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Some dates carry a single overwhelming event. May 7 carries two, from entirely different registers of human experience, and does not seem troubled by the dissonance.
On This Date
1824: Ludwig van Beethoven’s Symphony No. 9 in D minor premieres at the Theater am Kärntnertor in Vienna. Beethoven, by this point profoundly deaf, stands on stage alongside conductor Michael Umlauf. The audience erupts. Beethoven does not turn around until the contralto Caroline Unger tugs his sleeve to face the crowd. He weeps. The Ninth introduces “Ode to Joy” to the world — a melody that will become the anthem of the European Union, a standard at New Year’s concerts worldwide, and a song that appears at both funerals and protests.
1915: A German U-boat torpedoes the RMS Lusitania off the coast of Ireland. The ship sinks in eighteen minutes. 1,198 people die, including 128 Americans. Germany had published warnings in American newspapers that morning. The sinking shifts American public opinion toward entering World War I, though the U.S. won’t declare war for another two years. The Lusitania was carrying munitions — a fact the British government denied for decades.
1945: Germany signs an unconditional surrender at General Eisenhower’s headquarters in Reims, France, ending the war in Europe. (The Soviets require a second signing in Berlin the next day, which is why V-E Day is celebrated on May 8 in Western countries and May 9 in Russia.)
Folk Traditions and Superstitions
“Thunder in May, corn in dismay” is an old English weather proverb suggesting that early-May thunderstorms signal a poor grain harvest. A competing tradition from Germany holds the opposite: “Donner im Mai bringt viel Frucht herbei” — thunder in May brings much fruit. As with most weather folklore, the contradiction is the point. People noticed patterns. Different regions noticed different ones.
In parts of Ireland, May 7 falls within the “Borrowed Days” — the final days that April “borrows” from May, which are supposed to be the harshest weather of spring. If you made it through them, you’d earned your summer.
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Astronomical Notes
The Eta Aquariid shower is still active, though past peak. Any pre-dawn observing session will catch a few stragglers. The moon’s phase matters: a waning crescent is ideal; a bright gibbous moon washes out all but the brightest meteors.
Observances
National Cosmopolitan Day (the cocktail). This is a real entry in the calendar, and yes, it was probably originated by a spirits industry marketing department. The cosmopolitan was popularized in the 1990s and is associated in most people’s minds with a television show we need not name. The drink itself is older than its pop-culture moment — Dale DeGroff was making them at the Rainbow Room in the late 1980s.
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Also worth knowing: May 16
What happened on May 7, 1824, that’s still celebrated today?
Ludwig van Beethoven’s Symphony No. 9 premiered on May 7, 1824, introducing the iconic “Ode to Joy” melody. Although Beethoven was profoundly deaf, he stood on stage and wept when the audience erupted in applause. The symphony has since become a standard at New Year’s concerts worldwide and is the anthem of the European Union.
What was the significance of the sinking of the RMS Lusitania on May 7, 1915?
The RMS Lusitania was torpedoed by a German U-boat on May 7, 1915, killing 1,198 people, including 128 Americans. The sinking shifted American public opinion toward entering World War I, although the U.S. wouldn’t declare war for another two years. The incident had significant repercussions for global politics.
Why is V-E Day celebrated on different dates in Western countries and Russia?
Germany signed an unconditional surrender on May 7, 1945, but the Soviets required a second signing in Berlin the next day. As a result, Western countries celebrate V-E Day on May 8, while Russia and some Eastern European countries mark the occasion on May 9.
What’s the folklore behind thunderstorms in May?
There’s a divide in folklore about May thunderstorms. An old English proverb says “Thunder in May, corn in dismay,” predicting a poor grain harvest. Meanwhile, a German tradition claims “Donner im Mai bringt viel Frucht herbei,” or thunder in May brings abundant fruit. Different regions notice different patterns, reflecting the complexity of weather folklore.
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