 1905 - Ulf von Euler, Swedish physiologist and academic, Nobel Prize laureate
- 1906 - Oleg Antonov, Soviet engineer, founded the Antonov Design Bureau
- 1906 - Puyi, Chinese emperor
- 1908 - Buster Crabbe, American swimmer and actor
- 1908 - Manmath Nath Gupta, Indian journalist and author
- 1909 - Hélder Câmara, Brazilian archbishop
- 1909 - Amedeo Guillet, Italian soldier
- 1912 - Russell Drysdale, English-Australian painter
- 1912 - Roberta McCain, American socialite and oil heiress
- 1915 - Teoctist Arăpașu, Romanian patriarch
- 1915 - Eddie Bracken, American actor and singer
- 1916 - Frank Hyde, Australian rugby league player, coach, and sportscaster
- 1919 - Desmond Doss, American army corporal and combat medic, Medal of Honor recipient
- 1919 - Jock Mahoney, American actor and stuntman
- 1920 - Oscar Brand, Canadian-American singer-songwriter and author
- 1920 - An Wang, Chinese-American engineer and businessman, founded Wang Laboratories
- 1921 - Athol Rowan, South African cricketer
- 1922 - Hattie Jacques, English actress
- 1923 - Dora Bryan, English actress and restaurateur
- 1925 - Hans Schmidt, Canadian wrestler
- 1926 - Konstantin Feoktistov, Russian engineer and astronaut
- 1927 - Juliette Gréco, French singer and actress
- 1927 - Vladimir Kuts, Ukrainian-Russian runner and coach
- 1927 - Lalo Ríos, Mexican actor
- 1928 - Lincoln D. Faurer, American general
- 1929 - Jim Langley, English international footballer and manager
- 1932 - Gay Talese, American journalist and memoirist
- 1932 - Alfred Worden, American colonel, pilot, and astronaut
- 1933 - K. N. Choksy, Sri Lankan lawyer and politician, Sri Lankan Minister of Finance
- 1934 - Eddie Fenech Adami, Maltese lawyer and politician, 7th President of Malta
- 1934 - King Curtis, American saxophonist and producer
- 1934 - Earl King, American singer-songwriter, guitarist, and producer
- 1935 - Cliff Jones, Welsh international footballer
- 1935 - Herb Kohl, American businessman and politician
- 1935 - Jörg Schneider, Swiss actor and author
- 1936 - Jas Gawronski, Italian journalist and politician
- 1937 - Peter Jay, English economist, journalist, and diplomat, British Ambassador to the United States
- 1937 - Juan Pizarro, Puerto Rican baseball player
- 1940 - Tony Tan, Singaporean academic and politician, 7th President of Singapore
- 1942 - Gareth Hunt, English actor
- 1943 - Eric Foner, American historian, author, and academic
- 1945 - Gerald Davies, Welsh rugby player and journalist
- 1946 - Héctor Babenco, Argentinian-Brazilian director, producer, and screenwriter
- 1946 - Gérard Jean-Juste, Haitian priest and activist
- 1946 - Pete Postlethwaite, English actor
- 1949 - Jacques Duchesneau, Canadian police officer and politician
- 1949 - Alan Lancaster, English-Australian bass player singer and songwriter Status Quo
- 1950 - Karen Joy Fowler, American author
- 1953 - Robert Brazile, American football player
- 1954 - Dieter Bohlen, German singer-songwriter and producer
- 1955 - Rolf Benirschke, American football player and game show host
- 1955 - Miguel Ferrer, American actor and director
- 1956 - John Nielsen, Danish racing driver
- 1956 - Mark St. John, American guitarist
- 1957 - Dámaso García, Dominican baseball player and footballer
- 1958 - Giuseppe Baresi, Italian footballer and manager
- 1958 - Terry Marsh, English boxer and politician
- 1958 - Matt Ridley, English journalist, author, and politician
- 1959 - Mick McCarthy, English footballer, manager, and sportscaster
- 1960 - Robert Smigel, American actor, producer, and screenwriter
- 1960 - James Spader, American actor and producer
- 1962 - Garth Brooks, American singer-songwriter and guitarist
- 1962 - David Bryan, American keyboard player and songwriter
- 1962 - Eddie Izzard, English comedian, actor, and producer
- 1963 - Heidemarie Stefanyshyn-Piper, American Naval officer and astronaut
- 1964 - Ashok Banker, Indian journalist, author, and screenwriter
- 1965 - Chris Rock, American actor, director, producer, and screenwriter
- 1966 - Kristin Otto, German swimmer
- 1968 - Peter Bondra, Ukrainian-Slovak ice hockey player and manager
- 1968 - Christian Drobits, Austrian politician
- 1968 - Sully Erna, American singer-songwriter and musician
- 1968 - Mark Tewksbury, Canadian swimmer and sportscaster
- 1969 - Franz Jantscher, Austrian politician
- 1969 - Andrew Micallef, Maltese painter and musician
- 1971 - Anita Tsoy, Russian singer-songwriter
- 1972 - Essence Atkins, American actress
- 1972 - Robyn Lively, American actress
- 1973 - Juwan Howard, American basketball player and coach
- 1974 - J Dilla, American rapper and producer
- 1974 - Steve Nash, South African-Canadian basketball player
- 1974 - Nujabes, Japanese record producer, DJ, composer and arranger
- 1975 - Wes Borland, American singer-songwriter and guitarist
- 1975 - Miriam Corowa, Australian journalist, television presenter and producer
- 1975 - Alexandre Daigle, Canadian ice hockey player
- 1975 - Rémi Gaillard, French comedian and actor
- 1976 - Chito Miranda, Filipino singer-songwriter
- 1977 - Tsuneyasu Miyamoto, Japanese footballer
- 1978 - David Aebischer, Swiss ice hockey player
- 1978 - Endy Chávez, Venezuelan baseball player
- 1978 - Ashton Kutcher, American model, actor, producer, and entrepreneur
- 1978 - Milt Palacio, American-Belizean basketball player and coach
- 1978 - Daniel Van Buyten, Belgian footballer
- 1979 - Daniel Bierofka, German footballer and coach
- 1979 - Tawakkol Karman, Yemeni journalist and activist, Nobel Prize laureate
- 1979 - Sam J. Miller, American author
- 1980 - Dalibor Bagarić, Croatian basketball player
- 1980 - Mikey Erg, American drummer, guitarist, and vocalist
- 1981 - Neto, Brazilian footballer
- 1981 - Lee Ok-sung, South Korean boxer
- 1982 - Mohammed Bijeh, Iranian serial killer
- 1982 - Osamu Mukai, Japanese actor
- 1982 - Mickaël Piétrus, French basketball player
- 1983 - Scott Feldman, American baseball player
- 1983 - Federico Marchetti, Italian footballer
- 1984 - Trey Hardee, American decathlete
- 1984 - Jeremy Meeks American model and actor
- 1985 - Josh Hennessy, American ice hockey player
- 1985 - Bernard James, American basketball player
- 1985 - Tina Majorino, American actress
- 1985 - Deborah Ann Woll, American actress
- 1987 - Joel Freeland, English basketball player
- 1988 - Ai Kago, Japanese singer and actress
- 1988 - Matthew Stafford, American football player
- 1989 - Nick Calathes, American-Greek basketball player
- 1989 - Isaiah Thomas, American basketball player
- 1989 - Elia Viviani, Italian cyclist
- 1990 - Morris Claiborne, American football player
- 1990 - Jacksepticeye, Irish YouTuber
- 1990 - Gianluca Lapadula, Italian footballer
- 1990 - Dalilah Muhammad, American hurdler
- 1990 - Steven Stamkos, Canadian ice hockey player
- 1991 - Gabbie Hanna, American Internet personality and singer-songwriter
- 1991 - Ryan O'Reilly, Canadian ice hockey player
- 1991 - Richard Pánik, Slovak ice hockey player
- 1992 - Sergi Roberto, Spanish footballer
- 1992 - Ksenia Stolbova, Russian figure skater
- 1992 - Maimi Yajima, Japanese singer and actress
- 1993 - Javon Hargrave, American football player
- 1993 - Chris Mears, English diver
- 1994 - Riley Barber, American ice hockey player
- 1994 - Nathan Walker, Welsh-Australian ice hockey player
- 1995 - Tom Glynn-Carney, English actor and musician
- 1995 - Roberto Osuna, Mexican baseball player
- 1996 - Aaron Ekblad, Canadian ice hockey player
- 1996 - Pierre Gasly, French racing driver
- 1997 - Nicolò Barella, Italian footballer
- 1997 - Anhelina Kalinina, Ukrainian tennis player
- 1999 - Omar Marmoush, Egyptian footballer
- 2000 - Jayden Campbell, Australian rugby league player
- 2001 - R. J. Hampton, American basketball player
- 2002 - Shedeur Sanders, American football player
- 2003 - Alessandro Fontanarosa, Italian footballer
- 2007 - Diego Aguado, Spanish footballer