July 7^th in history

Encyclopædia Britannica presents people and events from this day in history:

Marc Chagall: Biography of the Day

Marc Chagall

Born this day in 1887, French artist Marc Chagall created images based on emotional and poetic associations, and his early works, which predated Surrealism, were among the first expressions of psychic reality in modern art.

 

Satchel Paige: Biography of the Day

Satchel Paige

"They said I was the greatest pitcher they ever saw. I couldn't understand why they couldn't give me no justice."

Satchel Paige

Believed to have been born this day in 1906 in Mobile, Alabama, Leroy Robert Paige, better known as Satchel Paige, was an African American professional baseball pitcher who earned legendary fame during his many years in the Negro leagues; he finally was allowed to enter the major leagues in 1948, after the unwritten rule against black players was relaxed. In his later years Paige, a humorous man, derived much amusement from the controversy about his age; his birth date is sometimes placed as early as December 18, 1899.

 

Hawaiian Islands annexed by the United States: 7 July 1898 - This Day in History

The U.S. Congress annexed Hawaii through a joint resolution signed by President William McKinley on this day in 1898, paving the way for the islands to become a territory (1900) and later a U.S. state (1959).

More Events on this day:

1978: The Solomon Islands became an independent nation.

1946: Mother Frances Xavier Cabrini became the first U.S. citizen to be canonized by the Roman Catholic Church.

1937: Chinese and Japanese troops clashed near the Marco Polo Bridge outside Beijing prior to World War II.

1807: The first of the Treaties of Tilsit was signed between France and Russia after Napoleon's victories over the Russians and Prussians.

1770: A Russian fleet destroyed an Ottoman fleet in the Battle of Çeme on the Aegean Sea.

1438: King Charles VII of France issued the Pragmatic Sanction of Bourges, restricting the rights of the pope and in many cases making his jurisdiction subject to the will of the king.

1307: King Edward I of England died on his way to subdue the new Scottish king, Robert the Bruce.