1. On December 7, 1914, a massive explosion occurred in Leeds, Alabama, after a train loaded with dynamite and explosives derailed. The explosion killed over 100 people and damaged dozens of buildings in the area.

2. On December 7, 1941, the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor, leading the United States to enter World War II. Many Alabamians were among the millions of Americans who served in the war.

3. December 7 is also the birthday of author and civil rights activist Coretta Scott King, who was born in Marion, Alabama, in 1927. She was the wife of Martin Luther King Jr., and continued his work for social justice after his assassination in 1968.

4. In 1972, a plane carrying 101 passengers and crew members crashed in the foothills of the Appalachian Mountains in Alabama on December 7, killing all on board. The cause of the crash was determined to be pilot error.

5. On December 7, 2012, Alabama football coach Nick Saban was named the SEC Coach of the Year for the third time in his career. Saban has led the Crimson Tide to numerous championships and is widely regarded as one of the best college football coaches of all time.