On this day: January 7
The Charlie Hebdo Massacre Shocks the World
On the morning of January 7, 2015, a brutal act of terrorism shattered Paris and sent shockwaves across the globe.
College Basketball Team Boards Wrong Plane, Misses Away Game
A college basketball team mistakenly boarded the wrong plane en route to an away game and missed the scheduled matchup. Team and league officials are investigating how the travel error occurred and planning makeup arrangements.
College Basketball Team Boards Wrong Plane, Misses Away Game
On January 7, 2004, a college basketball team accidentally boarded the wrong aircraft while traveling to an away game, causing them to miss the scheduled contest and prompting rescheduled arrangements and internal reviews.
Pentagon Confirms Misplaced Nuclear Weapons in 1966 Incident
On January 7, 1966 the Department of Defense acknowledged that several nuclear weapons were unaccounted for following inventory and transport errors, prompting an internal review and public concern about weapons security during the Cold War.
The first confirmed case of human cloning fraud
On January 7, 2002, South Korean scientist Hwang Woo-suk published claims of creating cloned human embryos; subsequent investigations showed fabricated data and ethical violations, making it the first widely confirmed case of human cloning fraud.
Galileo Discovers “Something Weird” Near Jupiter
On the night of January 7, 1610, Galileo Galilei pointed his crude telescope toward Jupiter—and accidentally cracked the foundation of the universe.
Panama Canal Opens for Commercial Traffic
On January 7, 1914, the Panama Canal officially opened to commercial traffic with the passage of the cargo ship SS Cristobal, marking the completion of a project that reshaped global maritime trade by linking the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans.
First Atomic Clock Unveiled at US Naval Research Lab, 1955
On January 7, 1955, physicist Harold Lyons and colleagues at the U.S. Naval Research Laboratory demonstrated the first practical atomic clock, using ammonia beam spectroscopy to keep time far more precisely than mechanical clocks.