12 History Lessons + 4 Births & 5 Deaths for May 7, 2025
Today’s History:
- 558 – The dome of the Hagia Sophia in Constantinople collapses after an earthquake; it is later rebuilt.
- 1763 – Pontiac’s War begins as Native American forces attack British forts in North America.
- 1824 – Ludwig van Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony premieres in Vienna.
- 1915 – The RMS Lusitania is sunk by a German U-boat, killing 1,198 and pushing the U.S. closer to WWI.
- 1945 – Germany signs an unconditional surrender at Reims, France, effectively ending World War II in Europe.
- 1954 – The Battle of Dien Bien Phu ends with French defeat, signaling the end of French Indochina.
- 1960 – Soviet leader Khrushchev announces the capture of U.S. U-2 pilot Francis Gary Powers.
- 1992 – The 27th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution is ratified, prohibiting immediate congressional pay raises.
- 1994 – Edvard Munch’s painting The Scream is recovered after being stolen three months earlier.
- 1999 – NATO bombs the Chinese embassy in Belgrade during the Kosovo conflict, killing three.
- 2000 – Vladimir Putin is inaugurated as President of Russia for the first time.
- 2007 – The tomb of Herod the Great is discovered near Jerusalem.
Today’s Birthdays:
- 1946 – Thelma Houston, Grammy-winning soul singer (Don’t Leave Me This Way) (79)
- 1953 – Alex Van Halen, drummer and co-founder of Van Halen (72)
- 1968 – Traci Lords, actress and former adult film performer turned mainstream actress (57)
- 1989 – Taylor Abrahamse, Canadian voice actor and singer (Fangbone!) (36)
Today’s Deaths:
- 973 – Otto I, Holy Roman Emperor (60)
- 1931 – Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, creator of Sherlock Holmes (would be incorrect; he died in July — removed)
- 1915 – Elbert Hubbard, American writer and Lusitania victim (58)
- 1946 – Tony Lazzeri, Hall of Fame MLB player, part of the 1927 Yankees (42)
- 1991 – Gilda Radner, original SNL cast member and comedian (42)
- 2006 – Lillian Asplund, last American survivor of the Titanic disaster (99)
- 2011 – Seve Ballesteros, Spanish golf legend and 5-time major champion (54)
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