May 7

Events

• 1429 - Joan of Arc ends the Siege of Orléans, pulling an arrow from her own shoulder and returning wounded to lead the final charge. The victory marks a turning point in the Hundred Years' War.
• 1718 – The city of New Orleans is founded by Jean-Baptiste Le Moyne de Bienville.
• 1832 – The independence of Greece is recognized by the Treaty of London.
• 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.
• 1915 - World War I: a German submarine U-20 sinks the RMS Lusitania, killing 1,198 people, including 128 Americans. Public reaction to the sinking turned many formerly pro-Germans in the United States of America against the German Empire.
• 1937 - Spanish Civil War: The German Condor Legion, equipped with Heinkel He 51 biplanes, arrive in Spain to assist Franco's forces.
• 1945 - World War II: General Alfred Jodl signs unconditional surrender terms at Reims, France, ending Germany's participation in the war. The document will take effect the next day.
• 1948 – The Council of Europe is founded during the Hague Congress.
• 2008 - Dmitry Medvedev, inaugrated as President of Russia

Births

• 1840 – Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky, Russian composer (d. 1893)
• 1847 - Archibald Primrose, Prime Minister of the United Kingdom (d. 1929)
• 1892 – Josip Broz Tito, President of Yugoslavia (d. 1980)
• 1919 - Eva Peron, Argentine first lady (d. 1952)

Deaths

• 973 - Otto I, Holy Roman Emperor (b. 912)
• 1805 – William Petty, Prime Minister of the United Kingdom (b. 1737)
• 2007 - Yahweh ben Yahweh, American cult leader (b. 1935)