In History, Today on December 7

The Syrian Army, backed by Russian forces, recaptures the city of Aleppo from rebel groups, marking a turning point in the Syrian Civil War.

The Paris Agreement, a landmark international accord aimed at reducing carbon emissions and combating climate change, is adopted by consensus at the 2015 United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP21).

Hamid Karzai is inaugurated as the first democratically elected President of Afghanistan after winning the October 2004 presidential election.

The Taliban regime in Afghanistan collapses as the Northern Alliance, backed by U.S. forces, takes control of Kandahar, the last major stronghold of the Taliban.

The Long Island Rail Road shooting occurred when Colin Ferguson opened fire on a train, killing six people and injuring 19 others.

A magnitude 6.8 earthquake strikes Spitak, Armenia, killing tens of thousands of people and leaving many more homeless.

Charles Brooks Jr. became the first person in the United States to be executed by lethal injection at the Huntsville Unit in Texas.

Apollo 17, the final mission of NASA's Apollo program, is launched. It is the last manned mission to the Moon.

The Chinese Nationalist government moves from mainland China to Taiwan.

The Imperial Japanese Navy attacks the United States naval base at Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, leading to the United States' entry into World War II.

The United States declares war on Austria-Hungary during World War I.

Adolf Wölfli, a Swiss native who later became famous as an outsider artist, was committed to a psychiatric hospital where he would spend the rest of his life creating art.

Political parties in the Kingdom of Hawaii signed the 1864 Constitution, marking an important moment in the island nation's legal development.

American outlaw Jesse James commits his first confirmed bank robbery in Gallatin, Missouri.

The New Model Institute of Fellenberg for Teachers and Schoolmistresses was opened in Sydney, marking a significant development in Australian education.

The Great Fire of New York began, causing destruction of much of downtown Manhattan.

Michel Ney, a Marshal of France, was executed by firing squad for treason following his role in supporting Napoleon during the Hundred Days.

Delaware becomes the first state to ratify the United States Constitution.

Gilbert du Motier, Marquis de Lafayette, secures a commission as a major-general in the Continental Army during the American Revolutionary War.

The Royal Opera House opens in Covent Garden, London.

The city of Bogotá in present-day Colombia was founded by Gonzalo Jiménez de Quesada.

After spending several months exploring the coast of South America, Portuguese navigator Ferdinand Magellan reached the Pacific Ocean.

The death of Alfonso I, the first king of Portugal, occurred. His reign was marked by military successes against the Moors and the establishment of an independent Portuguese state recognized by the Pope.

Holy Roman Emperor Otto II dies, leading to a succession crisis as his son, Otto III, is only three years old at the time. This event marks a significant moment in the history of the Holy Roman Empire.

Emperor Justin II of the Byzantine Empire, suffering from mental illness, abdicates the throne in favor of his general Tiberius, who becomes Tiberius II Constantine.