NORWAY-ART-MUNCH-THE SCREAM

Edvard Munch’s “The Scream” recovered after theft

Born on This Day

Eva Peron

Eva Perón

1919 - 1952

Argentine who became a powerful political figure and champion of the lower classes as the wife of President Juan Perón.

Peter Ilich Tchaikovsky

Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky

1840 - 1893

Russian composer of the Romantic period, famed for "The 1812 Overture" and the ballets "Swan Lake" and "The Nutcracker."

2023 CFDA Fashion Awards - Arrivals

J Balvin

1985 -

Colombian singer dubbed the "Prince of Reggaeton." His 2015 hit "Ginza" topped Billboard's Hot Latin Songs chart for a record 22 weeks.

Eva PerónGetty Images

Pyotr Ilyich TchaikovskyCorbis via Getty Images

J BalvinFilmMagic

1824

MAY7

Ludwig von Beethoven premieres his Ninth Symphony in Vienna while enduring severe hearing loss. He receives multiple standing ovations for the masterpiece and causes a stir for using voices during "Ode to Joy" in the final movement.

Timeline

Also on This Day in History

Discover more of the major events, famous births, notable deaths and everything else history-making that happened on May 7th

Ottawa Chief Pontiac’s Rebellion against the British begins

Pontiac’s Rebellion begins when a confederacy of Native warriors under Ottawa chief Pontiac attacks the British force at Detroit. After failing to take the fort in their initial assault, Pontiac’s forces, made up of Ottawas and reinforced by Wyandots, Ojibwas and Potawatamis, initiated a siege that would stretch into months. As the French and Indian […]

2:32m read read

Beethoven’s Symphony No. 9 debuts

On May 7, 1824, Ludwig van Beethoven’s ninth and final symphony debuts at Vienna’s Theater am Kärntnertor. Having lost his hearing years earlier, the celebrated composer nonetheless “conducts” the first performance of his Ninth Symphony, now widely considered to be one of the greatest pieces of music ever written. Having established himself as one of […]

1:40m read read

First Japanese immigrant arrives in the U.S.

Called the U.S.’s first ambassador to Japan, a 14-year-old fisherman by the name of Manjiro is considered America’s first Japanese immigrant, arriving in the country on May 7, 1843, by way of a whaling ship. According to the National Endowment of the Humanities, the boy and his crew were caught in a violent storm, with […]

Serial killer H.H. Holmes is hanged in Philadelphia

Dr. H. H. Holmes, one of America’s first well-known serial killers, is hanged in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Born Herman Mudgett in New Hampshire, Holmes began torturing animals as a child. Still, he was a smart boy who later graduated from the University of Michigan with a medical degree. Holmes financed his education with a series of […]

1:44m read read

German submarine sinks Lusitania

On the afternoon of May 7, 1915, the British ocean liner Lusitania is torpedoed without warning by a German submarine off the south coast of Ireland. Within 20 minutes, the vessel sank into the Celtic Sea. Of 1,959 passengers and crew, 1,198 people drowned, including 128 Americans. The attack aroused considerable indignation in the United […]

An illustration of the sinking of the British ocean liner RMS Lusitania, torpedoed by German U-boat U-20 off the old head of Kinsale, Ireland.

Germany surrenders unconditionally to the Allies at Reims

On May 7, 1945, the German High Command, in the person of General Alfred Jodl, signs the unconditional surrender of all German forces, East and West, at Reims, in northeastern France. At first, General Jodl hoped to limit the terms of German surrender to only those forces still fighting the Western Allies. But General Dwight […]

French defeated at Dien Bien Phu

In northwest Vietnam, Ho Chi Minh’s Viet Minh forces decisively defeat the French at Dien Bien Phu, a French stronghold besieged by the Vietnamese communists for 57 days. The Viet Minh victory at Dien Bien Phu signaled the end of French colonial influence in Indochina and cleared the way for the division of Vietnam along […]

1:52m read read

Leonid Brezhnev becomes leader of the USSR

Leonid Brezhnev, one of Soviet leader Nikita Khrushchev’s most trusted proteges, is selected as Chairman of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet—the Soviet equivalent to the presidency. This was another important step in Brezhnev’s rise to power in Russia, a rise that he later capped by taking control of the Soviet Union in 1964. Brezhnev […]

Vietnam veterans exposed to Agent Orange win $180 million settlement

On May 7, 1984, seven chemical companies, including Dow and Monsanto, agree to pay $180 million to thousands of Vietnam veterans exposed to the chemical herbicide Agent Orange during the war. Lawyers for the two sides announced the surprise out-of-court settlement on the day jury selection was to begin in the case. U.S. military forces […]

2:22m read read

Daimler-Benz announces purchase of Chrysler Corp.

On May 7, 1998, the German automobile company Daimler-Benz—maker of the world-famous luxury car brand Mercedes-Benz—announces a $36 billion merger with the United States-based Chrysler Corporation. The purchase of Chrysler, America’s third-largest car company, by the Stuttgart-based Daimler-Benz marked the biggest acquisition by a foreign buyer of any U.S. company in history. Though marketed to […]

2:04m read read

Marine biologist Richard Thompson coins the term “microplastics”

On May 7, 2004, marine biologist Richard Thompson publishes an article in the journal Science detailing the troubling amount of microscopic plastic fragments and fibers that he and his team have discovered in the world’s oceans and marine habitats. Thompson dubs the debris “microplastics” and questions whether these particles could release harmful chemicals and pose […]

2:04m read read

History Every Day

Sign Up for This Day in History

Uncover fascinating moments from the past every day! Learn something new with key events in history, from the American Revolution to pop culture, crime and more.

By submitting your information, you agree to receive emails from HISTORY and A+E Global Media. You can opt out at any time. You must be 16 years or older and a resident of the United States.More details: Privacy Policy | Terms of Use | Contact Us