May 7 in history — What Happened Today in History
May 7 in history is full of turning points. This page walks you through what happened on May 7 in history, who was born on May 7 and who passed away on May 7, so nothing about this day slips past you.
On this page, May 7 in history is arranged as a timeline of major events in reverse order, with birthdays and deaths in their own sections, plus a short FAQ about May 7 in history at the bottom.
Major Events on May 7 in History 40
- 2025
The Indian Army and the Indian Air Force conduct surgical strikes code-named Operation SINDOOR on terrorist hideouts in Pakistan in response to the Pahalgam Attack that killed 26 people.
- 2023
Tanur boat disaster: At least 22 people are killed when a boat carrying tourists capsizes in Tanur, Malappuram, Kerala, India.
- 2004
American businessman Nick Berg is beheaded by Islamist militants. The act is recorded on videotape and released on the Internet.
- 2002
An EgyptAir Boeing 737-500 crashes on approach to Tunis–Carthage International Airport, killing 14 people.
- 2002
A China Northern Airlines MD-82 plunges into the Yellow Sea, killing 112 people.
- 2000
Vladimir Putin is inaugurated as president of Russia.
- 1999
Pope John Paul II travels to Romania, becoming the first pope to visit a predominantly Eastern Orthodox country since the Great Schism in 1054.
- 1999
Kosovo War: Three Chinese citizens are killed and 20 wounded when a NATO aircraft inadvertently bombs the Chinese embassy in Belgrade, Serbia.
- 1999
In Guinea-Bissau, President João Bernardo Vieira is ousted in a military coup.
- 1998
Mercedes-Benz buys Chrysler for US$40 billion and forms DaimlerChrysler in the largest industrial merger in history.
- 1994
Edvard Munch's painting The Scream is recovered undamaged after being stolen from the National Gallery of Norway in February.
- 1992
Michigan ratifies a 203-year-old proposed amendment to the United States Constitution making the 27th Amendment law. This amendment bars the U.S. Congress from giving itself a mid-term pay raise.
All entries for May 7(+28)
- 1992
Space Shuttle program: The Space Shuttle Endeavour is launched on its first mission, STS-49.
- 1992
Three employees at a McDonald's Restaurant in Sydney, Nova Scotia, Canada, are brutally murdered and a fourth permanently disabled after a botched robbery. It is the first "fast-food murder" in Canada.
- 1991
A fire and explosion occurs at a fireworks factory at Sungai Buloh, Malaysia, killing 26.
- 1986
Canadian Patrick Morrow becomes the first person to climb each of the Seven Summits.
- 1964
Pacific Airlines Flight 773 is hijacked by Francisco Gonzales and crashes in Contra Costa County, California, killing 44.
- 1960
Cold War: U-2 Crisis of 1960: Soviet leader Nikita Khrushchev announces that his nation is holding American U-2 pilot Gary Powers.
- 1954
Indochina War: The Battle of Dien Bien Phu ends in a French defeat and a Viet Minh victory (the battle began on March 13).
- 1952
The concept of the integrated circuit, the basis for all modern computers, is first published by Geoffrey Dummer.
- 1948
The Council of Europe is founded during the Hague Congress.
- 1946
Tokyo Telecommunications Engineering (later renamed Sony) is founded.
- 1945
World War II: Last German U-boat attack of the war, two freighters are sunk off the Firth of Forth, Scotland.
- 1942
World War II: During the Battle of the Coral Sea, United States Navy aircraft carrier aircraft attack and sink the Imperial Japanese Navy light aircraft carrier Shōhō; the battle marks the first time in naval history that two enemy fleets fight without visual contact between warring ships.
- 1940
World War II: The Norway Debate in the British House of Commons begins, and leads to the replacement of Prime Minister Neville Chamberlain with Winston Churchill three days later.
- 1937
Spanish Civil War: The German Condor Legion, equipped with Heinkel He 51 biplanes, arrives in Spain to assist Francisco Franco's forces.
- 1931
The stand-off between criminal Francis Crowley and 300 members of the New York Police Department takes place in his fifth-floor apartment on West 91st Street, New York City.
- 1930
The 7.1 Mw Salmas earthquake shakes northwestern Iran and southeastern Turkey with a maximum Mercalli intensity of IX (Violent). Up to three-thousand people were killed.
- 1920
Polish–Soviet War: Kyiv offensive: Polish troops led by Józef Piłsudski and Edward Rydz-Śmigły and assisted by a symbolic Ukrainian force capture Kyiv only to be driven out by the Red Army counter-offensive a month later.
- 1920
Treaty of Moscow: Soviet Russia recognizes the independence of the Democratic Republic of Georgia only to invade the country six months later.
- 1915
World War I: German submarine U-20 sinks RMS Lusitania, killing 1,199 people, including 128 Americans. Public reaction to the sinking turns many former pro-Germans in the United States against the German Empire.
- 1915
The Republic of China accedes to 13 of the 21 Demands, extending the Empire of Japan's control over Manchuria and the Chinese economy.
- 1895
In Saint Petersburg, Russian scientist Alexander Stepanovich Popov demonstrates to the Russian Physical and Chemical Society his invention, the Popov lightning detector—a primitive radio receiver. In some parts of the former Soviet Union the anniversary of this day is celebrated as Radio Day.
- 1864
American Civil War: The Army of the Potomac, under General Ulysses S. Grant, breaks off from the Battle of the Wilderness and moves southwards.
- 1864
The world's oldest surviving clipper ship, the City of Adelaide is launched by William Pile, Hay and Co. in Sunderland, England, for transporting passengers and goods between Britain and Australia.
- 1840
The Great Natchez Tornado strikes Natchez, Mississippi killing 317 people. It is the second deadliest tornado in United States history.
- 1832
Greece's independence is recognized by the Treaty of London.
- 1824
World premiere of Ludwig van Beethoven's Ninth Symphony in Vienna, Austria. The performance is conducted by Michael Umlauf under the composer's supervision.
- 1798
French Revolutionary Wars: A French force attempting to dislodge a small British garrison on the Îles Saint-Marcouf is repulsed with heavy losses.
- 1794
French Revolution: Robespierre introduces the Cult of the Supreme Being in the National Convention as the new state religion of the French First Republic.
Famous Birthdays on May 7 in History 25
- 2004
Ashlyn Krueger, American tennis player
- 2004
Minji, South Korean singer
- 2002
Jake Bongiovi, American model and actor
- 2002
Andrew Barth Feldman, American actor and singer
- 1999
Tommy Fury, English boxer
- 1999
Cody Gakpo, Dutch footballer
- 1998
MrBeast, American YouTuber
- 1998
Dani Olmo, Spanish footballer
- 1998
Jesse Puljujärvi, Finnish ice hockey player
- 1997
Daria Kasatkina, Russian tennis player
- 1997
Youri Tielemans, Belgian footballer
- 1997
Cameron Young, American golfer
All entries for May 7(+13)
- 1996
Lee "Faker" Sang-hyeok, South Korean League of Legends pro gamer
- 1995
Seko Fofana, Ivorian international footballer
- 1993
Will Ospreay, English wrestler
- 1993
Ajla Tomljanovic, Australian tennis player
- 1992
Alexander Ludwig, Canadian actor and musician
- 1990
Sydney Leroux, Canadian-American footballer
- 1989
Earl Thomas, American football player
- 1987
Aidy Bryant, American actress and comedian
- 1987
Mark Reynolds, Scottish footballer
- 1986
Matt Helders, English drummer
- 1985
J Balvin, Colombian singer-songwriter and producer
- 1984
James Loney, American baseball player
- 1984
Kevin Owens, Canadian wrestler
Notable Deaths on May 7 in History 25
- 2024
Steve Albini, American musician, record producer, audio engineer, and music journalist (born 1962)
- 2023
Aase Foss Abrahamsen, Norwegian writer (born 1930)
- 2015
Frank DiPascali, American businessman (born 1956)
- 2015
John Dixon, Australian-American author and illustrator (born 1929)
- 2014
Neville McNamara, Australian air marshal (born 1923)
- 2014
Colin Pillinger, English astronomer, chemist, and academic (born 1943)
- 2014
Dick Welteroth, American baseball player (born 1927)
- 2013
Ferruccio Mazzola, Italian footballer and manager (born 1948)
- 2013
George Sauer, Jr., American football player (born 1943)
- 2012
Sammy Barr, Scottish trade union leader (born 1931)
- 2012
Ferenc Bartha, Hungarian economist and politician (born 1943)
- 2012
Dennis E. Fitch, American captain and pilot (born 1942)
All entries for May 7(+13)
- 2011
Seve Ballesteros, Spanish golfer (born 1957)
- 2011
Willard Boyle, Canadian physicist and academic, Nobel Prize laureate (born 1924)
- 2011
Big George, English songwriter, producer, and radio host (born 1957)
- 2011
Victor Nosach, Soviet historian (born 1929)
- 2010
Adele Mara, American actress, singer and dancer (born 1923)
- 2010
Wally Hickel, American politician, Governor of Alaska and Secretary of the Interior (born 1919)
- 2009
David Mellor, English designer (born 1930)
- 2009
Danny Ozark, American baseball player, coach, and manager (born 1923)
- 2007
Isabella Blow, English magazine editor (born 1958)
- 2007
Diego Corrales, American boxer (born 1977)
- 2007
Octavian Paler, Romanian journalist and politician (born 1926)
- 2007
Yahweh ben Yahweh, American cult leader, founded the Nation of Yahweh (born 1935)
- 2006
Richard Carleton, Australian journalist (born 1943)
That is the story of May 7 in history. Bookmark this page and come back next year on May 7 to relive these world-changing moments — or take a random trip through time and see what happened on another day in history.
❓ Frequently Asked Questions
What happened on May 7 in history?
The biggest event on May 7 in history is: 2025 — The Indian Army and the Indian Air Force conduct surgical strikes code-named Operation SINDOOR on terrorist hideouts in Pakistan in response to the Pahalgam Attack that killed 26 people.. In total, 40 major events are recorded for this day.
Who was born on May 7?
25 famous people were born on May 7 in history, the best known being 2004 — Ashlyn Krueger, American tennis player.
Who died on May 7?
25 notable people died on May 7 in history, including 2024 — Steve Albini, American musician, record producer, audio engineer, and music journalist (born 1962).
Why should I read about May 7 in history?
Exploring May 7 in history helps you grasp the day's place in history in just a few minutes: events, birthdays and deaths in one read — perfect for students, teachers and curious minds.
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