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Today in History, May 7th

On May 7, 1915, a German U-boat sank the Lusitania, killing 128 Americans. Plus Germany's surrender at Reims and the fall of Dien Bien Phu.

By Today in History Updated November 10, 2026 2 min read Sources checked

Published May 7, 2026 · Last updated November 10, 2026

May 7 is best known for 1915, when a German submarine sank the British liner Lusitania off Ireland, killing 128 Americans among nearly 1,200 dead. The date also saw Germany sign its unconditional surrender at Reims in 1945 and the French defeat at Dien Bien Phu in 1954.

The big story: A U-boat sinks the Lusitania (1915)

Before the Lusitania left New York, the German embassy placed notices in several New York papers. The message was blunt: Americans who sailed on British or Allied ships through the war zone did so at their own risk. The British Admiralty had its own advice for the captain, which was to steer clear of the area or zigzag to throw off submarines. He did neither. At 2:12 p.m. on May 7, 1915, a torpedo struck the 32,000-ton liner’s starboard side off the south coast of Ireland, and a second, larger blast followed, probably from the boilers. The ship was gone in about 20 minutes. Of the 1,959 people aboard, 1,198 drowned, 128 of them Americans. Germany pointed to the roughly 173 tons of munitions in the hold. Washington sent three protest notes, and Berlin promised to stop attacking ships without warning. That promise lasted until early 1917, and by April the U.S. was at war.

More events on May 7

Year	What happened
1663	The Theatre Royal, Drury Lane, opened in London. It is the oldest English theater still in use.
1763	Pontiac’s Rebellion began with an attack on the British at Detroit.
1824	Ludwig van Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony premiered in Vienna.
1945	Germany signed its unconditional surrender to the Allies at Reims, France.
1946	Ibuka Masaru and Morita Akio founded the company that became Sony.
1954	Viet Minh forces under General Vo Nguyen Giap captured the French base at Dien Bien Phu.
1992	The Twenty-seventh Amendment was ratified, so congressional pay changes take effect only after the next House election.
1994	Edvard Munch’s painting The Scream was recovered after it had been stolen.
1998	Daimler-Benz announced a $36 billion merger with Chrysler.
2002	Seattle Slew, the first undefeated U.S. Triple Crown winner, died on the 25th anniversary of his Kentucky Derby win.
2004	Marine biologist Richard Thompson coined the term “microplastics” in an article in Science.

Born on May 7

1840: Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky, Russian composer, born in Votkinsk.
1911: Honda Ishirō, Japanese film director best known for Godzilla.
1919: Eva Perón, Argentine political figure and wife of President Juan Perón.
1950: Tim Russert, American journalist and longtime moderator of Meet the Press.