• 1990 An arson attack on the passenger ferry, Scandinavian Star, kills 159

  Insurance fraud is today considered the most likely motive for the attack. According to a 2013 report, 9 crew members started the fire and sabotaged the fire crew’s attempts to extinguish the blaze.

• 1969 The internet is born

  The Advanced Research Projects Agency (ARPA) awarded a contract to build a precursor of today’s world wide web to BBN Technologies. The date is widely considered as the internet’s symbolic birthday.

• 1948 The World Health Organization is established

  The WHO is a United Nations agency concerned with fighting disease and epidemics worldwide, building up national health services, and improving health education in its 194 member states.

• 1827 The first friction match is sold

  English chemist John Walker produced and sold the first operable matches. They were soon banned in France and Germany because burning fragments would sometimes fall to the floor and start fires.

• 1724 Johann Sebastian Bach’s St. John Passion is premiered

  The sacred oratorio is the oldest extant Passion by the German composer. The highly popular work is a dramatization of the final days of Jesus Christ, according to the Gospel of John.

Births On This Day – 7 April

• 1964 Russell Crowe

  New Zealand/Australian actor, singer, producer

• 1954 Jackie Chan

  Chinese actor, martial artist, director, producer, screenwriter

• 1939 Francis Ford Coppola

  American director, producer, screenwriter

• 1920 Ravi Shankar

  Indian/American sitar player, composer

• 1915 Billie Holiday

  American singer-songwriter, actress

Deaths On This Day – 7 April

• 1947 Henry Ford

  American businessman, founded the Ford Motor Company

• 1891 P. T. Barnum

  American businessman, founded Ringling Bros., Barnum & Bailey Circus

• 1804 Toussaint Louverture

  Haitian general

• 1782 Taksin

  Thai king

• 1614 El Greco

  Greek painter, sculptor