What are the important events that happened on May 5? Here are historical events, facts, and some myths about this day.
May 5: Facts & Myths About This Day
May 5 is the 126th day of the year 2024 in the Gregorian calendar. There are 240 days remaining until the end of this year. The day of the week is Sunday.
Under the Julian calendar, this day is April 22, 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, 1,714,867,200 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 ‘hectaicosahexagon’ day.
Taurus is the zodiac sign of a person born on this day. Emerald is the modern birthstone for this month. Sapphire is the mystical birthstone from Tibetan origin that dates back over a thousand years.
According to the lunisolar Chinese calendar, there are 269 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 4,153 days since this fabled cataclysmic event.
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May 5 Historical Events
- 553 –The Second Council of Constantinople begins.
- 1260 –Kublai Khan becomes ruler of the Mongol Empire.
- 1789 –In France, the Estates-General convenes for the first time since 1614.
- 1821 –Emperor Napoleon I dies in exile on the island of Saint Helena in the South Atlantic Ocean.
- 1835 –In Belgium, the first railway in continental Europe opens between Brussels and Mechelen.
- 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.
- 1936 –Italian troops occupy Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.
- 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.
- 1955 –West Germany gains full sovereignty.
- 1987 –Iran-Contra affair: start of Congressional televised hearings in the United States of America
Who were born on May 5?
- 867 –Uda, Emperor of Japan (d. 931)
- 1479 –Guru Amar Das, third Sikh Guru (d. 1574)
- 1915 –Alice Faye, American actress (d. 1998)
- 1932 –Will Hutchins, American actor
- 1940 –Lasse Åberg, Swedish artist, actor and musician
- 1952 –Campbell McComas, Australian impersonator and broadcaster (d. 2005)
- 1963 –James LaBrie, Canadian singer (Dream Theater)
- 1972 –Žigmund Pálffy, Slovak ice-hockey player
- 1981 –Marcelle Bittar, Brazilian model
- 1983 –Henry Cavill, Jersey actor
Who died on May 5?
- 1194 –King Casimir II of Poland (b. 1138)
- 1586 –Henry Sidney, Lord Deputy of Ireland (b. 1529)
- 1833 –Sophia Campbell, Australian artist (b. 1777)
- 1896 –Silas Adams, American lawyer and politician (b. 1839)
- 1971 –Violet Jessop, Titanic survivor (b. 1887)
- 1981 –Bobby Sands, Irish activist (b. 1954)
- 1985 –Sir Donald Bailey, British civil engineer (b. 1901)
- 1994 –Mario Quintana, Brazilian poet (b. 1906)
- 2001 –Raymond Kessler, American midget wrestler
- 2005 –Edgar Ponce, Mexican actor and dancer (b. 1974)
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