What are the important events that happened on January 5? Here are historical events, facts, and some myths about this day.

January 5: Facts & Myths About This Day

January 5 is the 5^th day of the year 2025 in the Gregorian calendar. There are 360 days remaining until the end of this year. The day of the week is Sunday.

Under the Julian calendar, this day is December 23, 2024 – a Sunday. Both day of the week are the same but did you notice the difference with the Gregorian calendar?

When this day started, 1,736,035,200 seconds has elapsed since midnight of January 1, 1970 – the Unix epoch.

Strange as it may, if we name this day after a polygon then it will be called ‘pentagon’ day.

Capricorn is the zodiac sign of a person born on this day. Garnet is the modern birthstone for this month. Emerald is the mystical birthstone from Tibetan origin that dates back over a thousand years.

According to the lunisolar Chinese calendar, there are 24 days remaining before the start of the next Chinese New Year.

The ancient Maya civilization believes that the end of the world will happen on December 21, 2012. There are now 4,398 days since this fabled cataclysmic event.

January 5 Historical Events

• 1527 –
  Felix Manz, a leader of the Anabaptist congregation in Zurich, Switzerland, is executed by drowning.
• 1759 –
  George Washington marries Martha Dandridge Custis.
• 1781 –
  American Revolutionary War: Richmond, Virginia, is burned by British naval forces led by Benedict Arnold.
• 1913 –
  First Balkan War: During the Naval Battle of Lemnos, Greek admiral Pavlos Kountouriotis forces the Turkish fleet to retreat to its base within the Dardanelles, from which it did not venture for the rest of the war.
• 1914 –
  The Ford Motor Company announces an eight-hour workday and a minimum wage of $5 for a day’s labor.
• 1925 –
  Nellie Tayloe Ross of Wyoming becomes the first female governor in the United States.
• 1957 –
  In a speech given to the United States Congress, President Dwight D. Eisenhower announces the establishment of what will later be called the Eisenhower Doctrine.
• 1972 –
  U.S. President Richard Nixon orders the development of a Space Shuttle program.
• 1976 –
  Ten Protestant civilians are shot dead by a paramilitary group at Kingsmill in County Armagh, Northern Ireland (part of The Troubles).
• 2008 –
  Mikheil Saakashvili wins his second term as President of Georgia in the snap election.

Who were born on January 5?

• 1885 –
  Humbert Wolfe, Italian-born British poet (d. 1940)
• 1904 –
  Erica Morini, Austrian violinist (d. 1995)
• 1914 –
  George Reeves, American actor (d. 1959)
• 1938 –
  King Juan Carlos I of Spain
• 1940 –
  Sir Michael Rose, British military officer
• 1948 –
  Ted Lange, American actor
• 1949 –
  George Brown, American drummer (Kool & The Gang)
• 1950 –
  Ioan Petru Culianu, Romanian educator (d. 1991)
• 1950 –
  John Manley, Canadian politician
• 1987 –
  Kristin Cavallari, American actress

Who died on January 5?

• 1066 –
  Edward the Confessor, King of England (b. 1004)
• 1400 –
  John Montacute, 3rd Earl of Salisbury, English politician (b. c. 1350)
• 1771 –
  John Russell, 4th Duke of Bedford, British statesman (b. 1710)
• 1946 –
  Kitty Cheatham, American singer (b. 1864)
• 1956 –
  Mistinguett, French singer (b. 1875)
• 1990 –
  Arthur Kennedy, American actor (b. 1914)
• 1994 –
  Tip O'Neill, American politician (b. 1912)
• 1996 –
  Lincoln Kirstein, American writer, impresario, art connoisseur (b. 1907)
• 2005 –
  Danny Sugerman, American music manager (The Doors) (b. 1954)
• 2010 –
  Murray Saltzman, Reform Jewish rabbi and civil rights leader (b. 1929)