Historical Events on April 5

  • 1614: English colonist John Rolfe and Native American Pocahontas wed in Virginia on this day.
  • 1621: The Mayflower departs Plymout, Massachusetts and head back to England.
  • 1710: The Copyright Law of the U.K is established by the Statute of Anne after its receives Royal assent on this day.
  • 1722: Easter Island is discovered by Dutch explorer Jacob Roggeveen.
  • 1792:S President George Washington vetoes a bill on this day. It’s the first time an American President exercises this authority.
  • 1862: The Battle of Yorktown during the American Civil War starts on this day.
  • 1879: The War of the Pacific begins when Chile declares war on both Peru and Bolivia.
  • 1922: The American Birth Control League is incorporated. This organization is a precursor to Planned Parenthood – which would become incorporated in 1942.
  • 1933: Two executive orders are signed by United States President Franklin D. Roosevelt. These two executive orders are Order 6102 – which forbids the hoarding of gold by U.S citizens and Order 6101 – which establishes the Civilian Conservation Corps.
  • 1936: A F5 tornado – one of the largest categories of tornadoes – hits Tupelo, Mississippi. Over 230 people are killed in the disaster.
  • 1942: American bombers accidentally bomb the town of Mortsel in Belgium killing over 200 children, almost 700 adults and wounding 1300 other people. The bombers target was the Erla Factory which was located approximately 1 kilometer away.
  • 1944: German force execute over 270 people in the town of Kleisoura in Greece.

Famous Birthdays on April 5

  • African-American educator, historian and essayist, Booker T. Washington is born in 1856.
  • French actress and singer, Mistinguett is born in 1875.
  • Irish-American actor Spencer Tracy is born in 1900.
  • American actor Melvyn Douglas is born in 1901.
  • American actress Bette Davis is born in 1908.
  • American actor Gregory Peck is born in 1916.
  • American rapper and producer, Pharrel Williams is born in 1973.
  • American baseball player Ryan Drese is born in 1976.
  • American baseball player Ross Gload is born in 1976.