May 7
May 7 is the 128th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar; 238 days remain until the year's end. It falls in spring (northern hemisphere) and under the astrological sign of Taurus.
External references
Curated jump-off points to the major almanacs, encyclopaedias and primary sources for this date.
Astronomy
On May 7 the Sun's declination is approximately +17.0°. At this latitude the Sun is north of the celestial equator, giving the Northern Hemisphere longer days than nights.
For specific rise/set times at your location, see the U.S. Naval Observatory, or the NASA APOD archive for any imagery published on a May 7.
Position in the year
Holidays & observances
No widely-observed holidays catalogued for this day in our base set. See the external almanacs above for region-specific observances.
Events
A selection of widely-documented historical events that took place on this date. Years marked BCE follow standard astronomical convention.
1429 — Joan of Arc led the French to victory at the Siege of Orléans. ↗(597 years ago)more
Joan of Arc is a patron saint of France, honored as a defender of the French nation for her role in the siege of Orléans and her insistence on the coronation of Charles VII of France during the Hundred Years' War. Stating that she acted under divine guidance, she became a military leader who gained recognition as a savior of France.
1824 — Beethoven's Ninth Symphony premiered in Vienna. ↗(202 years ago)more
The Symphony No. 9 in D minor, Op. 125, is a choral symphony, the final complete symphony by Ludwig van Beethoven, composed between 1822 and 1824. It was first performed in Vienna on 7 May 1824. The symphony is regarded by many critics and musicologists as a masterpiece of Western classical music and one of the supreme achievements in the history of music.
1915 — The British liner RMS Lusitania was sunk by a German U-boat off Ireland; 1,198 died. ↗(111 years ago)more
RMS Lusitania was a British-registered ocean liner that was torpedoed by an Imperial German Navy U-boat during the First World War on 7 May 1915, about 11 nautical miles off the Old Head of Kinsale, Ireland.
1945 — Germany signed an unconditional surrender at Reims, ending World War II in Europe. ↗(81 years ago)more
Victory in Europe Day is the day celebrating the formal acceptance by the Allies of World War II of Nazi Germany's unconditional surrender of its armed forces on Tuesday, 8 May 1945; it marked the official surrender of all German military operations.
Notable births
1812 — Robert Browning, English poet. ↗(214 years ago)more
Robert Browning was an English poet and playwright whose dramatic monologues put him high among the Victorian poets. He was noted for irony, characterisation, dark humour, social commentary, historical settings and challenging vocabulary and syntax.
1840 — Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky, Russian composer. ↗(186 years ago)more
Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky was a Russian composer of the Romantic period. He was the first Russian composer whose music made a lasting impression internationally. Tchaikovsky wrote some of the most popular concert and theatrical music in the classical repertoire, including the 1812 Overture, his First Piano Concerto, the Violin Concerto, the Romeo and Julie...
1919 — Eva Perón, Argentine first lady and political figure. ↗(107 years ago)more
María Eva Duarte de Perón, better known as Eva "Evita" Perón, was an Argentine politician, activist, and actress who served as First Lady of Argentina from June 1946 until her death in July 1952, as the wife of Argentine President Juan Perón. She was born into poverty in the rural village of Los Toldos, in the Pampas, as the youngest of five children.
Notable deaths
1800 — Niccolò Piccinni, Italian composer. ↗(226 years ago)more
Niccolò Piccinni was an Italian composer of symphonies, sacred music, chamber music, and opera. Although he is somewhat obscure today, Piccinni was one of the most popular composers of opera—particularly the Neapolitan opera buffa—of the Classical period.
Numerical & calendrical curiosities
| Day-of-year (128) | 2^7 · composite (no) |
|---|---|
| Days remaining (238) | 2 × 7 × 17 |
| Date code DDMMYYYY | 07052026 · no palindrome in next 200 years |
| Sun declination | +16.96° (Cooper approximation) |
| Distance from solstice | 44 days |