National Tourism Day
Spring Day, a holiday in Scotland to honor the season
National Roast Leg of Lamb Day
May 7 should be honored as a day of remarkable achievements in poetry and music. It is the birthday of Robert Browning, Johannes Brahms, Peter Tchaikovsky, and the premier of Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony and the release of “Chattanooga Choo Choo” by Glenn Miller.
On May 7, 1429, Joan of Arc ended the Siege of Orléans, pulling an arrow from her own shoulder and leading the final charge. The victory marked a turning point in the Hundred Years’ War.
The city of New Orleans was founded by Jean-Baptiste Le Moyne de Bienville in 1718.
Birthday of Robert Browning (May 7, 1812) , English poet, husband of Elizabeth Barrett Browning. His poems include “Home Thoughts From Abroad” (O to be in England now that April’s there…), “My Last Dutchess”, and “The Pied Piper of Hamelin”.
World premiere of Ludwig van Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony in Vienna, Austria on May 7, 1824. The performance is conducted by Michael Umlauf under the composer’s supervision. Best known is Movement 4, commonly called “Ode to Joy”. You Tube has many videos of this song including some flash mob scenes. Here’s one orchestral version:
Birthday of Johannes Brahms (May 7,1833), German composer.
Birthday of Peter Ilich Tchaikovsky (May 7, 1840), Russian composer.
George Eastman patents “Kodak box camera” in 1888.
1904 – “Flexible Flyer” trademark registered.
May 7, 1914 – US Congress established Mother’s Day.
1915 – World War I: German submarine U-20 sinks RMS Lusitania, killing 1,198 people including 128 Americans. Public reaction to the sinking turns many formerly pro-Germans in the United States against the German Empire.
Glenn Miller recorded “Chattanooga Choo Choo” for RCA on May 7, 1941.
The concept of the integrated circuit, the basis for all modern computers, was first published on May 7, 1952 by Geoffrey W.A. Dummer.
Michigan ratified a proposed amendment to the United States Constitution, making the 27th Amendment law. It was submitted to the states for ratification in September 1789 and became part of the United States Constitution in May 1992, a record setting period of 202 years, 7 months and 12 days. This amendment bars the U.S. Congress from giving itself a mid-term pay raise.
Amendment XXVII
No law, varying the compensation for the services of the Senators and Representatives, shall take effect, until an election of Representatives shall have intervened.
The Space Shuttle Endeavour was launched on its first mission on on this day in 1992.