May 7, 1915: The RMS Lusitania, a cruise ship of the Cunard Line, is sunk by SM U-20, a U-boat of the Imperial Germany Navy off the southern coast of Ireland. This resulted in the deaths of 1,198 people passengers and crew combined.
The German government insisted that Lusitania was carrying war munitions and ammunition, and that made the sinking justified. Most of the world, however, considered it an unfair act of war. Still, America wouldn't get into World War I for another 2 years.
U-20 went aground on November 4, 1916, off the coast of Denmark, and was scuttled by its crew. It had sunk 36 ships, including Lusitania.
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May 7, 1915 was a Friday. The NFL and the NBA hadn't been founded yet. The National Hockey Association, the predecessor to the NHL, had completed its season. This was the 2nd of the 2 seasons that baseball had 3 major leagues.
In the American League:
* The New York Yankees lost to the Boston Red Sox, 5-3 at the Polo Grounds in New York. Dutch Leonard outpitched Ray Caldwell. Roger Peckinpaugh hit a home run for the Yankees, and Harry Hooper hit one for the Red Sox. Babe Ruth, in what turned out to be his 1st full season with the Red Sox, did not play in this game.
* The Philadelphia Athletics beat the Washington Senators, 4-1 at Shibe Park in Philadelphia.
* The Detroit Tigers beat the St. Louis Browns, 11-2 at Sportsman's Park in St. Louis.
* The Chicago White Sox and Cleveland Indians did not play that day.
In the National League:
* The New York Giants lost to the Boston Braves, 11-7 at Fenway Park in Boston, where the Braves were playing between the closing of the South End Grounds and the opening of Braves Field.
* The Pittsburgh Pirates beat the St. Louis Cardinals, 6-4 at Forbes Field in Pittsburgh.
* The Cincinnati Reds beat the Chicago Cubs, 9-2 at West Side Park in Chicago. The following year, with the collapse of the Federal League, the Cubs moved into Weeghman Park. In 1926, it was renamed Wrigley Field.
* The Brooklyn Dodgers and the Philadelphia Phillies did not play that day.
And in the Federal League:
* The Brooklyn Tip-Tops beat the Kansas City Packers, 4-1 at Washington Park in Brooklyn. That ballpark was home to the Brooklyn Dodgers from 1898 to 1912. It was torn down after this season, although part of its outfield wall still stands alongside 3rd Avenue.
* The Newark Peppers beat the Chicago Whales, 5-4 at Harrison Park, across the Passaic River from Newark, in Harrison, Hudson County, New Jersey. It was on the opposite side of the Pennsylvania Railroad -- now Amtrak, New Jersey Transit and PATH -- tracks from where Red Bull Arena stands today.
* The Pittsburgh Rebels beat the Baltimore Terrapins, 10-9 at Terrapin Park in Baltimore. After the FL's collapse, the International League's Baltimore Orioles moved into Terrapin Park, renaming it Oriole Park, remaining there until it burned down in 1944. They moved into Baltimore Municipal Stadium, which was converted into Memorial Stadium, which became the home of the AL's version of the Orioles.
* The Buffalo Blues and the St. Louis Terriers did not play that day.