A day on the globeROENES中文
The Earth on 7 May, with the rays of the day’s events
  1. A birthday on the globe

    7 May on the globe: what happened in the world on this day, and who was born

    For 7 May, the English Wikipedia lists 60 events and 142 births. 41 of the events stand at their places as rays of light; three more are dashed circles, where the sentence links only to a country or a sea. The taller the ray, the longer ago it happened. The people born that day come further down, as blue points.

    A birthday, yours or someone else’s:

  2. The Earth on 7 May

    The picture on the globe was assembled by NASA from satellite photographs taken in May 2004: the snow, the ice and the green are those of the month.

    On 7 May the Sun passes straight overhead at noon along the parallel of 16.9° north. In London, the day lasts about 15 hours 10 minutes.

    Beyond 73° north the Sun no longer sets; beyond 73° south it no longer rises.

    The line between day and night is tilted on the globe exactly as on this day of the year. On the dark side you can see the lights of towns.

  3. 7 May

    Britain and Ireland#

    Seven events from the day’s list are placed here, between 1544 and 1954.

    The globe stops at three of them; the whole list is further down. All seven

  4. Britain & Ireland · Chatham Dockyard

    1765

    HMS Victory is launched at Chatham Dockyard, Kent. She is not commissioned until 1778.

    On the map: Chatham Dockyard.

    Wikipedia: HMS Victory

  5. Britain & Ireland · London

    1832

    Greece's independence is recognized by the Treaty of London.

    On the map: London.

    Wikipedia: London Conference of 1832

  6. Britain & Ireland · Dungannon

    1954

    A convoy of circus wagons carrying lions, horses, ponies and an ass lost control and overturned into some shop fronts in Dungannon, Northern Ireland.

    On the map: Dungannon.

    Wikipedia: Dungannon

  7. 7 May

    Europe#

    14 events from the day’s list are placed here, between 1342 and 1999.

    The globe stops at three of them; the whole list is further down. All 14

  8. Europe · Palace of Versailles

    1664

    Inaugural celebrations begin at Louis XIV's new Palace of Versailles.

    On the map: Palace of Versailles.

    Also on the day’s list of Wikipedia in Spanish and Romanian.

    Wikipedia: Louis XIV

  9. Europe · Vienna

    1824

    World premiere of Ludwig van Beethoven's Ninth Symphony in Vienna, Austria. The performance is conducted by Michael Umlauf under the composer's supervision.

    On the map: Vienna.

    Also on the day’s list of Wikipedia in Romanian and Chinese.

    Wikipedia: Ludwig van Beethoven

  10. Europe · National Gallery

    1994

    Edvard Munch's painting The Scream is recovered undamaged after being stolen from the National Gallery of Norway in February.

    On the map: National Gallery.

    Wikipedia: The Scream

  11. 7 May

    North America#

    Eight events from the day’s list are placed here, between 1718 and 1992.

    The globe stops at three of them; the whole list is further down. All eight

  12. North America · New Orleans

    1718

    The city of New Orleans is founded by Jean-Baptiste Le Moyne, Sieur de Bienville.

    On the map: New Orleans.

    Also on the day’s list of Wikipedia in Chinese.

    Wikipedia: New Orleans

  13. North America · New York City Police Department

    1931

    The stand-off between criminal Francis Crowley and 300 members of the New York Police Department takes place in his fifth-floor apartment on West 91st Street, New York City.

    On the map: New York City Police Department.

    Wikipedia: Francis Crowley

  14. North America · United States Congress

    1992

    Michigan ratifies a 203-year-old proposed amendment to the United States Constitution making the 27th Amendment law. This amendment bars the U.S. Congress from giving itself a mid-term pay raise.

    On the map: United States Congress.

    Wikipedia: United States Congress

  15. 7 May

    What the other Wikipedias remember#

    For these years the English list has nothing on this day. The events below come from the same day’s lists on Wikipedia in Spanish and were translated for this page.

  16. From Wikipedia in Spanish · Prague

    1348

    In Prague, Charles University is founded.

    On the map: Prague.

    Translated from the list on Wikipedia in Spanish.

    The article on Wikipedia in Spanish: Universidad Carolina

  17. From Wikipedia in Spanish · 1952 Winter Olympics

    1951

    The International Olympic Committee allows Russia to compete in the 1952 Winter Olympic Games in Oslo.

    On the map: 1952 Winter Olympics.

    Translated from the list on Wikipedia in Spanish.

    The article on Wikipedia in Spanish: Juegos Olímpicos de Oslo 1952

  18. 7 May

    Born on 7 May#

    The English Wikipedia lists 142 births for this day. The blue points are the birthplaces of 60 of these people: those written about in the most Wikipedia editions, where Wikidata gives a place of birth.

  19. Born on 7 May

    1861

    Rabindranath Tagore, Indian author and poet, Nobel Prize laureate (died 1941)

    Place of birth: Kolkata.

    Wikipedia: Rabindranath Tagore

  20. Born on 7 May

    1840

    Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky, Russian composer and educator (died 1893)

    Place of birth: Votkinsk.

    Wikipedia: Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky

  21. Born on 7 May

    1833

    Johannes Brahms, German pianist and composer (died 1897)

    Place of birth: Hamburg.

    Wikipedia: Johannes Brahms

  22. Born on 7 May

    1711

    David Hume, Scottish economist, historian, and philosopher (died 1776)

    Place of birth: Edinburgh.

    Wikipedia: David Hume

  23. Born on 7 May

    1867

    Władysław Reymont, Polish novelist, Nobel Prize laureate (died 1925)

    Place of birth: Kobiele Wielkie.

    Wikipedia: Władysław Reymont

  24. Born in Britain and Ireland

    1812

    Robert Browning, English poet and playwright (died 1889)

    Place of birth: London.

    Wikipedia: Robert Browning

  25. Born in Britain and Ireland

    1940

    Angela Carter, English novelist and short story writer (died 1992)

    Place of birth: Eastbourne.

    Wikipedia: Angela Carter

  26. Born in Britain and Ireland

    1965

    Norman Whiteside, Northern Irish footballer and manager

    Place of birth: Belfast.

    Wikipedia: Norman Whiteside

  27. The whole globe of the day

    Drag the globe to turn it. Touch a ray or a point to read what happened there.

Everything Wikipedia lists for 7 May

The list is the English Wikipedia’s, in its own wording, as it stood in October 2026. 16 events have no place on the map: the sentence links to no place with coordinates, only to places too wide to mark, or to several countries.

  1. 351

    The Jewish revolt against Constantius Gallus breaks out after his arrival at Antioch.

  2. 558

    In Constantinople, the dome of the Hagia Sophia collapses, twenty years after its construction. Justinian I immediately orders that the dome be rebuilt.

    Asia · ConstantinopleWikipedia: Hagia Sophia
  3. 1104

    The Seljuk emirs of Mosul and Mardin defeat the Crusader States of Antioch and Edessa.

    Asia · Battle of HarranWikipedia: Battle of Harran
  4. 1190

    The Crusader army of emperor Frederick Barbarossa defeats an army of the Rum Seljuks in the battle of Philomelion.

    Asia · Battle of PhilomelionWikipedia: Battle of Philomelion
  5. 1274

    In France, the Second Council of Lyon opens; it ratified a decree to regulate the election of the Pope.

  6. 1342

    In Avignon, France, Cardinal Pierre Roger is elected Pope and takes the name Clement VI.

    Europe · AvignonWikipedia: 1342 conclave
  7. 1487

    The Siege of Málaga commences during the Spanish Reconquista.

    Europe · Siege of MálagaWikipedia: Siege of Málaga
  8. 1544

    The Burning of Edinburgh by an English army is the first action of the Rough Wooing.

    Britain & Ireland · Burning of EdinburghWikipedia: Burning of Edinburgh
  9. 1625

    State funeral of James VI and I (1566–1625) is held at Westminster Abbey.

    Britain & Ireland · Westminster AbbeyWikipedia: Death and funeral of James VI and I
  10. 1664

    Inaugural celebrations begin at Louis XIV's new Palace of Versailles.

    Europe · Palace of VersaillesWikipedia: Louis XIV
  11. 1685

    Battle of Vrtijeljka between rebels and Ottoman forces.

    Europe · Battle on VrtijeljkaWikipedia: Battle on Vrtijeljka
  12. 1697

    Stockholm's medieval castle Tre Kronor is destroyed by fire. It is replaced in the 18th century by the current Royal Palace.

    Europe · StockholmWikipedia: Tre Kronor
  13. 1718

    The city of New Orleans is founded by Jean-Baptiste Le Moyne, Sieur de Bienville.

    North America · New OrleansWikipedia: New Orleans
  14. 1763

    Pontiac's War begins with Pontiac's attempt to seize Fort Detroit from the British.

    North America · Siege of Fort DetroitWikipedia: Pontiac's War
  15. 1765

    HMS Victory is launched at Chatham Dockyard, Kent. She is not commissioned until 1778.

    Britain & Ireland · Chatham DockyardWikipedia: HMS Victory
  16. 1775

    The Ottoman Empire cedes Bukovina to the Habsburg monarchy.

    no place on the mapWikipedia: Ottoman Empire
  17. 1794

    French Revolution: Robespierre introduces the Cult of the Supreme Being in the National Convention as the new state religion of the French First Republic.

    Europe · French First RepublicWikipedia: French Revolution
  18. 1798

    French Revolutionary Wars: A French force attempting to dislodge a small British garrison on the Îles Saint-Marcouf is repulsed with heavy losses.

    Europe · Battle of the Îles Saint-MarcoufWikipedia: Battle of the Îles Saint-Marcouf
  19. 1824

    World premiere of Ludwig van Beethoven's Ninth Symphony in Vienna, Austria. The performance is conducted by Michael Umlauf under the composer's supervision.

    Europe · ViennaWikipedia: Ludwig van Beethoven
  20. 1832

    Greece's independence is recognized by the Treaty of London.

    Britain & Ireland · LondonWikipedia: London Conference of 1832
  21. 1840

    The Great Natchez Tornado strikes Natchez, Mississippi killing 317 people. It is the second deadliest tornado in United States history.

    North America · Natchez, MississippiWikipedia: Great Natchez Tornado
  22. 1864

    American Civil War: The Army of the Potomac, under General Ulysses S. Grant, breaks off from the Battle of the Wilderness and moves southwards.

    North America · Battle of the WildernessWikipedia: American Civil War
  23. 1864

    The world's oldest surviving clipper ship, the City of Adelaide is launched by William Pile, Hay and Co. in Sunderland, England, for transporting passengers and goods between Britain and Australia.

    no place on the mapWikipedia: City of Adelaide
  24. 1895

    In Saint Petersburg, Russian scientist Alexander Stepanovich Popov demonstrates to the Russian Physical and Chemical Society his invention, the Popov lightning detector—a primitive radio receiver. In some parts of the former Soviet Union the anniversary of this day is celebrated as Radio Day.

    Europe · Saint PetersburgWikipedia: Saint Petersburg
  25. 1915

    The Republic of China accedes to 13 of the 21 Demands, extending the Empire of Japan's control over Manchuria and the Chinese economy.

  26. 1915

    World War I: German submarine U-20 sinks RMS Lusitania, killing 1,199 people, including 128 Americans. Public reaction to the sinking turns many former pro-Germans in the United States against the German Empire.

    Britain & Ireland · Sinking of RMS LusitaniaWikipedia: World War I
  27. 1920

    Polish–Soviet War: Kyiv offensive: Polish troops led by Józef Piłsudski and Edward Rydz-Śmigły and assisted by a symbolic Ukrainian force capture Kyiv only to be driven out by the Red Army counter-offensive a month later.

    Europe · Central and Eastern EuropeWikipedia: Polish–Soviet War
  28. 1920

    Treaty of Moscow: Soviet Russia recognizes the independence of the Democratic Republic of Georgia only to invade the country six months later.

    no place on the mapWikipedia: Treaty of Moscow
  29. 1930

    The 7.1 Mw Salmas earthquake shakes northwestern Iran and southeastern Turkey with a maximum Mercalli intensity of IX (Violent). Up to three-thousand people were killed.

    Asia · 1930 Salmas earthquakeWikipedia: 1930 Salmas earthquake
  30. 1931

    The stand-off between criminal Francis Crowley and 300 members of the New York Police Department takes place in his fifth-floor apartment on West 91st Street, New York City.

    North America · New York City Police DepartmentWikipedia: Francis Crowley
  31. 1937

    Employees at Fleischer Studios in New York City went on strike in the animation industry's first major labor strike.

  32. 1937

    Spanish Civil War: The German Condor Legion, equipped with Heinkel He 51 biplanes, arrives in Spain to assist Francisco Franco's forces.

    no place on the mapWikipedia: Spanish Civil War
  33. 1940

    World War II: The Norway Debate in the British House of Commons begins, and leads to the replacement of Prime Minister Neville Chamberlain with Winston Churchill three days later.

    no place on the mapWikipedia: World War II
  34. 1942

    World War II: During the Battle of the Coral Sea, United States Navy aircraft carrier aircraft attack and sink the Imperial Japanese Navy light aircraft carrier Shōhō; the battle marks the first time in naval history that two enemy fleets fight without visual contact between warring ships.

    Oceans · Battle of the Coral SeaWikipedia: Battle of the Coral Sea
  35. 1945

    World War II: Last German U-boat attack of the war, two freighters are sunk off the Firth of Forth, Scotland.

    Britain & Ireland · Firth of ForthWikipedia: U-boat
  36. 1946

    Tokyo Telecommunications Engineering (later renamed Sony) is founded.

    no place on the mapWikipedia: Sony
  37. 1948

    The Council of Europe is founded during the Hague Congress.

    Europe · Congress of EuropeWikipedia: Congress of Europe
  38. 1952

    The concept of the integrated circuit, the basis for all modern computers, is first published by Geoffrey Dummer.

  39. 1954

    A convoy of circus wagons carrying lions, horses, ponies and an ass lost control and overturned into some shop fronts in Dungannon, Northern Ireland.

    Britain & Ireland · DungannonWikipedia: Dungannon
  40. 1954

    Indochina War: The Battle of Dien Bien Phu ends in a French defeat and a Viet Minh victory (the battle began on March 13).

    Asia · Battle of Dien Bien PhuWikipedia: First Indochina War
  41. 1960

    Cold War: U-2 Crisis of 1960: Soviet leader Nikita Khrushchev announces that his nation is holding American U-2 pilot Gary Powers.

    Asia · 1960 U-2 incidentWikipedia: 1960 U-2 incident
  42. 1964

    Pacific Airlines Flight 773 is hijacked by Francisco Gonzales and crashes in Contra Costa County, California, killing 44.

    North America · Pacific Air Lines Flight 773Wikipedia: Pacific Air Lines Flight 773
  43. 1986

    Canadian Patrick Morrow becomes the first person to climb each of the Seven Summits.

    no place on the mapWikipedia: Patrick Morrow
  44. 1991

    A fire and explosion occurs at a fireworks factory at Sungai Buloh, Malaysia, killing 26.

    Asia · Bright Sparklers fireworks disasterWikipedia: Bright Sparklers fireworks disaster
  45. 1992

    Michigan ratifies a 203-year-old proposed amendment to the United States Constitution making the 27th Amendment law. This amendment bars the U.S. Congress from giving itself a mid-term pay raise.

    North America · United States CongressWikipedia: United States Congress
  46. 1992

    Space Shuttle program: The Space Shuttle Endeavour is launched on its first mission, STS-49.

  47. 1992

    Three employees at a McDonald's Restaurant in Sydney, Nova Scotia, Canada, are brutally murdered and a fourth permanently disabled after a botched robbery. It is the first "fast-food murder" in Canada.

    North America · Sydney RiverWikipedia: Sydney River McDonald's murders
  48. 1994

    Edvard Munch's painting The Scream is recovered undamaged after being stolen from the National Gallery of Norway in February.

    Europe · National GalleryWikipedia: The Scream
  49. 1998

    Mercedes-Benz buys Chrysler for US$40 billion and forms DaimlerChrysler in the largest industrial merger in history.

    no place on the mapWikipedia: Mercedes-Benz
  50. 1999

    In Guinea-Bissau, President João Bernardo Vieira is ousted in a military coup.

    Africa · Guinea-BissauWikipedia: Guinea-Bissau
  51. 1999

    Kosovo War: Three Chinese citizens are killed and 20 wounded when a NATO aircraft inadvertently bombs the Chinese embassy in Belgrade, Serbia.

    Europe · United States bombing of the Chinese embassy in BelgradeWikipedia: Kosovo War
  52. 1999

    Pope John Paul II travels to Romania, becoming the first pope to visit a predominantly Eastern Orthodox country since the Great Schism in 1054.

    Europe · RomaniaWikipedia: East–West Schism
  53. 2000

    Vladimir Putin is inaugurated as president of Russia.

    no place on the mapWikipedia: Vladimir Putin
  54. 2002

    A China Northern Airlines MD-82 plunges into the Yellow Sea, killing 112 people.

    Asia · China Northern Airlines Flight 6136Wikipedia: China Northern Airlines Flight 6136
  55. 2002

    An EgyptAir Boeing 737-500 crashes on approach to Tunis–Carthage International Airport, killing 14 people.

    Africa · EgyptAir Flight 843Wikipedia: EgyptAir Flight 843
  56. 2004

    American businessman Nick Berg is beheaded by Islamist militants. The act is recorded on videotape and released on the Internet.

  57. 2009

    Police in Napier, New Zealand, began a 40-hour siege of the home of a former New Zealand Army member who had shot at officers during the routine execution of a search warrant.

    Oceania · Napier shootingsWikipedia: Napier shootings
  58. 2010

    A draft sequence of the Neanderthal genome was published, demonstrating that most living humans have Neanderthal ancestors.

    no place on the mapWikipedia: Neanderthal
  59. 2023

    Tanur boat disaster: At least 22 people are killed when a boat carrying tourists capsizes in Tanur, Malappuram, Kerala, India.

    Asia · 2023 Tanur boat disasterWikipedia: 2023 Tanur boat disaster
  60. 2025

    The Indian Army and the Indian Air Force conduct surgical strikes code-named Operation SINDOOR on terrorist hideouts in Pakistan in response to the Pahalgam Attack that killed 26 people.

    Asia · 2025 Pahalgam attackWikipedia: 2025 India–Pakistan conflict

What the other Wikipedias remember

For these years the English list has nothing on this day. The events below come from the same day’s lists on Wikipedia in Spanish and were translated for this page.

  1. 1348

    In Prague, Charles University is founded.

    Europe · PragueTranslated from the list on Wikipedia in SpanishWikipedia: Universidad Carolina
  2. 1951

    The International Olympic Committee allows Russia to compete in the 1952 Winter Olympic Games in Oslo.

    Europe · 1952 Winter OlympicsTranslated from the list on Wikipedia in SpanishWikipedia: Juegos Olímpicos de Oslo 1952

Who was born on 7 May

In order of how many Wikipedia editions have an article about each. The first 60 of 142 are shown.

  1. 1861

    Rabindranath Tagore, Indian author and poet, Nobel Prize laureate (died 1941)

    KolkataWikipedia: Rabindranath Tagore
  2. 1840

    Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky, Russian composer and educator (died 1893)

    VotkinskWikipedia: Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky
  3. 1833

    Johannes Brahms, German pianist and composer (died 1897)

    HamburgWikipedia: Johannes Brahms
  4. 1711

    David Hume, Scottish economist, historian, and philosopher (died 1776)

    EdinburghWikipedia: David Hume
  5. 1892

    Josip Broz Tito, Yugoslav field marshal and politician, 1st President of Yugoslavia (died 1980)

    KumrovecWikipedia: Josip Broz Tito
  6. 1867

    Władysław Reymont, Polish novelist, Nobel Prize laureate (died 1925)

    Kobiele WielkieWikipedia: Władysław Reymont
  7. 1919

    Eva Perón, Argentinian actress, 25th First Lady of Argentina (died 1952)

    JunínWikipedia: Eva Perón
  8. 1812

    Robert Browning, English poet and playwright (died 1889)

    LondonWikipedia: Robert Browning
  9. 1901

    Gary Cooper, American actor (died 1961)

    HelenaWikipedia: Gary Cooper
  10. 1748

    Olympe de Gouges, French playwright and philosopher (died 1793)

    MontaubanWikipedia: Olympe de Gouges
  11. 1956

    Jan Peter Balkenende, Dutch jurist and politician, Prime Minister of the Netherlands

    BiezelingeWikipedia: Jan Peter Balkenende
  12. 1998

    MrBeast, American YouTuber

    WichitaWikipedia: MrBeast
  13. 1923

    Anne Baxter, American actress (died 1985)

    Michigan CityWikipedia: Anne Baxter
  14. 1999

    Cody Gakpo, Dutch footballer

    EindhovenWikipedia: Cody Gakpo
  15. 1998

    Dani Olmo, Spanish footballer

    TerrassaWikipedia: Dani Olmo
  16. 1939

    Sidney Altman, Canadian-American biologist and academic, Nobel Prize laureate (died 2022)

    MontrealWikipedia: Sidney Altman
  17. 1971

    Thomas Piketty, French economist

    ClichyWikipedia: Thomas Piketty
  18. 1997

    Youri Tielemans, Belgian footballer

    Sint-Pieters-LeeuwWikipedia: Youri Tielemans
  19. 1605

    Patriarch Nikon of Moscow (died 1681)

    VeldemanovoWikipedia: Patriarch Nikon of Moscow
  20. 1939

    Ruud Lubbers, Dutch economist and politician, Prime Minister of the Netherlands (died 2018)

    RotterdamWikipedia: Ruud Lubbers
  21. 1847

    Archibald Primrose, 5th Earl of Rosebery, English politician, Prime Minister of the United Kingdom (died 1929)

  22. 1927

    Ruth Prawer Jhabvala, German-American author and screenwriter (died 2013)

    CologneWikipedia: Ruth Prawer Jhabvala
  23. 1940

    Angela Carter, English novelist and short story writer (died 1992)

    EastbourneWikipedia: Angela Carter
  24. 1985

    J Balvin, Colombian singer-songwriter and producer

    MedellínWikipedia: J Balvin
  25. 1763

    Józef Poniatowski, Polish general (died 1813)

    ViennaWikipedia: Józef Poniatowski
  26. 1968

    Traci Lords, American actress and singer

    SteubenvilleWikipedia: Traci Lords
  27. 1997

    Daria Kasatkina, Russian tennis player

    TolyattiWikipedia: Daria Kasatkina
  28. 1943

    Peter Carey, Australian novelist and short story writer

    Bacchus MarshWikipedia: Peter Carey
  29. 1892

    Archibald MacLeish, American poet, playwright, and lawyer (died 1982)

    GlencoeWikipedia: Archibald MacLeish
  30. 1978

    Shawn Marion, American basketball player

    WaukeganWikipedia: Shawn Marion
  31. 1976

    Ayelet Shaked, former Israeli Minister of Justice

    Tel AvivWikipedia: Ayelet Shaked
  32. 1984

    Kevin Owens, Canadian wrestler

    Saint-Jean-sur-RichelieuWikipedia: Kevin Owens
  33. 1992

    Alexander Ludwig, Canadian actor and musician

    VancouverWikipedia: Alexander Ludwig
  34. 1995

    Seko Fofana, Ivorian international footballer

    ParisWikipedia: Seko Fofana
  35. 1909

    Edwin H. Land, American scientist and inventor, co-founded the Polaroid Corporation (died 1991)

    BridgeportWikipedia: Edwin H. Land
  36. 1911

    Ishirō Honda, Japanese director, producer, and screenwriter (died 1993)

    YamagataWikipedia: Ishirō Honda
  37. 1993

    Ajla Tomljanovic, Australian tennis player

    ZagrebWikipedia: Ajla Tomljanović
  38. 1553

    Albert Frederick, Duke of Prussia (died 1618)

  39. 1933

    Johnny Unitas, American football player and sportscaster (died 2002)

    PittsburghWikipedia: Johnny Unitas
  40. 1965

    Owen Hart, Canadian wrestler (died 1999)

    CalgaryWikipedia: Owen Hart
  41. 1530

    Louis, Prince of Condé (died 1569)

    VendômeWikipedia: Louis I, Prince of Condé
  42. 1931

    Gene Wolfe, American author (died 2019)

    BrooklynWikipedia: Gene Wolfe
  43. 1939

    Ruggero Deodato, Italian actor, director, and screenwriter (died 2022)

    PotenzaWikipedia: Ruggero Deodato
  44. 1960

    Almudena Grandes, Spanish author (died 2021)

    MadridWikipedia: Almudena Grandes
  45. 1974

    Breckin Meyer, American actor, writer, and producer

    MinneapolisWikipedia: Breckin Meyer
  46. 1965

    Norman Whiteside, Northern Irish footballer and manager

    BelfastWikipedia: Norman Whiteside
  47. 1701

    Carl Heinrich Graun, German tenor and composer (died 1759)

    WahrenbrückWikipedia: Carl Heinrich Graun
  48. 1875

    Bill Hoyt, American pole vaulter (died 1951)

    GlastonburyWikipedia: William Hoyt
  49. 1896

    Kathleen McKane Godfree, English tennis and badminton player (died 1992)

    BayswaterWikipedia: Kathleen McKane Godfree
  50. 1903

    Nikolay Zabolotsky, Russian-Soviet poet and translator (died 1958)

    KazanWikipedia: Nikolay Zabolotsky
  51. 1990

    Sydney Leroux, Canadian-American footballer

    SurreyWikipedia: Sydney Leroux
  52. 1882

    Willem Elsschot, Belgian author and poet (died 1960)

    AntwerpWikipedia: Willem Elsschot
  53. 1767

    Princess Frederica Charlotte of Prussia (died 1820)

  54. 1946

    Michael Rosen, English author and poet

    HarrowWikipedia: Michael Rosen
  55. 1996

    Lee "Faker" Sang-hyeok, South Korean League of Legends pro gamer

    SeoulWikipedia: Faker
  56. 1917

    David Tomlinson, English actor (died 2000)

    Henley-on-ThamesWikipedia: David Tomlinson
  57. 1931

    Teresa Brewer, American singer (died 2007)

    ToledoWikipedia: Teresa Brewer
  58. 1956

    Anne Dudley, English pianist and composer

    ChathamWikipedia: Anne Dudley
  59. 1969

    Eagle-Eye Cherry, Swedish singer-songwriter

    StockholmWikipedia: Eagle-Eye Cherry
  60. 1986

    Matt Helders, English drummer

    SheffieldWikipedia: Matt Helders

What is celebrated on 7 May

  • Christian feast day: Agathius of Byzantium
  • Christian feast day: Agostino Roscelli
  • Christian feast day: Anthony of Kiev
  • Christian feast day: Pope Benedict II
  • Christian feast day: Flavia Domitilla
  • Christian feast day: Gisela of Hungary
  • Christian feast day: Harriet Starr Cannon (Episcopal Church (USA))
  • Christian feast day: John of Beverley
  • Christian feast day: Rose Venerini
  • Christian feast day: May 7 (Eastern Orthodox liturgics)
  • Defender of the Fatherland Day (Kazakhstan)
  • Dien Bien Phu Victory Day (Vietnam)
  • Radio Day, commemorating the work of Alexander Popov (Russia, Bulgaria)

A greeting link for someone

Type a name and, if you like, the year of birth. The link opens with a greeting, and beside each event it says how old the person turned that day, or how many years before their birth it happened.

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How the globe is made

Where the events come from

Each edition of this page uses the day’s list from Wikipedia in its own language: Romanian, English, Spanish, Chinese. The lists are written by volunteers and differ from one edition to the next; the text of each event is Wikipedia’s, with a link to the article. A row that appears twice in a list is shown once. The lists have not been checked event by event: they are Wikipedia’s, mistakes included.

For events before 1582, and for countries that moved to the Gregorian calendar later (Britain in 1752, Russia in 1918), the same day may be counted Old Style in one list and New Style in another.

The chapter “What the other Wikipedias remember” adds up to five events a day from the lists of the other three editions, only for years in which the English list has nothing on that day. They were translated for this page, passed the same filters as the tour, and are not counted among the events of the English list.

How an event gets onto the map

The place comes from Wikidata. If the sentence links to the article about the event itself (a battle, an opening, an earthquake), dated to the same year, the ray stands on its coordinates or on those of its location. Otherwise it stands on the first place the sentence links to: a town, a building, a mountain, an island. This second step can be wrong: sometimes the sentence only mentions the place. That is why the page says, under each event, which place the ray stands on.

When the sentence links to a single state or province, or to a single sea, lake or desert larger than 5,000 km², the globe shows a dashed circle, not a ray. The circle has the area Wikidata gives, with its radius kept between 1.2° and 16°, or a radius of 4.5° when Wikidata gives no area; it says only that the sentence links to that place. Organisations, ships, spacecraft, museum objects, rivers, mountain ranges, languages and continents are never used as places. When a sentence names several states and no exact place, the event stays in the list only.

What the height means

The height of a ray shows how many years have passed, on a logarithmic scale: 10 years, 100 years and 1,000 years are equal steps apart; anything older than about 2,600 years has the tallest ray. The colour runs from pale yellow for recent years to violet for antiquity.

Where the tour stops

In each region the tour stops at up to three events (five in Britain and Ireland), chosen mainly by three things: whether Wikipedia’s editors put the event in the “On this day” box of their main page (the English, Spanish and Chinese editions), how many Wikipedia editions have an article about it, and how many of the four lists include it. Events whose sentence or article is about a war, an attack, a crime or a disaster are left out of the tour; they stay in the whole list, in Wikipedia’s wording. The filter is a list of words and a list of Wikidata types, so it can miss some.

The tour of births names the people with articles in the most editions and leaves aside those whom the list or Wikidata describes as rulers, politicians, commanders, leaders of movements or criminals; they stay in the list.

The Earth and the Sun

The daytime images are NASA’s Blue Marble Next Generation mosaics, one for each month of 2004; the night side is Black Marble 2016. The tilt of the line between day and night is computed for the day; the hour is chosen so that the place being read is in daylight. The latitude where the Sun stands overhead is the average of the four years of the leap cycle; in a given year it can differ by up to 0.4°.

The day you were born

The number ones come from the weekly lists on Wikipedia: Billboard for the United States (from 1940; the Hot 100 from August 1958), the UK Singles Chart (from November 1952), Los 40 Principales for Spain (from July 1966) and, for Romania, the Romanian Top 100 and Airplay 100 (2001–2021, with missing weeks). The page shows the chart of the week in which the day of birth falls, with its date; Billboard and the UK chart are dated at the end of their week. For Romania before 2001 and for China these sources have no weekly chart.

The films are those that reached cinemas in the United States up to ten days before or three days after that day (some of them in a few cinemas at first), from the English Wikipedia’s yearly lists (from 1968), in order of how many editions have an article about them. The events “in those days” are the ones on the neighbouring days’ lists that carry the year of birth, passed through the same filter as the tour.

The day of birth, year included

The Moon, the star sign and the constellation are worked out by the page itself, for noon Universal Time on the day. The lit part of the Moon is rounded and can differ by a few per cent from that at the hour of birth. The sign follows the usual zodiac of twelve equal parts starting at the March equinox; the constellation is the one the Sun actually stood in front of, by the borders set by the International Astronomical Union, and within a day of a border the page does not name it. When the Sun changes sign while it is that day anywhere on Earth, the page gives the moment of crossing, rounded to ten minutes and accurate to within about a quarter of an hour, and the clock time in a few cities, with the time zone and summer time of that year.

The year in the Chinese calendar is the one your device’s own calendar gives for the date, checked against the Hong Kong Observatory’s tables. “All your birthdays” uses the same sources as the rest of the chapter for the same day in every year since the birth: the temperature, well-known launches that took place on that very day, matches of the teams the edition follows, snow deeper than 10 cm and strong geomagnetic storms. The three things at the top and the four on the picture are chosen in a fixed order (the song, the animal, a full Moon, a well-known launch before an ordinary earthquake); on the picture you can change them.

When the link carries a year of birth, the page adds a few things about that exact day. The weather is the Met Office’s Central England temperature record and the readings from New York’s Central Park; the “usual high” is the average of the daily highs of 1961–1990 for that date, with two days either side. The carbon dioxide figure is the monthly mean at the Mauna Loa observatory, where measurements begin in March 1958.

The earthquake is the one with the largest magnitude in the USGS catalogue for that day, counted in Universal Time. Before the 1960s the catalogue has gaps even above magnitude 5.5, so in the older years many days have no earthquake. The page gives only the magnitude and the place: the country the epicentre falls in or, when the epicentre is at sea within 300 km of a coast, the nearest country; farther out, only the ocean.

The launches are those that reached orbit or left for the Moon and the planets, from Jonathan McDowell’s GCAT catalogue. If nothing left that day, the page shows the nearest launch within three days before or after, and says how many days away it was. The geomagnetic storm appears only when the Kp index reached at least 5 in one of the day’s eight three-hour intervals.

The animal comes from GBIF: an observation made by a person (the animal seen or heard, or its tracks), dated to that exact day, with coordinates and a CC0 or CC BY licence. Only a few hundred well-known species are searched (mammals, birds, turtles, butterflies); of those noted that day, mammals and species with articles in many Wikipedia editions come first; birds noted almost every day, and species used recently, wait their turn. Observations dated 1 January are left out, because records without a day are often filed there. An observation shows that the animal was recorded there, not how many animals there were.

The matches are those between national teams. Only matches of England, Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland, the Republic of Ireland, the United States, Canada and Australia are shown, along with those at the big final tournaments. The picture to send is drawn in the page from the day’s globe and the facts above, and stays on your device until you send it.

Sources

More pages about birthdays