7 April in World History

Today is World Health Day. It has been observed since 1950, and since 1995 each World Health Day has had a sub-theme. This year, on 7 April 2015, the focus is on food safety.

On 7 April 1348, one of Central Europe's oldest universities was founded - Charles University in Prague. Instruction there was conducted in German until as late as the 19th century.

On 7 April 1652, Dutch navigator Jan van Riebeeck established a settlement to service ships travelling to the East Indies, now known as Cape Town - South Africa's largest and oldest city.

On 7 April 1923, a border treaty was signed between Latvia and Soviet Russia.

On 7 April 1969 is the symbolic birthday of the Internet. The fundamental networks that make up the Internet began to take shape as the Advanced Research Projects Agency Network, ARPANET, developed by several universities and private firms on commission from the US Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (ARPA). The Internet began to develop in Latvia around 1992.