August 7: Holidays, Historical Events, Famous Birthdays & Zodiac Sign
On August 7, 1782, George Washington ordered a badge of military merit—later renamed the Purple Heart—making this the day America honors its wounded heroes.
About August 7
August 7 carries a special weight for military families across the United States. It was on this date in 1782 that George Washington instructed his troops to create a Badge of Military Merit for soldiers wounded in combat—a distinction later given the more poetic name we know today as the Purple Heart. National Purple Heart Day now serves as an annual moment of gratitude for the men and women who have sacrificed in service.
Beyond American shores, this date marks decisive turning points in other nations' histories. Simón Bolívar secured a vital victory over Spain at the Battle of Boyacá in 1819, a triumph still celebrated in Colombia. In 1960, Ivory Coast officially broke free from French colonial rule, and Saint Kitts and Nevis observes Emancipation Day. Meanwhile, the Assyrian community somberly remembers the Simele massacre of 1933, when over 3,000 lives were lost in northern Iraq.
August 7 also boasts moments of astonishing human daring. In 1974, Philippe Petit stunned onlookers by walking a high wire stretched between the Twin Towers of the World Trade Center, 1,368 feet above Manhattan streets. Decades earlier, in 1909, Alice Huyler Ramsey and three friends became the first women to drive an automobile across the United States, completing the journey from New York to San Francisco in 59 days.
Holidays & Observances on August 7
- Assyrian Martyrs Day (Assyrian community)
- Battle of Boyacá Day (Colombia)
- Emancipation Day (Saint Kitts and Nevis)
- Republic Day (Ivory Coast)
- Youth Day (Kiribati)
- National Purple Heart Day (United States)
Fun & National Days on August 7
- International Beer Day — Raise a glass with friends and toast to the world's most beloved brewed beverage.
- National Lighthouse Day — Picture yourself beside the sea and celebrate the historic beacons that guided sailors safely home.
- Beach Party Day — Grab sunscreen, a picnic blanket, and your favorite playlist for a sandy celebration by the water.
- National Sea Serpent Day — Embrace your inner cryptozoologist and share your favorite legendary lake monster tales.
- Raspberries 'n Cream Day — Layer fresh berries over whipped cream for a simple, decadent late-summer treat.
- Aged Care Employee Day (Australia)
- Braham Pie Day
- Particularly Preposterous Packaging Day
- Professional Speakers Day
On This Day in History
- 936 — Otto I is crowned King of Germany, launching a reign that would eventually make him Holy Roman Emperor and a pillar of medieval Europe.
- 1679 — The brigantine Le Griffon becomes the first European vessel to navigate the upper Great Lakes of North America, opening new frontiers for exploration and trade.
- 1782 — George Washington orders the creation of a Badge of Military Merit for wounded soldiers, an award later renamed the Purple Heart and still bestowed today.
- 1819 — Simón Bolívar defeats Spanish forces at the Battle of Boyacá, a pivotal victory that paved the way for Colombian independence.
- 1909 — Alice Huyler Ramsey and three companions complete the first women's transcontinental automobile journey, traveling from New York to San Francisco in 59 days.
- 1933 — The Kingdom of Iraq massacres over 3,000 Assyrians in the village of Simele, a tragedy commemorated annually by the Assyrian community as Martyrs Day.
- 1942 — United States Marines land on Guadalcanal and Tulagi, launching the first American offensive of World War II in the Pacific theater.
- 1944 — IBM dedicates the Automatic Sequence Controlled Calculator, also known as the Harvard Mark I, a pioneering program-controlled machine and forerunner of modern computing.
- 1947 — Thor Heyerdahl's balsa-wood raft Kon-Tiki crashes into a reef at Raroia after 101 days crossing the Pacific, proving South Americans could have reached Polynesia by prehistoric raft.
- 1960 — Ivory Coast formally gains independence from France, marking the birth of a new West African nation.
- 1974 — French high-wire artist Philippe Petit illegally walks a tightrope between the World Trade Center's Twin Towers, 1,368 feet above the streets of New York.
- 1987 — American swimmer Lynne Cox becomes the first person to swim from the United States to the Soviet Union, braving the freezing waters of the Bering Strait.
Famous Birthdays on August 7
- 1876 — Mata Hari, Dutch exotic dancer and accused World War I spy whose sensational trial and execution captivated Europe.
- 1903 — Louis Leakey, Kenyan-English paleoanthropologist whose fossil discoveries in East Africa revolutionized understanding of human evolution.
- 1904 — Ralph Bunche, American diplomat and scholar who became the first African American to win the Nobel Peace Prize for his Middle East peacemaking.
- 1933 — Elinor Ostrom, American political economist and Nobel laureate who transformed the study of shared resources and collective action.
- 1942 — Garrison Keillor, Beloved American humorist and radio host of 'A Prairie Home Companion,' celebrated for his wry tales of Lake Wobegon.
- 1958 — Bruce Dickinson, Soaring English vocalist of heavy metal icons Iron Maiden, also a licensed airline pilot, fencer, and author.
- 1960 — David Duchovny, American actor who became a pop-culture icon as Fox Mulder on the seminal science-fiction television series 'The X-Files.'
- 1966 — Jimmy Wales, American-British entrepreneur who co-founded Wikipedia, fundamentally changing how the world accesses information.
- 1975 — Charlize Theron, South African-born actress and producer who won an Academy Award for her transformative performance in 'Monster.'
- 1987 — Sidney Crosby, Canadian hockey superstar and two-time Olympic gold medalist widely regarded as one of the greatest players of his generation.