Today is Saturday, May 7, the 128th day of 2016. There are 238 days left in the year.

Today’s birthdays: Rhythm-and-blues singer Thelma Houston is 73. Actress Robin Strasser is 71. Rock musician Bill Kreutzmann (Grateful Dead) is 70. Rock musician Prairie Prince is 66. Movie writer-director Amy Heckerling is 64. Rock musician Phil Campbell (Motorhead) is 55. Country musician Rick Schell is 53. Actress Traci Lords is 48. Singer Eagle-Eye Cherry is 45. Actor Taylor Abrahamse is 25. Actress Dylan Gelula is 22.

In 1789, America’s first inaugural ball was held in New York in honor of President George Washington.

In 1824, Beethoven’s Symphony No. 9 in D minor, Op. 125, had its premiere in Vienna.

In 1915, a German U-boat torpedoed and sank the British liner RMS Lusitania off the southern coast of Ireland, killing 1,198 people.

In 1941, Glenn Miller and His Orchestra recorded ‘‘Chattanooga Choo Choo’’ for RCA Victor.

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

In 1946, Sony Corp. had its beginnings as the Tokyo Telecommunications Engineering Corp. was founded.

In 1966, Kauai King won the Kentucky Derby; the event was telecast in color for the first time by CBS.

In 1975, President Gerald R. Ford formally declared an end to the ‘‘Vietnam era’’ as US troops continued their withdrawal.