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.