This Day In History : October 7

2008 United Kingdom

Spotify launched

Spotify, the popular music, podcast, and video streaming service, was launched by Daniel Ek and Martin Lorentzon on October 7, 2008. It has since become one of the leading platforms for digital music consumption globally, offering a vast library of songs and other audio content to its users through both free and premium subscription models.

Also on This Day in History October 7

Discover what happened on October 7 with HISTORY's summaries of major events, anniversaries,
famous births and notable deaths.

Births on This Day, October 7

1952 Vladimir Putin

Russian politician, 4th President of Russia
1885 Niels Bohr

Danish physicist who expanded quantum physics (Nobel Prize 1922)
1939 Harold Kroto

English chemist and Nobel laureate (1996) for their joint discovery of the carbon compounds called fullerenes
1928 Lorna Wing

English psychologist (introduced term Asperger's syndrome)
1931 Desmond Tutu

Anglican Archbishop of South Africa and 1984 Nobel Peace Prize winner

Deaths on This Day, October 7

1956 Clarence Birdseye

American businessman who founded Birds Eye
1708 Guru Gobind Singh

Indian guru, Tenth Guru of Sikhism, founder and General of Khalsa Army, social reformist and poet
1950 Willis Haviland Carrier

American engineer (developed modern air conditioning)
1939 Harvey Cushing

American neurosurgeon (blood pressure studies)
1926 Emil Kraepelin

German psychiatrist who developed a classification system for mental illness

1949

The communist German Democratic Republic (East Germany) formed

The German Democratic Republic (East Germany) was formed on October 7, 1949, following World War II. It emerged from the Soviet-occupied zone of post-war Germany and was established as a socialist state with its capital in East Berlin.

1919

KLM of the Netherlands founded, and is the oldest airline still operating under its original name

KLM (Koninklijke Luchtvaart Maatschappij), the flag carrier airline of the Netherlands, was founded on October 7, 1919. It is recognized as the oldest airline in the world still operating under its original name. KLM played a pioneering role in the early days of aviation and has since grown into one of the major airlines globally, known for its extensive network and long-standing service.

2001

War in Afghanistan begins, 2001

The war in Afghanistan began on October 7, 2001, when the United States and its allies launched military operations, including airstrikes against Taliban targets and their Al-Qaeda allies, following the September 11 attacks. The invasion aimed to dismantle Al-Qaeda's terrorist network and remove the Taliban regime from power in Afghanistan.

1912

The Helsinki Stock Exchange in Finland founded

The Helsinki Stock Exchange in Finland was founded on October 7, 1912. It has since played a significant role in the Finnish economy, facilitating trading in stocks and other financial instruments for investors both domestically and internationally.