In History, Today on May 7

A cyberattack by the group DarkSide forced the shutdown of the Colonial Pipeline, the largest fuel pipeline in the United States, leading to fuel shortages and price spikes.

The Laguna del Maule volcano complex in Chile is raised to alert level yellow due to increased seismic activity.

Emmanuel Macron won the French presidential election, defeating Marine Le Pen and becoming the youngest President in French history.

The United Kingdom held a general election, resulting in a surprise majority win for the Conservative Party led by David Cameron.

Vladimir Putin was inaugurated for a third term as President of Russia, amid protests and allegations of electoral fraud.

A British Airways flight from Amsterdam to London was disrupted by a volcanic ash cloud from the Eyjafjallajökull eruption in Iceland, causing widespread air travel chaos across Europe.

The Currency Act was passed by the Parliament of Sri Lanka, establishing the use of the Sri Lankan rupee.

The Scottish National Party (SNP) wins the most seats in the Scottish Parliament election, marking the first time the SNP has become the largest party in the Scottish Parliament. This victory leads to Alex Salmond becoming First Minister of Scotland.

The final episode of the television sitcom 'Friends' aired on NBC, concluding its ten-season run.

A China Northern Airlines MD-82 crashed into the Yellow Sea near Dalian, China, resulting in the deaths of all 112 people on board.

Vladimir Putin was inaugurated as President of Russia, marking the beginning of his first term in office.

The United States accidentally bombs the Chinese embassy in Belgrade during the NATO bombing of Yugoslavia.

The 27th Amendment to the United States Constitution, which deals with congressional pay raises, was ratified after being proposed over 200 years earlier.

Leonid Brezhnev becomes the President of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet, the nominal head of state of the Soviet Union.

The Battle of Dien Bien Phu ended with a decisive victory for the Viet Minh over French forces, leading to the end of French colonial rule in Indochina and the Geneva Conference.

Germany signed an unconditional surrender at Allied headquarters in Reims, France, effectively ending World War II in Europe. This event is commemorated as Victory in Europe Day (V-E Day).

The British ocean liner RMS Lusitania was sunk by a German U-boat off the coast of Ireland, contributing to the United States' eventual entry into World War I.

Alexander Popov, a Russian physicist, presented his radio receiving apparatus to the Russian Physical and Chemical Society in St. Petersburg, the first step toward radio communication.

The Battle of the Wilderness, part of the American Civil War, came to an inconclusive end. It was one of the first clashes between General Ulysses S. Grant and General Robert E. Lee.

The Treaty of London, establishing a fully independent and sovereign kingdom of Greece, was signed by the three Great Powers: the United Kingdom, France, and Russia.

Ludwig van Beethoven's Ninth Symphony premiered in Vienna, Austria. This symphony is notable for its final movement, which includes the choral setting of Friedrich Schiller's poem 'Ode to Joy'.

Pontiac's War begins with Pontiac laying siege to Fort Detroit as Native American tribes of the Great Lakes region rise against British postwar policies after the French and Indian War.

The city of New Orleans is founded by the French Mississippi Company, named after Philippe II, Duke of Orléans.

King Louis XIV of France inaugurated the Palace of Versailles, which would later become the royal residence and a symbol of absolute monarchy.

Isaac Newton graduates from Trinity College, Cambridge, on this day with a Bachelor of Arts degree, which laid the foundation for his future groundbreaking contributions to science.

The Treaty of Speyer is signed between France and Spain during the Italian Wars, pausing conflicts in northern Italy.

Joan of Arc led the French army in the successful lifting of the Siege of Orléans during the Hundred Years' War, marking a turning point in favor of the French against the English.

The Second Council of Lyon, the 14th ecumenical council of the Catholic Church, was convened by Pope Gregory X at the Cathedral of St. John in Lyon, France. It aimed to address church reform and the East-West Schism.

The Battle of Harran took place as a confrontation between the Crusader states and the Seljuk Turks, resulting in a decisive defeat for the Crusaders.

The dome of the Hagia Sophia in Constantinople collapses; it is rebuilt by Isidore the Younger.

Jewish revolt against Constantius Gallus begins in the Roman Empire.