Year 1260
Kublai Khan became the emperor of the Mongols.
MAY 5
Daily Historical Chronicle
UPSC CSE • State PSC • SSC CGL Matrix
5 May: What Happened On This Day in History
Curated historical timeline of momentous political pacts, freedom struggle uprisings, constitutional developments, scientific breakthroughs, and prominent birthdays recorded on 5 May.
Observances & Special Days
Indian Arrival Day (Guyana)
Year 1883
Surendra Nath Banerjee became the first journalist to go to jail.
Year 1903
Former minister William Petty declares the Persian Gulf a part of British dominion in India.
Year 1929
Curfew was imposed in a bid to quell Hindu-Muslim riots that had claimed 21 lives in Bombay.
Year 1930
Gandhiji was arrested and imprisoned without trial. As a result, there was ''hartal'' (strike) all over India. Over 100,000 people were jailed before the end of the year.
Year 1936
Italian troops captured Addis Ababa.
Year 1944
Gandhi-Jinnah talks break down on Pakistan issue.
Year 1946
Simla Conference in session from May 5 to May 12; Gandhiji's deliberations prove anfractuous.
Year 1947
Gandhiji denies in an interview that communal division of India is inevitable.
Year 1955
West Germany gained sovereignty.
Year 1961
Alan Shepherd became the first American to go into space.
Year 1964
Europe Council declared May 5 as Europe Day.
Year 1966
Jan Congress Party was established in Orissa.
Year 1971
India appeals for urgent aid for 1.8 mil. for Bangladeshi refugees in New Delhi.
Year 1977
Chandra Shekar was chosen President of the Janatha Party.
Year 1984
Phu Dorji becomes the first Indian to conquer Everest without oxygen backup.
Year 1986
Controversial Muslim Women Bill passed by Lok Sabha.
Year 1992
Prithvi, India's medium-range surface-to-surface missile, successfully launched.
Year 1994
Revolt against Nar Bahadur Bhandari government in Sikkim, Sanchaman Limboo elected new leader.
Year 1998
Yashwant Sinha and Madan Lal Khurana, Union Ministers, are discharged in the hawala case.
Year 2005
Labor Party leader Tony Blair became Prime Minister for the third time in Britain.
Year 2020
The National Telecommunication Commission issued a Cease and desist order to ABS – CBN Corporation to stop the operation of its free TV and radio stations one day after their 25-year Congressional franchise was expired.
Born 1479
Sikh Guru Amardasji, a great social worker, and teacher was born at Basare village near Amritsar district.
Born 1818
Karl Marx, a great journalist, chief editor, writer and social worker, was born at Trier, Germany.
Born 1883
Archibald Wavell, 1st Earl Wavell, English general and politician, 43rd Governor-General of India (d. 1950)
Born 1864
Mahavir Prasad Dwivedi, an Indian Hindi writer, and editor.
Born 1903
Tirupur Subramaniam Avinashilingam Chettiar, freedom fighter, educationist and politician, was born in Tirupur (Tamil Nadu).
Born 1905
Pandit Raghunath Murmu, an Indian Santali writer and educator.
Born 1906
Ursula Jeans, actress (I Lived With You, Over the Moon), was born in Shimla, Himachal Pradesh.
Born 1916
Giani Zail Singh, President of India, was born in Sandhwan village, Punjab.
Born 1911
Pritilata Waddedar, Indian educator and activist (d. 1932)
Born 1954
Manohar Lal Khattar, 10th Chief Minister of Haryana.
Born 1956
Gulshan Kumar, an Indian businessman who was the founder of the T-Series music label, and a Bollywood movie producer.
Died 1821
Napoleon Bonaparte, a French statesman, and military leader. He became the emperor of the French from 1804 until 1814.
Died 1918
Tryambak Bapuji Thombre, an Indian Marathi poet.
Died 1932
Prabhatkumar Mukhopadhyay, famous Bengali short story writer and novelist, passed away.
Died 1942
Henry Albert John Gidney, a great leader and politician, died at New Delhi.
Died 1972
Loknathan P. S., a great economist, passed away.
Died 1983
Keshavrao Kothavle 'Lalit', editor of monthly magazine, passed away.
Died 1989
Naval Tata, a famous industrialist, passed away.
Died 1993
Balak Brahmachari, [Marxist Godman], famous Indian guru, passed away at 73 yrs.
Died 2006
Naushad Ali, Indian composer and producer (b. 1919)
Died 2007
Theodore Harold Maiman, an American engineer, and physicist. He is widely credited with the invention of the laser.
Died 2012
Surendranath, Indian cricketer (b. 1937)