August 5

Events

• 642 - Battle of Maserfield - Penda of Mercia defeats and kills Oswald of Bernicia.
• 910 - The last major Viking army to raid England is defeated at the Battle of Tettenhall by the allied forces of Mercia and Wessex, led by King Edward and Earl Aethelred.
• 1100 - Henry I is crowned King of England in Westminster Abbey.
• 1305 - William Wallace, who led Scottish resistance to England, is captured by the English near Glasgow and transported to London for trial and execution.
• 1388 - Battle of Otterburn, a border skirmish between the Scottish and the English in Northern England.
• 1583 - Sir Humphrey Gilbert establishes first English colony in North America, at what is now St John's, Newfoundland.
• 1620 - The Mayflower departs from Southampton, England on its first attempt to reach North America.
• 1689 - 1,500 Iroquois attack the village of Lachine, in New France.
• 1716 - The Battle of Petrovaradin takes place.
• 1735 - Freedom of the press: New York Weekly Journal writer John Peter Zenger is acquitted of seditious libel against the royal governor of New York, on the basis that what he published was true.
• 1763 - Pontiac's War: Battle of Bushy Run - British forces led by Henry Bouquet defeat Chief Pontiac's Indians at Bushy Run.
• 1772 - The First Partition of Poland begins.
• 1812 - War of 1812: Tecumseh's Native American force ambushes Thomas Van Horne's 200 Americans at Brownstone Creek, causing them to flee and retreat.
• 1858 - Cyrus West Field and others complete the first transatlantic telegraph cable after several unsuccessful attempts. It operated for less than a month.
• 1860 - Carl IV of Sweden-Norway is crowned king of Norway, in Trondheim.
• 1861 - American Civil War: In order to help pay for the war effort, the United States government levies the first income tax as part of the Revenue Act of 1861 (3% of all incomes over US $800; rescinded in 1872).
• 1861 - The United States Army abolishes flogging.
• 1862 - American Civil War: Battle of Baton Rouge - along the Mississippi River near Baton Rouge, Louisiana, Confederate troops drive Union forces back into the city.
• 1864 - American Civil War: the Battle of Mobile Bay begins - at Mobile Bay near Mobile, Alabama, Admiral David Farragut leads a Union flotilla through Confederate defenses and seals one of the last major Southern ports.
• 1870 - Franco-Prussian War: the Battle of Spicheren is fought, resulting in a Prussian victory.
• 1874 - Japan launches its postal savings system, modeled after a similar system in England.
• 1882 - Standard Oil of New Jersey is established.
• 1882 - Martial law is imposed in Japan.
• 1884 - The cornerstone for the Statue of Liberty is laid on Bedloe's Island in New York Harbor.
• 1888 - Bertha Benz drives from Mannheim to Pforzheim in the first long distance automobile trip.
• 1901 - Peter O'Connor sets the first IAAF recognised long jump world record of 24ft 11¾ins. The record will stand for 20 years.
• 1912 - Japan's first taxicab service begins in Ginza, Tokyo.
• 1914 - In Cleveland, Ohio, the first electric traffic light is installed.
• 1925 - Plaid Cymru is formed with the aim of disseminating knowledge of the Welsh language, which is in danger of dying out.
• 1940 - World War II: Latvia is annexed by the Soviet Union.
• 1943 - World War II: at around 11 A.M during the Battle of Troina, Mount Etna erupts sending ash and lava miles into the sky.
• 1944 - World War II: possibly the biggest prison breakout in history occurs as 545 Japanese POWs attempt to escape outside the town of Cowra, NSW, Australia.
• 1944 - Holocaust: Polish insurgents liberate a German labor camp in Warsaw, freeing 348 Jewish prisoners.
• 1949 - In Ecuador an earthquake destroys 50 towns and kills more than 6000.
• 1957 - American Bandstand, a show dedicated to the teenage "baby-boomers" by playing the songs and showing popular dances of the time, debuts on the ABC television network.
• 1960 - Burkina Faso, then known as Upper Volta, becomes independent from France.
• 1962 - Nelson Mandela is jailed. He would not be released until 1990.
• 1963 - The United States, United Kingdom, and Soviet Union sign a nuclear test ban treaty.
• 1964 - Vietnam War: Operation Pierce Arrow - American aircraft from carriers USS Ticonderoga and USS Constellation bomb North Vietnam in retaliation for strikes attacked U.S. destroyers in the Gulf of Tonkin.
• 1969 - Mariner program: Mariner 7 makes its closest fly-by of Mars (3,524 kilometers).
• 1974 - Vietnam War: The U.S. Congress places a $1 billion dollar limit on military aid to South Vietnam.
• 1979 - In Afghanistan, Maoists undertake an attempted military uprising.
• 1981 - Ronald Reagan fires 11,359 striking air-traffic controllers who ignored his order for them to return to work.
• 1989 - General elections are held in Nicaragua with the Sandinista Front winning a majority.
• 1995 - The city of Knin, a significant Serb stronghold, is captured by Croatian forces during Operation Storm. The date is celebrated as the day of victory (Victory and Homeland Thanksgiving Day) in Croatia.
• 2003 - A car bomb explodes in the Indonesian capital of Jakarta outside the Marriott Hotel killing 12 and injuring 150.

Births

• 1301 - Edmund of Woodstock, 1st Earl of Kent, English politician (d. 1330)
• 1397? - Guillaume Dufay, Franco-Flemish composer and theorist (d. 1474)
• 1461 - Alexander Jagiellon, Grand Duke of Lithuania (d. 1506)
• 1623 - Antonio Cesti, Italian composer (d. 1669)
• 1641 - John Hathorne, American magistrate (d. 1717)
• 1662 - James Anderson, Scottish historian (d. 1728)
• 1694 - Leonardo Leo, Italian composer (d. 1744)
• 1802 - Niels Henrik Abel, Norwegian mathematician (d. 1829)
• 1811 - Ambroise Thomas, French opera composer (d. 1896)
• 1813 - Ivar Aasen, Norwegian poet and language reformer (d. 1896)
• 1815 - Edward John Eyre, English explorer (d. 1901)
• 1827 - Deodoro da Fonseca, first President of Brazil (d.1892)
• 1828 - Louise of the Netherlands, queen of Sweden and Norway (d. 1871)
• 1833 - Carola of Vasa, Queen consort of Saxony (d. 1907)
• 1850 - Guy de Maupassant, French author (d. 1893)
• 1862 - Joseph Merrick, the "Elephant Man" (d. 1890)
• 1866 - Carl Harries, German chemist (d. 1923)
• 1866 - Harry Trott, Australian cricketer (d. 1917)
• 1872 - Oswaldo Cruz, Brazilian physician (d. 1917)
• 1877 - Tom Thomson, Canadian painter (d. 1917)
• 1887 - Reginald Owen, English actor (d. 1972)
• 1888 - Victor Francen, Belgian-born actor (d. 1977)
• 1889 - Conrad Aiken, American writer (d. 1973)
• 1890 - Erich Kleiber, Austrian-born conductor (d. 1956)
• 1890 - Naum Gabo, sculptor (d. 1977)
• 1897 - Aksel Larsen, Danish politician (d. 1972)
• 1901 - Claude Autant-Lara, French film director (d. 2000)
• 1906 - John Huston, American director (d. 1987)
• 1906 - Wassily Leontief, Russian economist, Nobel laureate (d. 1999)
• 1906 - Joan Hickson, English actress (d. 1998)
• 1908 - Harold Holt, 17th Prime Minister of Australia (d. 1967)
• 1910 - Bruno Coquatrix, French songwriter and music impresario (d. 1979)
• 1911 - Robert Taylor, American actor (d. 1969)
• 1912 - Abbé Pierre, French Catholic priest (d. 2007)
• 1914 - David Brian, American actor (d. 1993)
• 1918 - Tom Drake, American actor (d. 1982)
• 1918 - Betty Oliphant, Canadian ballerina (d. 2004)
• 1922 - L. Tom Perry, LDS apostle
• 1923 - Devan Nair, President of Singapore
• 1930 - Neil Armstrong, American astronaut
• 1930 - Michal Kováč, President of Slovakia
• 1934 - Wendell Berry, American poet, writer and farmer
• 1935 - John Saxon, American actor
• 1937 - Herb Brooks, American ice hockey coach (d. 2003)
• 1939 - Princess Irene of the Netherlands
• 1941 - Bob Clark, American film director (d. 2007)
• 1943 - Nelson Briles, American baseball player (d. 2005)
• 1943 - Sammi Smith, American country singer and songwriter (d. 2005)
• 1946 - Loni Anderson, American actress
• 1946 - Bruce Coslet, American football player and coach
• 1946 - Ron Silliman, American poet
• 1946 - Erika Slezak, American actress
• 1947 - Angry Anderson, Australian entertainer (Rose Tattoo)
• 1947 - Bernie Carbo, American baseball player
• 1947 - Rick Derringer, American musician
• 1948 - Carole Laure, French Canadian actress
• 1948 - Ray Clemence, English footballer
• 1951 - John Jarratt, Australian actor
• 1953 - Rick Mahler, American baseball player (d. 2005)
• 1953 - Samantha Sang, Australian singer
• 1956 - Jerry Ciccoritti, Canadian film director
• 1956 - Fred Ottman, American wrestler
• 1956 - Maureen McCormick, American actress
• 1957 - Faith Prince, American actress
• 1957 - Clayton Rohner, American actor
• 1959 - Pete Burns, English singer (Dead or Alive)
• 1960 - Seth Swirsky, American songwriter
• 1961 - Tawny Kitaen, American actress
• 1961 - Mark O'Connor, American violinist
• 1961 - Athula Samarasekera, Sri Lankan cricketer
• 1962 - Patrick Ewing, American basketball player
• 1962 - Richard de Groen, New Zealand cricketer
• 1964 - Adam Yauch (MCA), American musician (Beastie Boys)
• 1965 - Motoi Sakuraba, Japanese composer
• 1965 - Scott William Winters, American actor
• 1966 - Jonathan Silverman, American actor
• 1968 - Terri Clark, Canadian country singer
• 1968 - Funkmaster Flex, American hip hop DJ
• 1968 - Tokimitsu Ishizawa, Japanese professional wrestler
• 1968 - Oleg Luzhny, Ukrainian footballer
• 1968 - Colin McRae, Scottish rally driver (d. 2007)
• 1968 - John Olerud, American baseball player
• 1969 - Venkatesh Prasad, Indian cricketer
• 1969 - Vasbert Drakes, Barbadian cricketer
• 1970 - James Gunn, American filmmaker
• 1971 - Evil Jared Hasselhoff, American musician (The Bloodhound Gang)
• 1972 - Christian Olde Wolbers, Belgian musician (Fear Factory)
• 1972 - Aaqib Javed, Pakistani cricketer
• 1972 - Ikuto Hidaka, Japanese professional wrestler
• 1973 - Sean Sherk, American mixed martial artist
• 1973 - Sanwar Hossain, Bangladeshi cricketer
• 1974 - Alvin Ceccoli, Australian soccer player
• 1974 - Antoine Sibierski, French footballer
• 1975 - Antony Cotton, English actor
• 1975 - Ami Foster, American actress
• 1975 - Kajol Mukherjee, Indian actress
• 1975 - Eicca Toppinen, Finnish cellist (Apocalyptica)
• 1976 - Jeff Friesen, Canadian ice hockey player
• 1976 - Kwon Sang-woo, South Korean actor
• 1976 - Marian Pahars, Latvian footballer
• 1977 - Eric Hinske, American baseball player
• 1977 - Michael Walsh, English footballer
• 1977 - Mark Mulder, American baseball player
• 1978 - Kim Gevaert, Belgian sprinter
• 1978 - Nektaria Karantzi, Greek singer
• 1979 - David Healy, Northern Irish footballer
• 1980 - Kaylani Lei, Singaporean/American pornographic actress
• 1980 - Wayne Bridge, English footballer
• 1980 - Jason Čulina, Australian soccer player
• 1980 - Ali Umar, Maldivian footballer
• 1980 - Sophie Winkleman, English actress
• 1981 - Carl Crawford, American baseball player
• 1981 - Rachel Scott, American murder victim (d. 1999)
• 1981 - Kō Shibasaki, Japanese singer
• 1981 - Erik Guay, Canadian alpine skier
• 1981 - Cory Williams, American internet celebrity
• 1981 - Alester Maregwede, Zimbabwean cricketer
• 1982 - LoLo Jones, American track and field athlete
• 1982 - Ryu Seung Min, Korean table tennis player
• 1982 - Tobias Regner, German singer
• 1983 - Dawn Richard, American singer (Danity Kane)
• 1985 - Laurent Ciman, Belgian footballer
• 1985 - Salomon Kalou, Ivorian footballer
• 1986 - Paula Creamer, American golfer
• 1987 - Genelia D'Souza, Indian actress
• 1987 - Xenia Tchoumitcheva, Swiss model
• 1988 - Federica Pellegrini, Italian swimmer
• 1993 - Suzuka Ōgo, Japanese actress
• 1993 - Corey J. Smith, English actor
• 1995 - Devo Keenan American cellist
• 2000 - Maya Bond, American singer and musician

Deaths

• 882 - King Louis III of France (b. 863)
• 1063 - Gruffydd ap Llywelyn, King of Gwynedd
• 1364 - Emperor Kogon of Japan (b. 1313)
• 1572 - Isaac Luria, Palestinian-born Kabbalist (b. 1534)
• 1579 - Stanislaus Hosius, Polish Catholic cardinal (b. 1504)
• 1610 - Alonso García de Ramón, Spanish soldier and twice Royal Governor of Chile
• 1633 - Archbishop George Abbot, Archbishop of Canterbury (b. 1562)
• 1678 - Juan García de Zéspedes, Mexican musician and composer (b. 1619)
• 1743 - John Hervey, 2nd Baron Hervey, English statesman and writer (b. 1696)
• 1778 - Charles Clémencet, French historian (b. 1703)
• 1792 - Frederick North, Lord North, Prime Minister of the United Kingdom (b. 1732)
• 1799 - Richard Howe, British admiral (b. 1726)
• 1868 - Jacques Boucher de Crèvecœur de Perthes, French archaeologist (b. 1788)
• 1877 - Gustavus, Crown Prince of Sweden (b. 1799)
• 1880 - Ferdinand Ritter von Hebra, Austrian physician (b. 1816)
• 1895 - Friedrich Engels, German philosopher (b. 1820)
• 1911 - Bob Caruthers, American baseball player (b. 1864)
• 1923 - Vatroslav Jagić, Croatian slavist (b. 1835)
• 1925 - Jennie Lee (actor), American actress (b. 1848)
• 1929 - Millicent Fawcett, British suffragist (b. 1847)
• 1944 - Maurice Turnbull, Former England cricketer (b. 1906)
• 1946 - Wilhelm Marx, Chancellor of Germany (b. 1863)
• 1952 - Sameera Moussa, Egyptian nuclear scientist (b. 1917)
• 1955 - Carmen Miranda, Portuguese actress and singer (b. 1909)
• 1957 - Heinrich Otto Wieland, German chemist, Nobel Prize Laureate (b. 1877)
• 1959 - Edgar Guest, English poet (b. 1881)
• 1960 - Arthur Meighen, 9th Prime Minister of Canada (b. 1874)
• 1962 - Marilyn Monroe, American actress (b. 1926)
• 1963 - Salvador Bacarisse, Spanish composer (b. 1898)
• 1964 - Art Ross, Canadian hockey player and executive (b. 1886)
• 1968 - Luther Perkins American guitarist
• 1972 - Harry Hylton-Foster, Speaker of the British House of Commons (b. 1905)
• 1978 - Jesse Haines, American baseball player (b. 1893)
• 1980 - Harold Runnels, American politician (b. 1924)
• 1984 - Richard Burton, Welsh actor (b. 1925)
• 1991 - Paul Brown, American football coach (b. 1908)
• 1991 - Soichiro Honda, Japanese automotive executive (b. 1906)
• 1992 - Jeff Porcaro, American drummer (b. 1954)
• 1994 - Alain de Changy, Belgian racing driver (b. 1922)
• 1998 - Otto Kretschmer, German U-boat commander (b. 1912)
• 1998 - Todor Zhivkov, Bulgarian dictator (b. 1911)
• 2000 - Sir Alec Guinness, British actor (b. 1914)
• 2000 - Otto Buchsbaum, writer and ecological activist (b. 1920)
• 2001 - Otema Allimadi, Prime Minister of Uganda (b. 1929)
• 2002 - Josh Ryan Evans, American actor (b. 1982)
• 2002 - Chick Hearn, American basketball announcer (b. 1916)
• 2002 - Franco Lucentini, Italian writer (b. 1920)
• 2005 - Polina Astakhova, Russian gymnast (b. 1936)
• 2005 - Jim O'Hora, American football coach (b. 1915)
• 2005 - Raul Roco, Philippine senator (b. 1941)
• 2006 - Susan Butcher, American sled dog champion (b. 1954)
• 2007 - Florian Pittiş, Romanian artist (b. 1943)
• 2007 - Jean-Marie Lustiger, Cardinal of France
• 2008 - Reg Lindsay, Australian country and western singer/songwriter (b. 1929)

Holidays and observances

• Burkina Faso - Independence Day.
• Croatia - Victory and Homeland Thanksgiving Day.
• Chile - Children's Day
• Abel of Reims (died 750)
• Addai
• Saint Afra, martyr [Augsburg (rare)]
• Saint Afra and companions, virgins, martyrs [France]
• Saint Dominic, confessor [medieval date, in Paris; nowadays August 4]
• Saint Emygdius, martyr, bishop of Ascoli Piceno
• Feast of Mary "ad nives"; Dedication of Santa Maria Maggiore bin Rome [common]
• Saint Ormisdas, pope, confessor [Bamberg]
• Saint Oswald of Northumbria, king, martyr [common; England] (died 642)
• Saint Sixtus II, pope [Paris]

External links

• BBC: On This Day
• On This Day in Canada