Today is January 7: a significant day in history.
On January 7, 2015, terrorists attacked the editorial office of the satirical magazine "Charlie Hebdo" in Paris. In 1953, U.S. President Harry Truman announced that the United States possessed a hydrogen bomb. January 7, 1839, is considered the birthday of photography. In 1610, Galileo discovered Jupiter's moons.
Holidays and Observances on January 7
January 7 is celebrated worldwide as International Programmers' Day.
Other observances include: International Day of the Stupid Walk, Spinning Wheel Day, "I Will No Longer Tolerate" Day, Tempura Day.
January 7 in History
On January 7, 1610, Galileo Galilei discovered Jupiter's moons using the world's first telescope. Read more.
On January 7, 1839, the birth of photography is celebrated. On this day, French physicist François Arago announced at a meeting of the Paris Academy of Sciences the invention of daguerreotype by Daguerre and Niépce. Read more.
On January 7, 1953, U.S. President Harry Truman announced that the United States had a hydrogen bomb. Read more.
On January 7, 1992, Portugal recognized Ukraine's independence.
On January 7, 2015, terrorists attacked the editorial office of the satirical magazine "Charlie Hebdo" in Paris, killing 12 people and injuring another ten. Among the deceased was the magazine's editor-in-chief, Stéphane "Charb" Charbonnier, along with three leading cartoonists.
It quickly became known that the attackers were Islamic terrorists. Subsequently, the group AQAP (Al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula) claimed responsibility. The attack on the magazine's office marked the beginning of a series of terrorist acts in the French capital, occurring from January 7 to 9, claiming a total of 17 lives: 14 civilians and three police officers.
The choice of "Charlie Hebdo" as a target for the Islamists is easily explained. The publication is known for its cartoons depicting the Prophet Muhammad, Islam in general, and specific leaders of the Islamic world (both political and spiritual). Two years before the attack, editor Stéphane Charbonnier stated: "We must continue until Islam is as banal as Catholicism." He was aware of the risks; in 2013, Al-Qaeda placed Charb on its list of "wanted for crimes against Islam," and the cartoonist sought (but never received) permission to carry a firearm.
It is important to note that "Charlie Hebdo" has never been solely opposed to Islam. The publication has also frequently featured cartoons mocking Christian sacred figures and members of the Catholic Church, as well as various politicians.
Prior to the 2015 attack, the magazine had already faced assaults. In 2011, unknown assailants threw a Molotov cocktail at the building housing the editorial office.
On January 7, 2015, brothers Saïd and Chérif Kouachi stormed a staff meeting armed with automatic weapons, machine guns, pistols, and even a grenade launcher. They had initially gone to the wrong address, arriving at another building that housed the "Charlie Hebdo" archives. They confirmed the correct address with local residents, subsequently shooting one of them. The terrorists bypassed coded doors by forcing one of the staff members to enter the combination: the woman was threatened with a weapon but was spared. Then, two masked men burst into the office, shouting "Allahu Akbar." The shooting lasted about ten minutes. When police arrived, the terrorists opened fire on them (this time, no one was injured) and managed to escape. Witnesses reported that the attackers shouted they were "avenging the Prophet." While fleeing, the brothers encountered a police officer and shot him.
On the same day and subsequently, on January 8, another terrorist, Amedy Coulibaly, killed two people in Paris; he was in contact with the Kouachi brothers.
On January 9, police cordoned off an industrial area in Dammartin-en-Goële, near Paris. There, in the CDT printing house, the suspects—brothers Kouachi—barricaded themselves. They took a hostage, while another employee of the printing house remained hidden and maintained contact with the police. To prevent a storming, the brothers' associate, Amedy Coulibaly, armed with an assault rifle, took a kosher grocery store hostage at the Porte de Vincennes in Paris. He held 15 people hostage and promised to kill them if police initiated a storm at Dammartin-en-Goële. Coulibaly managed to kill four hostages before being neutralized by police (two of whom were injured). As for Chérif and Saïd Kouachi, they fled the printing house when police began their assault, opened fire, and were killed. Their hostage was unharmed.
“On January 11, about two million people, including over 40 world leaders, gathered in Paris for a national unity rally, and 3.7 million joined demonstrations across France. The phrase ‘Je suis Charlie’ (‘I am Charlie’) became a widespread slogan of support at rallies and on social media. The staff of ‘Charlie Hebdo’ continued publishing, with the next issue printed in a circulation of 7.95 million copies in six languages, compared to a standard circulation of 60,000 only in French,” — writes the English-language Wikipedia about the subsequent events.
After the investigation, accomplices of the terrorists (who supplied them with weapons or assisted in other ways) were identified. On December 16, 2020, 14 people were convicted in connection with this case (three of them in absentia).
Church Holiday on January 7
January 7 is the Afterfeast of the Epiphany. The Feast of the Forerunner and Baptist of the Lord, John. In the Orthodox Church, there is a custom to remember the saints who served the sacred event in history the day after major holidays. Accordingly, after the Epiphany, the one who served the baptism of Christ is honored. John the Baptist, the greatest of the prophets, concludes the history of the Old Testament Church and opens the New Testament era. He testified to the coming of God’s son to earth, baptized him in the waters of the Jordan, and witnessed the mysterious appearance of the Holy Trinity on the day of Jesus Christ’s baptism. Saint John was martyred, beheaded by order of King Herod.
Folk Omens
If January 7 is warm, then spring will be mild and early.
The more snow on the ground on January 7, the more fruitful the year will be.
If the sky is clear, there will be severe frosts.
What Not to Do on January 7
Do not lend anything.
Do not pick anything up from the road.