1. In 1630, the first colonial governor of Massachusetts, John Winthrop, arrived in the colony aboard the Arbella, which had departed from England on April 8th of that same year.

2. The Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) was founded on May 7, 1861, as the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and Boston Society of Natural History. The original goal of the school was to provide education in the applied sciences.

3. On May 7, 1915, a German submarine, the U-20, sank the passenger liner Lusitania off the coast of Ireland. The attack resulted in the deaths of 1,198 people, including 139 Americans, and ultimately helped to push the United States closer to entering World War I.

4. In 2013, the Massachusetts House of Representatives passed a bill legalizing casino gambling in the state. The bill, which was signed into law by Governor Deval Patrick, allowed for up to three casinos and one slot parlor to be built in the state.

5. May 7, 1965, was the day that Massachusetts officially adopted its state flag. The flag features a blue shield with an image of an Indian man kneeling in the center, surrounded by a white star and a wreath of blue and green.