On This Day — April 5

Famous events, births, and deaths from April 5 in history, plus the public holidays, religious observances, sports, and national days happening on this date today.

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43 events · 245 births · 114 deaths recorded for April 5.

🕰️ Notable Events on April 5

2010 — Twenty-nine coal miners are killed in an explosion at the Upper Big Branch Mine in West Virginia. Wikipedia ↗
2009 — North Korea launches its controversial Kwangmyŏngsŏng-2 rocket. The satellite passed over mainland Japan, which prompted an immediate reaction from the United Nations Security Council, as well as participating states of Six-party talks. Wikipedia ↗
1999 — Two Libyans suspected of bringing down Pan Am Flight 103 in 1988 are handed over for eventual trial in the Netherlands. Wikipedia ↗
1998 — In Japan, the Akashi Kaikyō Bridge opens to traffic, becoming the longest bridge span in the world. Wikipedia ↗
1992 — Alberto Fujimori, president of Peru, dissolves the Peruvian congress by military force. Wikipedia ↗
1992 — Peace protesters Suada Dilberovic and Olga Sučić are killed on the Vrbanja Bridge in Sarajevo, becoming the first casualties of the Bosnian War. Wikipedia ↗
1991 — An ASA EMB 120 crashes in Brunswick, Georgia, killing all 23 aboard including Sen. John Tower and astronaut Sonny Carter. Wikipedia ↗
1986 — Three people are killed in the bombing of the La Belle discotheque in West Berlin, Germany. Wikipedia ↗
1976 — In the People's Republic of China, the April Fifth Movement leads to the Tiananmen Incident. Wikipedia ↗
1971 — In Sri Lanka, Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna launches a revolt against the United Front government of Sirimavo Bandaranaike. Wikipedia ↗
1969 — Vietnam War: Massive antiwar demonstrations occur in many U.S. cities. Wikipedia ↗
1958 — Ripple Rock, an underwater threat to navigation in the Seymour Narrows in Canada is destroyed in one of the largest non-nuclear controlled explosions of the time. Wikipedia ↗
1957 — In India, Communists win the first elections in united Kerala and E. M. S. Namboodiripad is sworn in as the first Chief Minister. Wikipedia ↗
1956 — Fidel Castro declares himself at war with Cuban President Fulgencio Batista. Wikipedia ↗
1956 — In Sri Lanka, the Mahajana Eksath Peramuna win the general elections in a landslide and S. W. R. D. Bandaranaike is sworn in as the Prime Minister of Ceylon. Wikipedia ↗
1951 — Ethel and Julius Rosenberg are sentenced to death for spying for the Soviet Union. Wikipedia ↗
1949 — A fire in a hospital in Effingham, Illinois, kills 77 people and leads to nationwide fire code improvements in the United States. Wikipedia ↗
1945 — Cold War: Yugoslav leader Josip Broz Tito signs an agreement with the Soviet Union to allow "temporary entry of Soviet troops into Yugoslav territory". Wikipedia ↗
1944 — World War II: Two hundred seventy inhabitants of the Greek town of Kleisoura are executed by the Germans. Wikipedia ↗
1943 — World War II: American bomber aircraft accidentally cause more than 900 civilian deaths, including 209 children, and 1,300 wounded among the civilian population of the Belgian town of Mortsel. Their target was the Erla factory one kilometer from the residential area hit. Wikipedia ↗
1942 — World War II: The Imperial Japanese Navy launches a carrier-based air attack on Colombo, Ceylon during the Indian Ocean raid. Port and civilian facilities are damaged and the Royal Navy cruisers HMS Cornwall and HMS Dorsetshire are sunk southwest of the island. Wikipedia ↗
1936 — Tupelo-Gainesville tornado outbreak: An F5 tornado kills 233 in Tupelo, Mississippi. Wikipedia ↗
1933 — U.S. President Franklin D. Roosevelt signs two executive orders: 6101 to establish the Civilian Conservation Corps, and 6102 "forbidding the Hoarding of Gold Coin, Gold Bullion, and Gold Certificates" by U.S. citizens. Wikipedia ↗
1932 — Dominion of Newfoundland: Ten thousand rioters seize the Colonial Building leading to the end of self-government. Wikipedia ↗
1922 — The American Birth Control League, forerunner of Planned Parenthood, is incorporated. Wikipedia ↗
1915 — Boxing challenger Jess Willard knocks out Jack Johnson in Havana, Cuba to become the Heavyweight Champion of the World. Wikipedia ↗
1904 — The first international rugby league match is played between England and an Other Nationalities team (Welsh & Scottish players) in Central Park, Wigan, England. Wikipedia ↗
1900 — Archaeologists in Knossos, Crete, discover a large cache of clay tablets with hieroglyphic writing in a script they call Linear B. Wikipedia ↗
1879 — Chile declares war on Bolivia and Peru, starting the War of the Pacific. Wikipedia ↗
1862 — American Civil War: The Battle of Yorktown begins. Wikipedia ↗
1818 — In the Battle of Maipú, Chile's independence movement, led by Bernardo O'Higgins and José de San Martín, win a decisive victory over Spain, leaving 2,000 Spaniards and 1,000 Chilean patriots dead. Wikipedia ↗
1795 — Peace of Basel between France and Prussia is made. Wikipedia ↗
1792 — United States President George Washington exercises his authority to veto a bill, the first time this power is used in the United States. Wikipedia ↗
1722 — The Dutch explorer Jacob Roggeveen discovers Easter Island. Wikipedia ↗
1710 — The Statute of Anne receives the royal assent establishing the Copyright law of the United Kingdom. Wikipedia ↗
1621 — The Mayflower sets sail from Plymouth, Massachusetts on a return trip to England. Wikipedia ↗
1614 — In Virginia, Native American Pocahontas marries English colonist John Rolfe. Wikipedia ↗
1609 — Daimyo (Lord) Shimazu Tadatsune of the Satsuma Domain in southern Kyūshū, Japan, completes his successful invasion of the Ryūkyū Kingdom in Okinawa. Wikipedia ↗
1566 — Two-hundred Dutch noblemen, led by Hendrick van Brederode, force themselves into the presence of Margaret of Parma and present the Petition of Compromise, denouncing the Spanish Inquisition in the Seventeen Provinces. Wikipedia ↗
1536 — Royal Entry of Charles V into Rome: The last Roman triumph. Wikipedia ↗
1242 — During the Battle on the Ice of Lake Peipus, Russian forces, led by Alexander Nevsky, rebuff an invasion attempt by the Teutonic Knights. Wikipedia ↗
1081 — Alexios I Komnenos is crowned Byzantine emperor at Constantinople, bringing the Komnenian dynasty to full power. Wikipedia ↗
823 — Lothair I is crowned King of Italy by Pope Paschal I. Wikipedia ↗

🎂 Notable Births on April 5

1999 — Sharlene San Pedro, Filipino actress, singer, and dancer Wikipedia ↗
1998 — Kaito Nakamura, Japanese actor and model Wikipedia ↗
1996 — Nicolas Beer, Danish racing driver Wikipedia ↗
1995 — Viliame Kikau, Fijian rugby league player Wikipedia ↗
1993 — Benjamin Garcia, French rugby league player Wikipedia ↗
1993 — Maya DiRado, American swimmer Wikipedia ↗
1992 — Emmalyn Estrada, Canadian singer-songwriter and dancer Wikipedia ↗
1991 — Linnon Stylz, American singer and businessman Wikipedia ↗
1990 — Patrick Dangerfield, Australian rules footballer Wikipedia ↗
1989 — Lily James, English actress Wikipedia ↗
1988 — Jon Kwang-ik, North Korean footballer Wikipedia ↗
1988 — Asumi Nakada, Japanese voice actress and model Wikipedia ↗
1988 — Christopher Papamichalopoulos, Cypriot skier Wikipedia ↗
1988 — Alex Valentini, Italian footballer Wikipedia ↗
1987 — Max Grün, German footballer Wikipedia ↗
1987 — Sergei Lepmets, Estonian footballer Wikipedia ↗
1985 — Daniel Congré, French footballer Wikipedia ↗
1985 — Lastings Milledge, American baseball player Wikipedia ↗
1984 — David Dillehunt, American director, producer, and composer Wikipedia ↗
1984 — Kisho Yano, Japanese footballer Wikipedia ↗
1984 — Shin Min-a, South Korean actress Wikipedia ↗
1984 — Saba Qamar, Pakistani actress-model Wikipedia ↗
1983 — Jorge Andrés Martínez, Uruguayan footballer Wikipedia ↗
1982 — Hayley Atwell, English-American actress Wikipedia ↗
1982 — Thomas Hitzlsperger, German footballer Wikipedia ↗
1982 — Kelly Pavlik, American boxer Wikipedia ↗
1982 — Matt Pickens, American soccer player Wikipedia ↗
1982 — Alexandre Prémat, French race car driver Wikipedia ↗
1981 — Jorge de la Rosa, Mexican baseball player Wikipedia ↗
1981 — Michael A. Monsoor, American soldier, Medal of Honor recipient (d. 2006) Wikipedia ↗
1980 — Matt Bonner, American basketball player Wikipedia ↗
1980 — David Chocarro, Argentinian baseball player and actor Wikipedia ↗
1980 — Mary Katharine Ham, American journalist and blogger Wikipedia ↗
1980 — Joris Mathijsen, Dutch footballer Wikipedia ↗
1979 — Timo Hildebrand, German footballer Wikipedia ↗
1979 — Mitsuo Ogasawara, Japanese footballer Wikipedia ↗
1979 — Benji Radach, American mixed martial artist and trainer Wikipedia ↗
1979 — Dante Wesley, American football player Wikipedia ↗
1978 — Robert Glasper, African-American singer-songwriter, pianist, and producer Wikipedia ↗
1978 — Stephen Jackson, American basketball player Wikipedia ↗
1978 — Franziska van Almsick, German swimmer Wikipedia ↗
1977 — Stella Creasy, English psychologist and politician Wikipedia ↗
1976 — Ryan Drese, American baseball player Wikipedia ↗
1976 — Ross Gload, American baseball player Wikipedia ↗
1976 — Simone Inzaghi, Italian footballer Wikipedia ↗
1976 — Fernando Morientes, Spanish footballer and coach Wikipedia ↗
1976 — Indrek Tobreluts, Estonian biathlete Wikipedia ↗
1975 — Sarah Baldock, English organist and conductor Wikipedia ↗
1975 — John Hartson, Welsh footballer and coach Wikipedia ↗
1975 — Juicy J, American rapper and producer Wikipedia ↗
1975 — Caitlin Moran, English journalist, author, and critic Wikipedia ↗
1975 — Shammond Williams, American basketball player and coach Wikipedia ↗
1974 — Sahaj, American singer-songwriter Wikipedia ↗
1974 — Marcus Jones, English lawyer and politician Wikipedia ↗
1974 — Vyacheslav Voronin, Russian high jumper Wikipedia ↗
1974 — Sheryl Cruz, Filipino actress and singer Wikipedia ↗
1973 — Tony Banks, American football player and journalist Wikipedia ↗
1973 — Élodie Bouchez, French-American actress Wikipedia ↗
1973 — Brendan Cannon, Australian rugby player Wikipedia ↗
1973 — Cho Sung-min, South Korean baseball player (d. 2013) Wikipedia ↗
1973 — Pharrell Williams, American rapper, producer, and fashion designer Wikipedia ↗
1972 — Tim Coronel, Dutch race car driver Wikipedia ↗
1972 — Pat Green, American singer-songwriter and guitarist Wikipedia ↗
1972 — Paul Okon, Australian footballer and manager Wikipedia ↗
1972 — Waylon Payne, American singer-songwriter and actor Wikipedia ↗
1972 — Duncan Spencer, English cricketer Wikipedia ↗
1972 — Yasuhiro Takemoto, Japanese animator and director Wikipedia ↗
1971 — Dong Abay, Filipino singer-songwriter and guitarist Wikipedia ↗
1971 — Ayako Nishikawa, Japanese television personality, entertainer, comedian, and surgeon Wikipedia ↗
1970 — Soheil Ayari, French race car driver Wikipedia ↗
1970 — Krishnan Guru-Murthy, English journalist Wikipedia ↗
1970 — Miho Hatori, Japanese singer-songwriter Wikipedia ↗
1969 — Ryan Birch, English martial artist (d. 2013) Wikipedia ↗
1968 — Paula Cole, American singer-songwriter and pianist Wikipedia ↗
1968 — Stewart Lee, British standup comedian and writer Wikipedia ↗
1967 — Gary Gait, Canadian lacrosse player and coach Wikipedia ↗
1967 — Anu Garg, Indian-American journalist and author Wikipedia ↗
1967 — Troy Gentry, American singer-songwriter and guitarist Wikipedia ↗
1966 — Mike McCready, American guitarist and songwriter Wikipedia ↗
1965 — Cris Carpenter, American baseball player and educator Wikipedia ↗
1965 — Aykut Kocaman, Turkish footballer and manager Wikipedia ↗
1964 — Princess Erika, French singer-songwriter Wikipedia ↗
1964 — Marius Lăcătuș, Romanian footballer and coach Wikipedia ↗
1964 — Christopher Reid, American rapper and actor Wikipedia ↗
1962 — Charlie Adam, Scottish footballer (d. 2012) Wikipedia ↗
1962 — Lana Clarkson, American actress and model (d. 2003) Wikipedia ↗
1962 — Gord Donnelly, Canadian ice hockey player and scout Wikipedia ↗
1962 — Kirsan Ilyumzhinov, Kalmyk businessman and politician, 1st President of Kalmykia Wikipedia ↗
1961 — Jim LeRoy, American pilot (d. 2007) Wikipedia ↗
1960 — Asteris Koutoulas, Romanian-German record producer, manager, and author Wikipedia ↗
1960 — Larry McCray, American singer-songwriter and guitarist Wikipedia ↗
1960 — Ian Redford, Scottish footballer and manager (d. 2014) Wikipedia ↗
1959 — Julius Drake, English pianist and educator Wikipedia ↗
1958 — Johan Kriek, South African-American tennis player Wikipedia ↗
1958 — Diana Nasution, Indonesian singer Wikipedia ↗
1958 — Lasantha Wickrematunge, Sri Lankan lawyer and journalist (d. 2009) Wikipedia ↗
1957 — Karin Roßley, German hurdler Wikipedia ↗
1956 — Diamond Dallas Page, American wrestler and actor Wikipedia ↗
1955 — Charlotte de Turckheim, French actress, producer, and screenwriter Wikipedia ↗
1955 — Anthony Horowitz, English author and screenwriter Wikipedia ↗
1955 — Akira Toriyama, Japanese illustrator Wikipedia ↗
1954 — Guy Bertrand, Canadian linguist and radio host Wikipedia ↗
1954 — Peter Case, American singer-songwriter and guitarist Wikipedia ↗
1954 — Stan Ridgway, American singer-songwriter and guitarist Wikipedia ↗
1953 — John Buchanan, Australian cricketer and coach Wikipedia ↗
1953 — Frank Gaffney, American journalist and radio host Wikipedia ↗
1953 — Ian Swales, English accountant and politician Wikipedia ↗
1952 — John C. Dvorak, American author, editor and co-host of No Agenda podcast Wikipedia ↗
1952 — Mitch Pileggi, American actor Wikipedia ↗
1951 — Yevgeniy Gavrilenko, Belarusian hurdler Wikipedia ↗
1951 — Dean Kamen, American inventor and businessman, founded Segway Inc. Wikipedia ↗
1951 — Dave McArtney, New Zealand singer-songwriter and guitarist (d. 2013) Wikipedia ↗
1950 — Agnetha Fältskog, Swedish singer-songwriter and producer Wikipedia ↗
1949 — Judith Resnik, Ukrainian Jewish-American engineer and astronaut (d. 1986) Wikipedia ↗
1948 — Les Binks, Irish drummer and songwriter Wikipedia ↗
1948 — Dave Holland, English drummer Wikipedia ↗
1947 — Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, Filipino academic and politician, 14th President of the Philippines Wikipedia ↗
1947 — Virendra Sharma, Indian-English lawyer and politician Wikipedia ↗
1946 — Jane Asher, English actress Wikipedia ↗
1946 — Russell Davies, Welsh journalist and radio host Wikipedia ↗
1946 — Takuro Yoshida, Japanese singer-songwriter Wikipedia ↗
1944 — Peter T. King, American soldier, lawyer, and politician Wikipedia ↗
1944 — Pedro Rosselló, Puerto Rican physician and politician, 7th Governor of Puerto Rico Wikipedia ↗
1943 — Max Gail, American actor and director Wikipedia ↗
1943 — Fighting Harada, Japanese boxer Wikipedia ↗
1943 — Jean-Louis Tauran, French cardinal Wikipedia ↗
1942 — Allan Clarke, English singer-songwriter Wikipedia ↗
1942 — Peter Greenaway, Welsh director and screenwriter Wikipedia ↗
1941 — Michael Moriarty, American-Canadian actor Wikipedia ↗
1941 — Dave Swarbrick, English singer-songwriter and fiddler (d. 2016) Wikipedia ↗
1940 — Tommy Cash, American singer-songwriter and guitarist Wikipedia ↗
1940 — Gilles Proulx, Canadian journalist, historian, and radio host Wikipedia ↗
1939 — Crispian St. Peters, English singer-songwriter (d. 2010) Wikipedia ↗
1939 — Ronald White, American singer-songwriter (d. 1995) Wikipedia ↗
1938 — Colin Bland, Zimbabwean-South African cricketer Wikipedia ↗
1938 — Nancy Holt, American sculptor and painter (d. 2014) Wikipedia ↗
1938 — Mal Colston, Australian educator and politician (d. 2003) Wikipedia ↗
1938 — Natalya Kustinskaya, Soviet actress (d. 2012) Wikipedia ↗
1937 — Joseph Lelyveld, American journalist and author Wikipedia ↗
1937 — Colin Powell, American general and politician, 65th United States Secretary of State Wikipedia ↗
1936 — John Kelly, PIRA volunteer and Sinn Féin politician (d. 2007) Wikipedia ↗
1935 — Peter Grant, English talent manager (d. 1995) Wikipedia ↗
1935 — Donald Lynden-Bell, English astrophysicist and astronomer Wikipedia ↗
1934 — John Carey, English author and critic Wikipedia ↗
1934 — Roman Herzog, German lawyer and politician, 7th President of Germany (d. 2017) Wikipedia ↗
1934 — Moise Safra, Brazilian businessman and philanthropist, co-founded Banco Safra (d. 2014) Wikipedia ↗
1934 — Stanley Turrentine, American saxophonist and composer (d. 2000) Wikipedia ↗
1933 — Frank Gorshin, American actor (d. 2005) Wikipedia ↗
1933 — Barbara Holland, American author (d. 2010) Wikipedia ↗
1933 — K. Kailasapathy, Sri Lankan journalist and academic (d. 1982) Wikipedia ↗
1931 — Jack Clement, American singer-songwriter and producer (d. 2013) Wikipedia ↗
1929 — Hugo Claus, Belgian author, poet, and painter (d. 2008) Wikipedia ↗
1929 — Ivar Giaever, Norwegian-American physicist and academic, Nobel Prize laureate Wikipedia ↗
1929 — Nigel Hawthorne, English actor and producer (d. 2001) Wikipedia ↗
1929 — Joe Meek, English songwriter and producer (d. 1967) Wikipedia ↗
1928 — Fernand Dansereau, Canadian director, producer, and screenwriter Wikipedia ↗
1928 — Haldun Dormen, Turkish actor, director, and producer Wikipedia ↗