On This Day: July 7

Updated July 6, 2012, 2:28 pm

On July 7, 1981, President Reagan announced he was nominating Arizona Judge Sandra Day O’Connor to become the first female justice on the United States Supreme Court.
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On July 7, 1906, Satchel Paige, the pitching star of Negro League and major-league baseball, was born. Following his death on June 8, 1982, his obituary appeared in The Times.

Go to obituary » | Other birthdays »

On This Date

By The Associated Press

1846 U.S. annexation of California was proclaimed at Monterey after the surrender of a Mexican garrison.

1865 Four people were hanged in Washington, D.C., after being convicted of conspiring with John Wilkes Booth to assassinate President Abraham Lincoln.

1898 The United States annexed Hawaii.

1930 Construction began on Boulder Dam on the Colorado River.

1954 Elvis Presley made his radio debut when Memphis, Tenn., station WHBQ played his first recording for Sun Records, “That’s All Right.”

1958 President Dwight D. Eisenhower signed the Alaska statehood bill.

1987 Lt. Col. Oliver North began his public testimony at the Iran-Contra hearing, telling Congress that he had “never carried out a single act, not one” without authorization.

1990 Martina Navratilova won a record ninth women’s singles title at Wimbledon.

2003 A federal judge approved a settlement fining WorldCom $750 million for its $11 billion accounting scandal.

2005 Terrorist bombings in three Underground stations and a double-decker bus killed 52 victims and four suicide bombers in the worst attack on London since World War II.

Current Birthdays

By The Associated Press

Author David McCullough turns 79 years old today.

AP Photo/Bebeto Matthews

Actress Berenice Bejo (“The Artist”) turns 36 years old today.

AP Photo/Dan Steinberg

1927 Doc Severinsen, Bandleader, turns 85

1940 Ringo Starr, Rock musician (The Beatles), turns 72

1946 Joe Spano, Actor, turns 66

1947 Linda Williams, Country singer, turns 65

1949 Shelley Duvall, Actress, turns 63

1959 Billy Campbell, Actor, turns 53

1963 Vonda Shepard, Singer, songwriter (“Ally McBeal”), turns 49

1966 Jim Gaffigan, Actor, comedian, turns 46

1968 Jorja Fox, Actress (“C.S.I.”), turns 44

1972 Lisa Leslie, Basketball player, turns 40

1972 Kirsten Vangsness, Actress (“Criminal Minds”), turns 40

1980 Michelle Kwan, Figure skater, turns 32

Historic Birthdays

Satchel Paige 7/7/1906 – 6/8/1982 American professional baseball pitcher.Go to obituary »

82 Joseph-Marie Jacquard 7/7/1752 – 8/7/1834
French inventor of the Jacquard loom

91 Abraham Cahan 7/7/1860 – 8/31/1951
Russian-born American editor of the Jewish Daily Forward (1903-51)

50 Gustav Mahler 7/7/1860 – 5/18/1911
Austrian composer and conductor

97 Marc Chagall 7/7/1887 – 3/28/1985
Belorussian-born French painter, printmaker and designer

83 George Cukor 7/7/1899 – 1/24/1983
American motion-picture director

73 Vittorio De Sica 7/7/1901 – 11/13/1974
Italian motion-picture director

80 Robert Heinlein 7/7/1907 – 5/8/1988
American science-fiction writer

73 Lawrence O’Brien 7/7/1917 – 9/28/1990
American politician and N.B.A. commissioner (1975-84)

53 Ezzard Charles 7/7/1921 – 5/28/1975
American world heavyweight boxing champion (1950-1)

1846	U.S. annexation of California was proclaimed at Monterey after the surrender of a Mexican garrison.
1865	Four people were hanged in Washington, D.C., after being convicted of conspiring with John Wilkes Booth to assassinate President Abraham Lincoln.
1898	The United States annexed Hawaii.
1930	Construction began on Boulder Dam on the Colorado River.
1954	Elvis Presley made his radio debut when Memphis, Tenn., station WHBQ played his first recording for Sun Records, “That’s All Right.”
1958	President Dwight D. Eisenhower signed the Alaska statehood bill.
1987	Lt. Col. Oliver North began his public testimony at the Iran-Contra hearing, telling Congress that he had “never carried out a single act, not one” without authorization.
1990	Martina Navratilova won a record ninth women’s singles title at Wimbledon.
2003	A federal judge approved a settlement fining WorldCom $750 million for its $11 billion accounting scandal.
2005	Terrorist bombings in three Underground stations and a double-decker bus killed 52 victims and four suicide bombers in the worst attack on London since World War II.

1927	Doc Severinsen, Bandleader, turns 85
1940	Ringo Starr, Rock musician (The Beatles), turns 72
1946	Joe Spano, Actor, turns 66
1947	Linda Williams, Country singer, turns 65
1949	Shelley Duvall, Actress, turns 63
1959	Billy Campbell, Actor, turns 53
1963	Vonda Shepard, Singer, songwriter (“Ally McBeal”), turns 49
1966	Jim Gaffigan, Actor, comedian, turns 46
1968	Jorja Fox, Actress (“C.S.I.”), turns 44
1972	Lisa Leslie, Basketball player, turns 40
1972	Kirsten Vangsness, Actress (“Criminal Minds”), turns 40
1980	Michelle Kwan, Figure skater, turns 32

82	Joseph-Marie Jacquard 7/7/1752 – 8/7/1834 French inventor of the Jacquard loom
91	Abraham Cahan 7/7/1860 – 8/31/1951 Russian-born American editor of the Jewish Daily Forward (1903-51)
50	Gustav Mahler 7/7/1860 – 5/18/1911 Austrian composer and conductor
97	Marc Chagall 7/7/1887 – 3/28/1985 Belorussian-born French painter, printmaker and designer
83	George Cukor 7/7/1899 – 1/24/1983 American motion-picture director
73	Vittorio De Sica 7/7/1901 – 11/13/1974 Italian motion-picture director
80	Robert Heinlein 7/7/1907 – 5/8/1988 American science-fiction writer
73	Lawrence O’Brien 7/7/1917 – 9/28/1990 American politician and N.B.A. commissioner (1975-84)
53	Ezzard Charles 7/7/1921 – 5/28/1975 American world heavyweight boxing champion (1950-1)