Historical Events on December 5

  • 1831: After serving as President of the United States and being elected, John Quincy Adams takes his seat in the House of Representatives.
  • 1847: Jefferson Davis wins his election to the United States Senate.
  • 1848: United States President James K. Polk sends a message to the U.S Congress that confirms massive quantities of gold have been discovered in the state of California.
  • 1931: Cathedral of Christ the Saviour located in Moscow, Russia is destroyed on orders from Joseph Stalin.
  • 1933: The 21st Amendment to the U.S Constitution is officially ratified.
  • 1941: Georgy Zhukov leads Soviet forces in a counter-offensive against the Nazis at the Battle of Moscow during World War II.
  • 1943: Germany’s secret weapons bases are targeted and bombed by Allied air forces during Operation Crossbow during WWII.
  • 1955: The American Federation of Labor and the Congress of Industrial Organizations combine and become the AFL-CIO.
  • 1955: Rosa Parks and E.D Nixon lead the Montgomery Bus Boycott.
  • 1964: Roger Donlon is given the first Medal of Honor of the Vietnam War for heroism in battle.

Famous Birthdays on December 5

  • American lawyer and 8th President of the United States, Martin Van Buren is born in 1782.
  • English illustrator and painter, George Shepherd is born in 1784.
  • American academic and co-founder of Radcliffe College, Elizabeth Cabot Agassiz is born in 1822.
  • English author and poet, Christina Rossetti is born in 1830.
  • American general George Armstrong Custer is born in 1839.
  • American animator and co-founder of the Walt Disney Co., Walt Disney is born in 1901.
  • German physicist and Nobel Prize laureate, Werner Heisenberg is born in 1901.
  • American general and politician, Strom Thurmond is born in 1902.
  • American comedian and actress, Margaret Cho is born in 1968.
  • American novelist Lydia Millet is born in 1968.
  • American model and actress, Lisa Marie is born in 1968.