Today in History: The distress signal “CQD” is established only to be replaced two years later by “SOS”

The following are some of the major list of notable events that occurred on January 7 throughout history: 

49 BC – The Senate of Rome says that Caesar will be declared a public enemy unless he disbands his army, prompting the tribunes who support him to flee to where Caesar is waiting in Ravenna.

1325 – Afonso IV becomes King of Portugal.

1610 – Galileo Galilei makes his first observation of the four Galilean moons: Ganymede, Callisto, Io and Europa, although he is not able to distinguish the last two until the following night.

1738 – A peace treaty is signed between Peshwa Bajirao and Jai Singh II following Maratha victory in the Battle of Bhopal.

1894 – Thomas Edison makes a kinetoscopic film of someone sneezing. On the same day, his employee, William Kennedy Dickson, receives a patent for motion picture film.

1904 – The distress signal “CQD” is established only to be replaced two years later by “SOS”.

1959 – The United States recognises the new Cuban government of Fidel Castro.

1980 – U.S. President Jimmy Carter authorises legislation giving $1.5 billion in loans to bail out the Chrysler Corporation.

1993 – The Fourth Republic of Ghana is inaugurated with Jerry Rawlings as president.

2025 – A series of wildfires ravage the Greater Los Angeles area, resulting in at least 16 deaths and 13,401 structures destroyed.