Today in History, 5 December: What Happened on this Day
Today in History: It’s the last month of the year, and everyone is gearing up to end the year on a high. Whether it's Christmas, weddings, birthdays, or work events, December is always a hectic yet fun month. And it has been like that historically. Many important events happened in the month of December.
Today is December 5. The day holds considerable significance in history, and several key events occurred on 5 December.
From the demises of one of the greatest music composers in history, and a revolutionary non-violence proponent and anti-racism leader to the birth of the founder of rock 'n roll music and the famous bus boycott civil rights protest in the US, December 5 is a defining day in history.
Keep reading to find out what happened on this day (Dec. 5) in Indian and world history in sports, politics, and the arts, along with some famous birthdays and demises.
Historical Events On This Day
- In 771, Holy Roman Emperor Charlemagne became the sole King of the Franks after the death of his brother Carloman.
- In 1717, notorious English pirate Blackbeard attacked the merchant ship Margaret and kept its captain Henry Bostock prisoner for 8 hours, who later provided the first account of the pirate’s name and appearance.
- In 1933, the Prohibition era officially ended in the US after the repeal of the Eighteenth Amendment prohibiting alcohol and the ratification of the Twenty-first Amendment.
- In 1950, Sikkim became a protectorate of India.
- In 1952, a lethal layer of thick smog began covering London, causing thousands of deaths and resulting in the Clean Air Act of 1956 to regulate pollution in the city.
- In 1955, the historic bus boycott began in Montgomery, Alabama, led by Rosa Parks, Martin Luther King Jr., and other civil rights activists.
- In 1958, the Subscriber Trunk Dialing (STD) telephone service for long-distance calls came into effect in the United Kingdom. The first call was made by Queen Elizabeth II from Bristol to Edinburgh.
- In 1977, Egypt suspended diplomatic relations with Syria, Libya, Algeria, Iraq, and South Yemen over their opposition to President Anwar Sadat’s peace talks with Israel.
- In 1990, British Indian novelist Salman Rushdie, best known for her book Satanic Verses, appeared in public for the first time in two years after Iran called for his assassination.
- In 2013, 52 people were killed and 167 injured in a terrorist attack on the defence ministry in Sana’a, Yemen.
- In 2019, Saudi Aramco became the most valuable company in the world at $1.7 trillion after raising $25.6 billion with its first public share offering.
Sports Events Today
- In 1947, American boxing legend Joe Louis beat Jersey Joe Walcott to win the heavyweight boxing title.
- In 1956, Soviet gymnast Larisa Latynina won the women’s vault and tied for the gold medal in the floor exercise category at the Melbourne Olympics.
- In 2008, former NFL star and alleged double-murderer O.J. Simpson was sentenced to 33 years in prison for kidnapping and armed robbery.
- In 2017, the International Olympic Committee banned Russia from competing at the 2018 Winter Olympics in light of the 2014 Winter Olympics doping scandal.
Art & Culture Events Today
- In 1999, Indian model Yukta Mookhey won the Miss World beauty pageant.
- In 2001, Steven Soderbergh’s A-list heist film Ocean’s Eleven, starring George Clooney, Brad Pitt, Matt Damon, and Julia Roberts, premiered.
- In 1974, the final episode of Monty Python’s Flying Circus aired on BBC TV.
Important Days on 5 December
International Volunteer Day - Theme 2022: "Together, act now"
Notable Deaths On This Day
| Sr No |
Death Year |
Personality |
| 1 |
1791 |
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, Austrian composer who is often proclaimed the greatest music composer in history |
| 2 |
1870 |
Alexandre Dumas, French author known for his iconic novels The Count of Monte Cristo and The Three Musketeers |
| 3 |
1926 |
Claude Monet, French painter who developed the impressionist style of painting |
| 4 |
1941 |
Amrita Sher-gil, Indian-Hungarian painter often called the Indian Frida Kahlo for her avant-garde art works |
| 5 |
1950 |
Sri Aurobindo, Indian nationalist, philosopher and yogi |
| 6 |
2013 |
Nelson Mandela, South African revolutionary who ended the apartheid era and became the first black president of South Africa |
| 7 |
2016 |
Jayalalitha Jayaram, Indian film actress turned politician, who led the AIADMK political party in India’s Tamil Nadu and also served as the Chief Minister of the state for six terms |
Famous Birthdays On This Day
| Sr No |
Birth Year |
Personality |
| 1 |
1839 |
George Armstrong Custer, American military commander who rose to fame during the American Civil War but later commanded the controversial Battle of Little Bighorn |
| 2 |
1867 |
Jozef Pilsudski, military leader and the founding father of modern Poland, who also served as the Chief of State and First Marshal of Poland |
| 3 |
1890 |
Fritz Lang, Austrian-American filmmaker known for his expressionist films Metropolis and M |
| 4 |
1901 |
Werner Heisenberg, German physicist who created the field of quantum mechanics and is known for the Heisenberg Uncertainty Principle |
| 5 |
1901 |
Walt Disney, American film producer and pioneer of animated movies who created the iconic characters like Mickey Mouse and Donald Duck |
| 6 |
1905 |
Sheikh Mohammed Abdullah, Indian politician and a beloved figure in Jammu and Kashmir who founded the National Conference and served as the Chief Minister 3 times |
| 7 |
1927 |
Bhumibol Adulyadej, ninth king of the Chakkri dynasty of Thailand who reigned for 70 years until his death in 2016 |
| 8 |
1932 |
Little Richard, American singer who laid the foundation of the rock ‘n roll genre of music with his hit songs Tutti Frutti and Long Tall Sally |
| 9 |
1974 |
Ravish Kumar, Indian journalist and a recipient of the Ramon Magsaysay Award, known for his on the ground reporting |
| 10 |
1985 |
Shikhar Dhawan, Indian cricketer known for his technical batting and strong fielding |
Also Read: Today in History (6 December)
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