On This Day for October 7 - German Democratic Republic proclaimed, Desmond Tutu is featured, and more

This message contains graphics. If you do not see the graphics, click here to view. October 07 FEATURED BIOGRAPHY Desmond Tutu READ MORE   FEATURED EVENT 1949 German Democratic Republic proclaimed READ MORE   Advertisement Advertisement   MORE EVENTS ON THIS DAY 2001: Triggered by the September 11 attacks, the Afghanistan War began, as U.S. and British warplanes started bombing Taliban targets. [Take our history of warfare quiz.] 1996: Fox News Channel, a satellite and cable news network created by Roger Ailes for Rupert Murdoch 's News Corporation, was launched in the United States. 1971: The American crime thriller The French Connection, directed by William Friedkin and starring Gene Hackman , had its world premieres in New York City and Los Angeles; the movie, which won the Oscar for best picture, is especially known for featuring one of the most exciting and iconic car chases in cinematic history. [Test your knowledge of cinema.] 1959: The romantic comedy Pillow Talk was released nationwide in the United States; it was the first of several on-screen pairings of actors Rock Hudson and Doris Day . [Sort fact from fiction in our quiz about A-list actors.] 1955: Cellist Yo-Yo Ma, who was known for his extraordinary technique and rich tone, was born in Paris. [Take our quiz about musical instruments.] 1952: Russian politician Vladimir Putin, who served as president and prime minister of Russia, was born. [Test what you know about hockey player Alex Ovechkin and politician Vladimir Putin.] SEE ALL EVENTS ON THIS DAY ALSO BORN ON THIS DAY 1952 Vladimir Putin president of Russia 1955 Yo-Yo Ma American cellist 1900 Heinrich Himmler German Nazi leader 1959 Simon Cowell British television producer 1885 Niels Bohr Danish physicist 1931 Desmond Tutu South African archbishop 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