July 7: Facts & Historical Events On This Day

An Australian woman was convicted of murder after serving up beef Wellington laced with deathcap mushrooms.

Erin Patterson was guilty of three counts of murder and one count of attempted murder after serving the deadly beef Wellington to her estranged husband's family. The incident, which occurred in 2023, resulted in the deaths of three of her in-laws. Her husband, who was also invited to the meal, declined to attend.

UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson resigned after numerous Conservative Party members voiced their lack of confidence in him.

Dutch artist Wilfred Stijger broke the world record for the tallest sandcastle.

Thirty other sculptors assisted Stijger in constructing the 69-foot (21-meter) tall sandcastle, which used 5,357 tons (4,860 tonnes) of sand. The sandcastle was built in Blokhus, Denmark, and broke the previous world record by over 9 feet (2.7 m).

Tourists in Kazakhstan beat a seal unconscious on a beach so that children could take pictures with it.

A group of men surrounded a seal that had swum close to shore, attacking it with sticks and boulders. Others gathered around to watch, but no one did or said anything to stop the assault.

“Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows – Part 2” premiered in London.

The London bombings took place.

On this day, terrorist attacks were made across four sites in London. Fifty-six people lost their lives, while 784 were injured.

NASA’s Opportunity Mars rover launched from the Florida Cape Canaveral Space Force Station.

Launched aboard a Delta II rocket, the Opportunity rover landed on Mars in January 2004 for a 92-day mission. The Opportunity mission is considered one of NASA's most successful, primarily because it instead managed to operate for 5,251 days before all communication with the rover was lost after a massive sandstorm in 2018.

Nelson Mandela stepped down as President.

The president of South Africa announced on television that he wouldn't be running for re-election in 1999.

The 10th James Bond movie, “The Spy Who Loved Me,” premiered in London.

Construction began on the Hoover Dam in Nevada.

It was originally called the Boulder Dam.

The world celebrated the introduction of sliced bread for the first time.

The machine used was invented by Otto Frederick Rohwedder and used by the Chillicothe Baking Company, Missouri, US.

In just 57 seconds, illusionist Harry Houdini successfully unchained himself while underwater.

The famous Great White Fleet left San Francisco to continue its around-the-world journey.

On December 16, 1907, the United States Navy Battleships known as the Great White Fleet set sail on a journey around the world under the command of President Theodore Roosevelt. The expedition aimed to pay friendly visits to other countries and show off the new US naval fleet to demonstrate their power. This fleet's hulls were painted a bright white, which is how the fleet obtained its nickname.

Jesse James and the famous James-Younger Gang robbed the Missouri Pacific Railroad near Otterville, Missouri, US.

The James-Younger Gang was one of the most famous gangs of outlaws in 19th century America. Based in Missouri, the crew consisted of many members and carried out multiple crimes across the United States. This robbery was the gang's penultimate crime.

Sir Isaac Newton gained a master’s degree from Trinity College, Cambridge, England.

Spanish conquistadors defeated a large Aztec army at the Battle of Otumba.