The French garrison at Dien Bien Phu surrendered after a 56-day siege by Viet Minh forces under General Vo Nguyen Giap. Approximately 11,000 French troops, elite paratroopers and Foreign Legionnaires, were taken prisoner. The defeat ended French colonial rule in Indochina and set the stage for American involvement in Vietnam.
Ottawa chief Pontiac led a coalition of Native nations against British frontier posts in the Great Lakes region. The rebellion overran eight forts and killed hundreds of settlers. It led to the Royal Proclamation of 1763, which restricted colonial settlement west of the Appalachians and became a major grievance fueling the American Revolution.
Both armies raced to Spotsylvania Court House after the Wilderness. Confederate forces won the race and established formidable defenses that saw some of the war's most intense combat, including the "Bloody Angle" on May 12, among the most savage hand-to-hand fighting in American history.
German U-boat U-20 torpedoed the Cunard liner off the coast of Ireland, sinking it in 18 minutes and killing 1,198 passengers and crew including 128 Americans. The sinking outraged American public opinion and became a catalyst for eventual U.S. entry into World War I.
The Imperial German submarine U-20, commanded by Kapitanleutnant Walther Schwieger, fired a single torpedo into the Cunard liner RMS Lusitania off Ireland, sinking her in 18 minutes. The attack killed 1,198 people including 128 Americans and dramatically accelerated U.S. alignment with the Allies.
Aircraft from USS Lexington and USS Yorktown crippled the Japanese fleet carrier Shokaku, while Japanese strikes found and mortally damaged the USS Lexington. The first carrier-on-carrier battle in history was fought entirely beyond visual range of the opposing fleets.
The War Department completed the initial processing of Medal of Honor and Distinguished Flying Cross recommendations for the Doolittle Raiders who had struck Tokyo on April 18, formally recognizing the first strategic air strike against the Japanese home islands.
General Alfred Jodl signed the instrument of unconditional surrender at Eisenhower's headquarters in Reims, France, at 2:41 AM. Eisenhower refused to attend the signing. The Soviets insisted on a separate ceremony in Berlin, held the following day. The surrender took effect on May 8, VE Day.
The French garrison at Dien Bien Phu surrendered after a 56-day siege, ending French colonial rule in Indochina.
STS-49 launched from the Kennedy Space Center, the maiden flight of the Space Shuttle Endeavour. The mission demonstrated satellite capture and servicing techniques that had direct application to National Reconnaissance Office and DoD orbital repair operations.
Five U.S. JDAM bombs struck the Chinese Embassy in Belgrade during the Kosovo campaign, killing three journalists and wounding twenty. The U.S. blamed outdated maps; China accused deliberate aggression. The incident severely damaged U.S.-China relations and triggered anti-American protests across China.
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Yugoslav partisan leader who commanded WWII's most effective resistance movement, tying down over 30 Axis divisions and liberating Yugoslavia largely without direct Allied ground support. Led communist Yugoslavia for 35 years while charting an independent course from Moscow.
Oscar-winning actor who starred as WWI Medal of Honor recipient Alvin York in "Sergeant York" (1941), one of the most effective military films ever made. The film was a powerful argument for American preparedness as the nation debated entry into World War II.
1,198 passengers and crew, including 128 Americans, killed when the RMS Lusitania was torpedoed by a German U-boat and sank in 18 minutes off the coast of Ireland. The sinking galvanized American public opinion against Germany and contributed to U.S. entry into World War I.
10 military events occurred on May 7, spanning multiple centuries. Key events include: Fall of Dien Bien Phu: France's Colonial Empire Crumbles (1954), Sinking of the RMS Lusitania (1915), Germany Signs Unconditional Surrender at Reims (1945), Battle of the Coral Sea: Lexington and Shokaku Strike (1942), U-20 Torpedoes RMS Lusitania off the Old Head of Kinsale (1915).
The most significant military event on May 7 is Fall of Dien Bien Phu: France's Colonial Empire Crumbles (1954). The French garrison at Dien Bien Phu surrendered after a 56-day siege by Viet Minh forces under General Vo Nguyen Giap. Approximately 11,000 French troops, elite paratroopers and Foreign Legionnaires, were taken prisoner. The defeat ended French colonial rule in Indochina and set the stage for American involvement in Vietnam.
Notable military figures born on May 7 include Josip Broz Tito (1892–1980), Gary Cooper (1901–1961).
Events on May 7 span the Cold War, World War I, World War II, the Civil War, the Colonial & Revolutionary era, the Modern Era, covering 10 events across 3 centuries of military history.
Events on May 7 involve 4 branches of the U.S. and allied armed forces, reflecting the global scope of military operations throughout history.
Explore military history from the day you were born.
June 6
The Allied invasion of Normandy, the largest amphibious assault in history.
December 7
Japan attacks the U.S. Pacific Fleet, bringing America into World War II.
September 11
The deadliest terrorist attack in history transforms U.S. national security.
August 6
The first atomic bomb is dropped on a city, ushering in the nuclear age.
May 8
Nazi Germany surrenders unconditionally, ending World War II in Europe.
November 11
Armistice Day marks the end of World War I and honors all who served.
June 4
The turning point of the Pacific War as the U.S. Navy destroys four Japanese carriers.
July 4
The Declaration of Independence is adopted, sparking the American Revolution.
The FIM-92 Stinger helped win the Cold War by turning Afghan mujahideen into a credible anti-aircraft threat. By 2023, the United States almost ran out of them, because Raytheon stopped making them for 13 years, and the first 10 months of Ukraine support burned through the remaining stockpile.
These weapons were built to fight a war that everyone prayed would never happen. The Minuteman III has been on alert since 1970. The Typhoon-class carried enough nuclear warheads to destroy a continent. The Davy Crockett could be fired by three soldiers. Most of them have been waiting for 40 years. Here are 10 Cold War weapons built exclusively for World War III.
The MiG-31 was designed to catch the SR-71 Blackbird. It is still the fastest fighter in any air force. The Foxhound's Zaslon phased-array radar, the first ever installed in a fighter, can track 10 targets and engage 4 simultaneously at ranges exceeding 200 miles. Here is why Russia still flies a 1980s interceptor, and why the MiG-31BM carrying a Kinzhal hypersonic missile has changed what the aircraft means to modern warfare.
Nineteen armies on four continents chose the Leopard 2. No other Western tank comes close to this export record, and the reasons go far beyond German engineering.
