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 5th day of the year 2024 in the Gregorian calendar. There are 361 days remaining until the end of this year. The day of the week is Friday.
Under the Julian calendar, this day is December 23, 2023 – a Friday. Both day of the week are the same but did you notice the difference with the Gregorian calendar?
When this day started, 473,448 hours 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 36 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 4,032 days since this fabled cataclysmic event.
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January 5 Historical Events
- 1500 –Duke Ludovico Sforza conquers Milan.
- 1759 –George Washington marries Martha Dandridge Custis.
- 1896 –An Austrian newspaper reports that Wilhelm Röntgen has discovered a type of radiation later known as X-rays.
- 1912 –The Prague Party Conference takes place.
- 1933 –Construction of the Golden Gate Bridge begins in San Francisco Bay.
- 1944 –The Daily Mail becomes the first transoceanic newspaper.
- 1969 –Members of the Royal Ulster Constabulary damage property and assault occupants in the Bogside in Derry, Northern Ireland, United Kingdom. In response, residents erect barricades and establish Free Derry.
- 1976 –The Khmer Rouge proclaim the Constitution of Democratic Kampuchea.
- 1996 –Hamas bombmaker Yahya Ayyash is killed by an Israeli-planted booby-trapped cell phone.
- 2005 –Eris, the largest known dwarf planet in the solar system, is discovered by the team of Michael E. Brown, Chad Trujillo, and David L. Rabinowitz using images originally taken on October 21, 2003, at the Palomar Observatory.
Who were born on January 5?
- 1885 –Humbert Wolfe, Italian-born British poet (d. 1940)
- 1895 –Jeannette Piccard, American priest, and aeronaut (d. 1981)
- 1903 –Harold Gatty, Australian aviator (d. 1957)
- 1919 –Severino Gazzelloni, Italian flautist (d. 1992)
- 1940 –Sir Michael Rose, British military officer
- 1950 –Charlie Richmond, Canadian entrepreneur
- 1964 –Grant Young (musician), American drummer (Soul Asylum)
- 1965 –Vinnie Jones, British footballer-turned-actor
- 1966 –Steve Tuttle, Canadian ice hockey player
- 1971 –Mayuko Takata, Japanese actress
Who died on January 5?
- 842 –Al-Mu'tasim, Abbasid caliph (b. 794)
- 1527 –Felix Manz, Swiss leader (executed) (b. 1498)
- 1771 –John Russell, 4th Duke of Bedford, British statesman (b. 1710)
- 1858 –Joseph Radetzky von Radetz, Austrian field marshal (b. 1766)
- 1919 –Sumako Matsui, Japanese actress and singer (b. 1886)
- 1970 –Cyril Fagan, Irish astrologer (b. 1896)
- 1988 –Pete Maravich, American basketball player (b. 1947)
- 1994 –Brian Johnston, English cricket commentator (b. 1912)
- 2007 –Momofuku Ando, inventor of instant noodles and cup noodles (b. 1910)
- 2009 –Ned Tanen, American movie executive (b. 1931)
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