On this day, May 7

1812 William Turner & Co. opened what is believed to have been the city’s first theater.

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

1945 Germany signed an unconditional surrender at Allied headquarters in Rheims (rams), France, ending its role in World War II.

1946 Federal Court ordered the Pittsburgh Railways Co. to reorganize and find an immediate solution to its financial problems.

1979 The federal government formally committed $265 million to the Port Authority of Allegheny County for the proposed light-rail transit system that would connect the South Hills with Downtown.

2010 A BP-chartered vessel lowered a 100-ton concrete-and-steel vault onto the ruptured Deepwater Horizon well in an unprecedented, and ultimately unsuccessful, attempt to stop most of the gushing crude fouling the sea.

Some items are from Stefan Lorant’s “Pittsburgh: The Story of an American City” (digital.library.pitt.edu/chronology).

— Compiled by Rick Nowlin

Today’s birthdays: R&B singer Thelma Houston, 79. Actor Robin Strasser, 77. Singer-songwriter Bill Danoff, 76. Rock musician Bill Kreutzmann (Grateful Dead), 76. Former Utah Gov. Gary Herbert, 75. Rock musician Prairie Prince, 72. Movie writer-director Amy Heckerling, 70. Actor Michael E. Knight, 63. Rock musician Phil Campbell (Motorhead), 61. Rock singer-musician Chris O’Connor (Primitive Radio Gods), 57. Actor Traci Lords, 54. Actor Morocco Omari, 52. Singer Eagle-Eye Cherry, 51. Actor Breckin Meyer, 48. Rock musician Matt Helders (Arctic Monkeys), 36. Actor-comedian Aidy Bryant, 35. Actor Taylor Abrahamse, 31. Actor Alexander Ludwig, 30. Actor Dylan Gelula, 28.

Thought for today: “Be a philosopher but, amid all your philosophy be still a man.” — David Hume, Scottish philosopher

(1711-1776)