December 7: Birth of Plastics, Infamy in Pearl Harbor and Arafat Proclaims the State of Palestine

On This Day in History December 7, 2020 Historical Events 1909  Inventor Leo Baekeland patents the first thermo-setting plastic, Bakelite, sparking the birth of the plastics industry 1941  Imperial Japanese Navy with 353 planes attack the US fleet at Pearl Harbor Naval Base, Hawaii, killing 2,403 people 1965  Pope Paul VI & Orthodox Patriarch Athenagoras I simultaneously lift mutual excommunications that led to split of 2 churches in 1054 1988  PLO delegation lead by Yasser Arafat proclaims the State of Palestine, recognizing the existence of the State of Israel for the first time 1988  6.9 earthquake in Spitak, Armenia kills 25,000-50,000 people and leaves up to 500,000 homeless More Historical Events Famous Birthdays Ellen Burstyn 88th Birthday Gian Lorenzo Bernini (1598 - 1680) Larry Bird 64th Birthday Madame Tussaud (1761 - 1850) More Famous Birthdays Famous Deaths Cicero (106 BC - 43 BC) William Bligh (1754 - 1817) More Famous Deaths December 7: 'Infamy' as Japanese Attack Pearl Harbor Japan launched its shock attack against the American Navy base at Pearl Harbor on this day – a date to "live in infamy," according to the US President. Read the Article You Might Like Take Our Weekly Quiz You received this email because you opted in at our website, OnThisDay.com Update Your Preferences | Unsubscribe © 2020 OnThisDay.com 2 Acacia Place, Tauranga 3110, New Zealand