TODAY IN HISTORY

On May 7, 1789, America’s first inaugural ball was held in New York in honor of President George Washington, who had taken the oath of office a week prior.

In 1889, the Johns Hopkins Hospital in Baltimore opened its doors.

In 1915, a German U-boat sank the British liner RMS Lusitania off the southern coast of Ireland.

In 1928, the minimum voting age for British women was lowered from 30 to 21, the same age as men.

In 1939, Germany and Italy announced a military and political alliance known as the Rome-Berlin Axis.

In 1992, the latest addition to America’s space shuttle fleet, Endeavour, went on its first flight.

In 1998, the parent company of Mercedes-Benz agreed to buy Chrysler Corp. for more than $37 billion.