What Happened On
Agent Orange
May 7, 1984
American Veterans of the Vietnam War reach an out-of-court settlement with seven chemical companies over the defoliant Agent Orange. The companies agreed to pay $180 million as compensation for the veterans dropping all claims against them.
A totally disabled Vietnam veteran would receive a maximum of $12,000 spread out over the course of 10 years. By accepting the settlement payments, disabled veterans would become ineligible for many state benefits that provided far more monetary support than the settlement, such as food stamps, public assistance, and government pensions. A widow of a Vietnam veteran who died of Agent Orange exposure would receive $3,700.
Natalie Wood - The Memory of Eva Ryker
May 7, 1980
The actress Natalie Wood stars in the TV movie The Memory of Eva Ryker, in which a character she plays drowns. She herself would drown the following year.
She had a fear of water since almost drowning as a child while filming The Green Promise (1949).
World War II - Germany Surrenders
May 7, 1945
Germany surrenders ending the war in Europe. All military action was to stop at midnight.
Sinking of the Lusitania
May 7, 1915
This civilian steamer RMS Lusitania is sunk by a German submarine's torpedo, killing 1,198 (including 128 Americans) of 1,959 people on board. It was later revealed that the Lusitania was carrying about 173 tons of war munitions for Britain, which the Germans cited as justification for the attack. The sinking contributed to the U.S. entry into World War I and became an iconic symbol in military recruiting campaigns.
Beethoven's Ninth Symphony
May 7, 1824
Ludwig van Beethoven's Ninth Symphony premieres in Vienna. It is regarded by many as Beethoven's greatest work and one of the supreme achievements in the history of music. It is also the first example of a major composer using voices in a symphony.
Record Amount Paid for a Single Photograph
May 7, 1993
Elton John pays $193,895 for Man Ray's Glass Tears (c. 1930). See photo.
Could You Repeat That
May 7, 1992
"We're finally going to wrassle to the ground this gigantic orgasm that is just out of control," said by U.S. Senator Dennis DeConcini (D-Ariz.) in reference to the budget deficit.
Abraham Lincoln Cloned
May 7, 1991
Geneticists at John Hopkins University are given permission to clone the late U.S. President Abraham Lincoln's genes.
Birthdays
Peter Ilyich Tchaikovsky
Born May 7, 1840 d. 1893
Russian composer. Music: Swan Lake, The Sleeping Beauty, The Nutcracker.
Johannes Brahms
Born May 7, 1833 d. 1897
German composer. One of the "Three Bs of Music" (Bach, Beethoven, Brahms).
Photo Credit: Roberta Gregory
Photo Credit: Roberta Gregory
Roberta Gregory
Born May 7, 1953
American underground cartoonist. Creator of Sheila and the Unicorn and Bitchy Bitch from her Fantagraphics Books series Naughty Bits.
Robert Hegyes
Born May 7, 1951 d. 2012
American actor. TV: Welcome Back Kotter (1975-79, Juan Epstein).
Johnny Unitas (John Constantine Unitas)
Born May 7, 1933 d. 2002
American football Hall of Famer quarterback, 3-time Player of the Year (1959, 64, 67), and was named greatest player of all time.
Val Bisoglio
Born May 7, 1926 d. 2021
American actor. TV: Quincy (1976-83, bar owner Danny Tovo).
Anne Baxter
Born May 7, 1923 d. 1985
American Oscar-winning actress. Film: The Razor's Edge (1946, Oscar) and All About Eve (1950, title role). TV: Hotel (Victoria Cabot).
Darren McGavin (William Lyle Richardson)
Born May 7, 1922 d. 2006
American Emmy-winning actor. TV: Mike Hammer (1957, title role), The Night Stalker (1974-75, Carl Kolchak), and Murphy Brown (1989-92, Murphy's dad). Film: A Christmas Story (1983, Father who won a major award).
Edwin H. Land (Edwin Herbert Land)
Born May 7, 1909 d. 1991
American inventor. He created the Polaroid instant camera, developed inexpensive filters for polarizing light, and founded the Polaroid Corp. (1937). In 1948, he introduced his Polaroid instant camera that made it possible for a picture to be taken and developed in 60 seconds.
Gary Cooper (Frank James Cooper)
Born May 7, 1901 d. 1961
American actor. Film: Sergeant York (1941) and High Noon (1952). He originally moved to California to become a political cartoonist.
Gabby Hayes (George Hayes)
Born May 7, 1885 d. 1969
American western actor. Film: Hopalong Cassidy films (Windy).
Deaths
Mickey Gilley
Died May 7, 2022 b. 1936
American country singer. In 1971, he opened Gilley's in Houston, the world's largest nightclub. Gilley's and its mechanical bull El Toro were the focus of the movie Urban Cowboy (1980). Music: Room Full of Roses (1974, #1) and Don't the Girls All Get Prettier at Closing Time (1976, #1).
Douglas Fairbanks, Jr.
Died May 7, 2000 b. 1909
American actor. Quote: "I was only saying to the Queen the other day how I hate name dropping."
He married Mary Pickford in what was called the "Marriage of the Century".
Eddie Rabbitt (Edward Thomas Rabbitt)
Died May 7, 1998 b. 1941
American singer, songwriter. Music: Every Which Way But Loose (1978, #1) and I Love a Rainy Night (1980, #1).
Mary Philbin
Died May 7, 1993 b. 1902
American silent-film actress. She co-starred with Lon Chaney in The Phantom of the Opera (1925).
Stewart B. McKinney
Died May 7, 1987 b. 1931
American politician. He was the first U.S. congressman to die from AIDS.
George Baker
Died May 7, 1975 b. 1915
American cartoonist. Creator of Sad Sack (1942) depicting a lowly private dealing with the absurdities of military life.
Elbert Hubbard
Died May 7, 1915 b. 1856
American author, artist, philosopher. Founder of the Roycroft artisan community in East Aurora, New York, an influential exponent of the Arts and Crafts Movement. He and his wife died in the sinking of the RMS Lusitania.
Quote: "Every man is a damned fool for at least five minutes every day. Wisdom consists in not exceeding the limit."
Quote: "A woman will doubt everything you say except it be compliments to herself."
James Nasmyth
Died May 7, 1890 b. 1808
British engineer, invented the steam hammer (1839).
Salmon Portland Chase
Died May 7, 1873 b. 1808
American jurist. U.S. Secretary of the Treasury (1861-64) and 6th chief justice of the U.S. Supreme Court (1864-73). His portrait appears on the U.S. $10,000 bill.
Henry Peter Brougham
Died May 7, 1868 b. 1778
Scottish orator. Quote: "Education makes a people easy to lead, but difficult to drive; easy to govern, but impossible to enslave."
William Jenkins Worth
Died May 7, 1849 b. 1794
American general, for whom Fort Worth, Texas is named.
Otto I
Died May 7, 973 b. 912
"Otto the Great," Emperor of the Holy Roman Empire (962-73), first of the Saxon kings.