On This Day for August 7 - Japanese airfield on Guadalcanal seized by Allies, Emil Nolde is featured, and more

This message contains graphics. If you do not see the graphics, click here to view. August 07 FEATURED BIOGRAPHY Emil Nolde READ MORE   FEATURED EVENT 1942 Japanese airfield on Guadalcanal seized by Allies READ MORE   Advertisement Advertisement   MORE EVENTS ON THIS DAY 2015: American golfer Louise Suggs, a pioneer of women's golf who cofounded (1950) the Ladies Professional Golf Association and won 61 career LPGA tournaments, died at age 91. [ Sort fact from fiction in our quiz about golf.] 2007: American baseball player Barry Bonds hit his 756th career home run, breaking the record set by Hank Aaron. [ How much do you know about baseball?] 1978: U.S. Pres. Jimmy Carter declared a federal health emergency in Love Canal, a neighbourhood in Niagara Falls, New York, following the leakage of toxic chemicals buried under the community; it was the worst environmental disaster involving chemical wastes in U.S. history. [ Test your knowledge of historical disasters.] 1974: French-born Philippe Petit walked on a high wire between the newly built twin towers of the World Trade Center in New York City, about 1,350 feet (411 metres) above the ground. He was arrested, but the charges were later dismissed. 1948: At the Olympics in London, track-and-field athlete Fanny Blankers-Koen, who was pregnant with her third child, helped the Dutch team win the 4 × 100 relay, becoming the first woman to capture four gold medals at a single Games; she earlier had won the 100 metres, the 200 metres, and the 80-metre hurdles. [Sort fact from fiction in our quiz about the Olympics.] 1932: Abebe Bikila, an Ethiopian runner who was the first athlete to win two Olympic marathons, was born in Mont. [How much do you know about Olympic history?] SEE ALL EVENTS ON THIS DAY ALSO BORN ON THIS DAY 1975 Charlize Theron South African-born actress 1960 David Duchovny American actor 1932 Abebe Bikila Ethiopian athlete 1987 Sidney Crosby Canadian ice hockey player 1560 Elizabeth Báthory Hungarian countess 1876 Mata Hari Dutch dancer and spy SEE ALL BIOS ON THIS DAY   Advertisement   FOLLOW: To unsubscribe from Britannica e-mails, click here. Encyclopædia Britannica 325 N. LaSalle Street, Suite 200 Chicago, Illinois 60654 United States © 2020 Encyclopaedia Britannica, Inc. Privacy Policy • Help