On This Day — May 5

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

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53 events · 187 births · 82 deaths recorded for May 5.

🕰️ Notable Events on May 5

2014 — Eleven people are missing after a Chinese cargo ship collides with a Marshall Islands registered container ship off the coast of Hong Kong. Wikipedia ↗
2014 — Twenty-two people die after two boats carrying refugees collide in the Aegean Sea off the coast of Greece. Wikipedia ↗
2010 — Mass protests in Greece erupt in response to austerity measures imposed by the government as a result of the Greek government-debt crisis. Wikipedia ↗
2006 — The government of Sudan signs an accord with the Sudan Liberation Army. Wikipedia ↗
1994 — The signing of the Bishkek Protocol between Armenia and Azerbaijan effectively freezes the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict. Wikipedia ↗
1994 — American teenager Michael P. Fay is caned in Singapore for theft and vandalism. Wikipedia ↗
1991 — A riot breaks out in the Mt. Pleasant section of Washington, D.C. after police shoot a Salvadoran man. Wikipedia ↗
1987 — Iran-Contra affair: Start of Congressional televised hearings in the United States of America Wikipedia ↗
1985 — Bitburg and Bergen-Belsen: Ronald Reagan visits the military cemetery at Bitburg, Germany, and the site of the Nazi concentration camp, Bergen-Belsen, where he makes a speech. Wikipedia ↗
1981 — Bobby Sands dies in the Long Kesh prison hospital after 66 days of hunger-striking, aged 27. Wikipedia ↗
1980 — Operation Nimrod: The British Special Air Service storms the Iranian embassy in London after a six-day siege. Wikipedia ↗
1973 — Secretariat wins the 1973 Kentucky Derby in 1:59 2/5, an as-yet unbeaten record. Wikipedia ↗
1972 — Alitalia Flight 112 crashes into Mount Longa near Palermo, Sicily, killing all 115 aboard, making it the deadliest single-aircraft disaster in Italy. Wikipedia ↗
1964 — The Council of Europe declares May 5 as Europe Day. Wikipedia ↗
1961 — The Mercury program: Mercury-Redstone 3: Alan Shepard becomes the first American to travel into outer space, on a sub-orbital flight. Wikipedia ↗
1955 — West Germany gains full sovereignty. Wikipedia ↗
1950 — Bhumibol Adulyadej is crowned as King of Thailand. Wikipedia ↗
1946 — The International Military Tribunal for the Far East begins in Tokyo with twenty-eight Japanese military and government officials accused of war crimes and crimes against humanity. Wikipedia ↗
1945 — World War II: The Prague uprising begins as an attempt by the Czech resistance to free the city from German occupation. Wikipedia ↗
1945 — World War II: Six people are killed when a Japanese fire balloon explodes near Bly, Oregon. They are the only Americans killed in the continental US during the war. Wikipedia ↗
1944 — German troops execute 216 civilians in the village of Kleisoura, Greece. Wikipedia ↗
1941 — Emperor Haile Selassie returns to Addis Ababa; the country commemorates the date as Liberation Day or Patriots' Victory Day. Wikipedia ↗
1940 — World War II: Norwegian refugees form a government-in-exile in London. Wikipedia ↗
1940 — World War II: Norwegian Campaign: Norwegian squads in Hegra Fortress and Vinjesvingen capitulate to German forces after all other Norwegian forces in southern Norway had laid down their arms. Wikipedia ↗
1936 — Italian troops occupy Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. Wikipedia ↗
1927 — To the Lighthouse by Virginia Woolf is first published. Wikipedia ↗
1925 — Scopes Trial: Serving of an arrest warrant on John T. Scopes for teaching evolution in violation of the Butler Act. Wikipedia ↗
1925 — The government of South Africa declares Afrikaans an official language. Wikipedia ↗
1920 — Authorities arrest Nicola Sacco and Bartolomeo Vanzetti for alleged robbery and murder. Wikipedia ↗
1912 — Pravda, the "voice" of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union, begins publication in Saint Petersburg. Wikipedia ↗
1905 — The trial in the Stratton Brothers case begins in London, England; it marks the first time that fingerprint evidence is used to gain a conviction for murder. Wikipedia ↗
1904 — Pitching against the Philadelphia Athletics at the Huntington Avenue Grounds, Cy Young of the Boston Americans throws the first perfect game in the modern era of baseball. Wikipedia ↗
1891 — The Music Hall in New York City (later known as Carnegie Hall) has its grand opening and first public performance, with Tchaikovsky as the guest conductor. Wikipedia ↗
1886 — The Bay View massacre: A militia fires into a crowd of protesters in Milwaukee, killing seven. Wikipedia ↗
1877 — American Indian Wars: Sitting Bull leads his band of Lakota into Canada to avoid harassment by the United States Army under Colonel Nelson Miles. Wikipedia ↗
1866 — Memorial Day first celebrated in United States at Waterloo, New York. Wikipedia ↗
1865 — American Civil War: The Confederate District of the Gulf surrenders about 4,000 men at Citronelle, Alabama. Wikipedia ↗
1865 — American Civil War: The Confederate government was declared dissolved at Washington, Georgia. Wikipedia ↗
1864 — American Civil War: The Battle of the Wilderness begins in Spotsylvania County. Wikipedia ↗
1862 — Cinco de Mayo: Troops led by Ignacio Zaragoza halt a French invasion in the Battle of Puebla in Mexico. Wikipedia ↗
1860 — Giuseppe Garibaldi sets sail from Genoa, leading the expedition of the Thousand to conquer the Kingdom of the Two Sicilies and giving birth to the Kingdom of Italy. Wikipedia ↗
1835 — The first railway in continental Europe opens between Brussels and Mechelen. Wikipedia ↗
1821 — Emperor Napoleon dies in exile on the island of Saint Helena in the South Atlantic Ocean. Wikipedia ↗
1811 — In the second day of fighting at the Peninsular War Battle of Fuentes de Oñoro the French army, under Marshall André Masséna, drive in the Duke of Wellington's overextended right flank, but French frontal assaults fail to take the town of Fuentes de Oñoro and the Anglo-Portuguese army holds the field at the end of the day. Wikipedia ↗
1809 — Mary Kies becomes the first woman awarded a U.S. patent, for a technique of weaving straw with silk and thread. Wikipedia ↗
1809 — The Swiss canton of Aargau allowed citizenship to Jews. Wikipedia ↗
1789 — In France, the Estates-General convenes for the first time since 1614. Wikipedia ↗
1762 — Russia and Prussia sign the Treaty of St. Petersburg. Wikipedia ↗
1640 — King Charles I of England dissolves the Short Parliament. Wikipedia ↗
1494 — Christopher Columbus lands on the island of Jamaica and claims it for Spain. Wikipedia ↗
1260 — Kublai Khan becomes ruler of the Mongol Empire. Wikipedia ↗
1215 — Rebel barons renounce their allegiance to King John of England — part of a chain of events leading to the signing of the Magna Carta. Wikipedia ↗
553 — The Second Council of Constantinople begins. Wikipedia ↗

🎂 Notable Births on May 5

1999 — Nathan Chen, American figure skater Wikipedia ↗
1996 — Isaac Heeney, Australian footballer Wikipedia ↗
1992 — Loïck Landre, French footballer Wikipedia ↗
1991 — Xenofon Fetsis, Greek footballer Wikipedia ↗
1991 — Raúl Jiménez, Mexican footballer Wikipedia ↗
1989 — Chris Brown, American singer-songwriter, dancer, and actor Wikipedia ↗
1988 — Adele, English singer-songwriter Wikipedia ↗
1988 — Mervyn Westfield, English cricketer Wikipedia ↗
1987 — Graham Dorrans, Scottish footballer Wikipedia ↗
1985 — Shoko Nakagawa, Japanese actress and singer Wikipedia ↗
1985 — Emanuele Giaccherini, Italian footballer Wikipedia ↗
1985 — Tsepo Masilela, South African footballer Wikipedia ↗
1985 — Marcos Rogério Oliveira Duarte, Brazilian footballer Wikipedia ↗
1985 — Terrence Wheatley, American football player Wikipedia ↗
1984 — Wade MacNeil, Canadian singer-songwriter and guitarist Wikipedia ↗
1984 — Christian Valdez, Mexican footballer Wikipedia ↗
1983 — James Anyon, English cricketer Wikipedia ↗
1983 — Henry Cavill, English actor Wikipedia ↗
1983 — Mabel Gay, Cuban triple jumper Wikipedia ↗
1983 — Annie Villeneuve, Canadian singer-songwriter Wikipedia ↗
1983 — Scott Ware, American football player Wikipedia ↗
1982 — Ferrie Bodde, Dutch footballer Wikipedia ↗
1982 — Wouter D'Haene, Belgian sprinter Wikipedia ↗
1982 — Randall Gay, American football player Wikipedia ↗
1982 — Corey Parker, Australian rugby league footballer Wikipedia ↗
1981 — Craig David, English singer-songwriter, musician and producer Wikipedia ↗
1980 — Yossi Benayoun, Israeli footballer Wikipedia ↗
1980 — Hank Green, American entrepreneur, educator, and vlogger Wikipedia ↗
1980 — DerMarr Johnson, American basketball player Wikipedia ↗
1978 — Morgan Pehme, American director, producer, and screenwriter Wikipedia ↗
1976 — Dieter Brummer, Australian actor Wikipedia ↗
1976 — Jean-François Dumoulin, Canadian race car driver Wikipedia ↗
1976 — Anastasios Pantos, Greek footballer Wikipedia ↗
1976 — Juan Pablo Sorín, Argentinian footballer and sportscaster Wikipedia ↗
1976 — Sage Stallone, American actor (d. 2012) Wikipedia ↗
1975 — Meb Keflezighi, American runner Wikipedia ↗
1972 — James Cracknell, English rower Wikipedia ↗
1972 — Žigmund Pálffy, Slovakian ice hockey player Wikipedia ↗
1972 — Mikael Renberg, Swedish ice hockey player Wikipedia ↗
1971 — Harold Miner, American basketball player Wikipedia ↗
1971 — Mike Redmond, American baseball player and manager Wikipedia ↗
1970 — Kyan Douglas, American television host and author Wikipedia ↗
1970 — LaPhonso Ellis, American basketball player Wikipedia ↗
1970 — Todd Newton, American Game Show Host Wikipedia ↗
1969 — Pieter Muller, South African rugby player Wikipedia ↗
1967 — Adam Hughes, American author and illustrator Wikipedia ↗
1967 — Alexis Sinduhije, Burundian journalist and politician Wikipedia ↗
1966 — Shawn Drover, Canadian drummer Wikipedia ↗
1966 — Sergei Stanishev, Bulgarian politician, 46th Prime Minister of Bulgaria Wikipedia ↗
1966 — Josh Weinstein, American screenwriter and producer Wikipedia ↗
1965 — Glenn Seton, Australian race car driver Wikipedia ↗
1964 — Jean-François Copé, French politician, French Minister of Budget Wikipedia ↗
1964 — Heike Henkel, German high jumper Wikipedia ↗
1964 — Don Payne, American screenwriter and producer (d. 2013) Wikipedia ↗
1964 — Minami Takayama, Japanese voice actress and singer Wikipedia ↗
1963 — James LaBrie, Canadian singer-songwriter Wikipedia ↗
1963 — Simon Rimmer, English chef and author Wikipedia ↗
1963 — Scott Westerfeld, American author and composer Wikipedia ↗
1962 — Kaoru Wada, Japanese composer and conductor Wikipedia ↗
1961 — Marg Downey, Australian actress Wikipedia ↗
1961 — Hiroshi Hase, Japanese wrestler and politician Wikipedia ↗
1961 — Rob Williams, American basketball player (d. 2014) Wikipedia ↗
1960 — Doug Hawkins, Australian footballer and sportscaster Wikipedia ↗
1959 — Bobby Ellsworth, American singer and bass player Wikipedia ↗
1959 — Ian McCulloch, English singer-songwriter and guitarist Wikipedia ↗
1959 — Steve Stevens, American guitarist and songwriter Wikipedia ↗
1959 — Brian Williams, American journalist Wikipedia ↗
1958 — Ron Arad, Israeli colonel and pilot (d. 1986) Wikipedia ↗
1958 — Robert DiPierdomenico, Australian footballer and sportscaster Wikipedia ↗
1958 — Vanessa Downing, Australian actress Wikipedia ↗
1958 — Jack Wishna, American businessman, co-founded Rockcityclub (d. 2012) Wikipedia ↗
1957 — Richard E. Grant, Swazi-English actor, director, and screenwriter Wikipedia ↗
1957 — Peter Howitt, English actor, director, and screenwriter Wikipedia ↗
1957 — Aad van Mil, Dutch water polo player Wikipedia ↗
1956 — Steve Scott, American runner and coach Wikipedia ↗
1955 — Jon Butcher, American singer-songwriter, guitarist, and freelance multimedia producer Wikipedia ↗
1952 — Jorge Llopart, Spanish race walker Wikipedia ↗
1952 — Willem Witteveen, Dutch scholar and politician (d. 2014) Wikipedia ↗
1951 — Rudolf Finsterer, German rugby player and coach Wikipedia ↗
1951 — Toomas Vilosius, Estonian physician and politician, 2nd Minister of Social Affairs of Estonia Wikipedia ↗
1950 — Rex Caldwell, American golfer Wikipedia ↗
1950 — Maggie MacNeal, Dutch singer Wikipedia ↗
1949 — Eppie Bleeker, Dutch speed skater Wikipedia ↗
1948 — Bella van der Spiegel-Hage, Dutch cyclist Wikipedia ↗
1948 — Bill Ward, English drummer and songwriter Wikipedia ↗
1946 — Aydın Menderes, Turkish politician (d. 2011) Wikipedia ↗
1945 — Kurt Loder, American journalist, author, and critic Wikipedia ↗
1945 — Dianne Willcocks, English sociologist and academic Wikipedia ↗
1944 — Bo Larsson, Swedish footballer Wikipedia ↗
1944 — John Rhys-Davies, Welsh actor and screenwriter Wikipedia ↗
1944 — Roger Rees, Welsh-American actor and director (d. 2015) Wikipedia ↗
1943 — Michael Palin, English actor and screenwriter Wikipedia ↗
1943 — Ignacio Ramonet, Spanish journalist and author Wikipedia ↗
1942 — István Bujtor, Hungarian actor, director, producer, and screenwriter (d. 2009) Wikipedia ↗
1942 — Jean Corston, Baroness Corston, English lawyer and politician Wikipedia ↗
1942 — Hugh Courtenay, 18th Earl of Devon, English politician (d. 2015) Wikipedia ↗
1942 — Tammy Wynette, American singer-songwriter and guitarist (d. 1998) Wikipedia ↗
1941 — Alexander Ragulin, Russian ice hockey player (d. 2004) Wikipedia ↗
1940 — Lance Henriksen, American actor Wikipedia ↗
1940 — Michael Lindsay-Hogg, American director and producer Wikipedia ↗
1939 — Ray Gosling, English journalist, author, and activist (d. 2013) Wikipedia ↗
1938 — Michael Murphy, American actor Wikipedia ↗
1938 — Bill Robertson, American businessman and politician (d. 2013) Wikipedia ↗
1938 — Barbara Wagner, Canadian figure skater and coach Wikipedia ↗
1937 — Delia Derbyshire, English keyboard player and composer (d. 2001) Wikipedia ↗
1936 — Sandy Baron, American actor and comedian (d. 2001) Wikipedia ↗
1936 — Patrick Gowers, English composer and educator (d. 2014) Wikipedia ↗
1936 — Ervin Lázár, Hungarian author (d. 2006) Wikipedia ↗
1936 — John Maxton, Scottish politician Wikipedia ↗
1935 — Bernard Pivot, French journalist, talk show host, and producer Wikipedia ↗
1935 — Robert Rehme, American film producer Wikipedia ↗
1934 — Ace Cannon, American saxophonist Wikipedia ↗
1934 — Victor Garland, Australian accountant and politician, 26th Australian Minister for Veterans' Affairs Wikipedia ↗
1934 — Johnnie Taylor, American vocalist (d. 2000) Wikipedia ↗
1933 — Igor Kashkarov, Russian high jumper Wikipedia ↗
1933 — Collie Smith, Jamaican cricketer (d. 1959) Wikipedia ↗
1932 — Stan Goldberg, American illustrator (d. 2014) Wikipedia ↗
1932 — Bob Said, American race car driver and bobsled racer (d. 2002) Wikipedia ↗
1931 — Greg, Belgian author and illustrator (d. 1999) Wikipedia ↗
1930 — Hans Abramson, Swedish director, producer, and screenwriter (d. 2012) Wikipedia ↗
1927 — Pat Carroll, American actress Wikipedia ↗
1927 — Sylvia Fedoruk, Canadian physicist and politician, 17th Lieutenant Governor of Saskatchewan (d. 2012) Wikipedia ↗
1926 — Ann B. Davis, American actress (d. 2014) Wikipedia ↗
1925 — Leo Ryan, American soldier, educator, and politician (d. 1978) Wikipedia ↗
1923 — William C. Campbell, American golfer (d. 2013) Wikipedia ↗
1923 — James Gilbert, Scottish television producer and director (d. 2016) Wikipedia ↗
1923 — Richard Wollheim, English philosopher and academic (d. 2003) Wikipedia ↗
1922 — Irene Gut Opdyke, Polish nurse and humanitarian (d. 2003) Wikipedia ↗
1921 — Arthur Leonard Schawlow, American physicist and academic, Nobel Prize laureate (d. 1999) Wikipedia ↗
1919 — Georgios Papadopoulos, Greek colonel and politician, 169th Prime Minister of Greece (d. 1999) Wikipedia ↗
1918 — Egidio Galea, Maltese Roman Catholic priest (d. 2005) Wikipedia ↗
1917 — Pío Leyva, Cuban singer-songwriter (d. 2006) Wikipedia ↗
1916 — Zail Singh, Indian politician, 7th President of India (d. 1987) Wikipedia ↗
1915 — Alice Faye, American actress and singer (d. 1998) Wikipedia ↗
1914 — Tyrone Power, American actor (d. 1958) Wikipedia ↗
1913 — Duane Carter, American racing driver (d. 1993) Wikipedia ↗
1911 — Gilles Grangier, French director and screenwriter (d. 1996) Wikipedia ↗
1911 — Andor Lilienthal, Russian-Hungarian chess player (d. 2010) Wikipedia ↗
1911 — Pritilata Waddedar, Indian educator and activist (d. 1932) Wikipedia ↗
1910 — Leo Lionni, American author and illustrator (d. 1999) Wikipedia ↗
1909 — Miklós Radnóti, Hungarian poet and author (d. 1944) Wikipedia ↗
1908 — Kurt Böhme, German opera singer (d. 1989) Wikipedia ↗
1907 — Iryna Vilde, Ukrainian journalist and author (d. 1982) Wikipedia ↗
1906 — Charles Exbrayat, French author and screenwriter (d. 1989) Wikipedia ↗
1905 — Floyd Gottfredson, American author and illustrator (d. 1986) Wikipedia ↗
1903 — James Beard, American chef and author (d. 1985) Wikipedia ↗
1900 — Helen Redfield, American geneticist (d. 1988) [1] Wikipedia ↗