On This Day in History — March 5

Highlights of March 5

• 1981 — The ZX81, a pioneering British home computer, was launched by Sinclair Research, and went on to sell more than 1.5 million units around the world. Read more
• 1966 — BOAC Flight 911 disintegrated and crashed near Mount Fuji shortly after departure from Tokyo International Airport, killing all 113 passengers and 11 crew members on board. Read more
• 1963 — American country-music performers Patsy Cline, Cowboy Copas, and Hawkshaw Hawkins were killed when their PA-24 crashed shortly after takeoff in Camden, Tennessee. Read more
• 1960 — Cuban photographer Alberto Korda took his iconic photograph Guerrillero Heroico of Marxist revolutionary Che Guevara. Read more
• 1943 — World War II: The Gloster Meteor, the Allies' only operational jet aircraft, made its maiden flight. Read more
• 1936 — The prototype (pictured) of the Supermarine Spitfire flew for the first time. Read more
• 1825 — Roberto Cofresí, one of the last Caribbean pirates, was apprehended after his flagship sloop Anne was captured by authorities. Read more
• 1824 — The First Anglo-Burmese War began. Read more
• 1811 — Peninsular War: At the Battle of Barrosa, Anglo-Iberian forces trying to lift the Siege of Cádiz defeated a French attack but could not break the siege itself. Read more
• 1770 — American Revolution: British soldiers fired into a crowd in Boston, killing five people. Read more
• 1279 — The Livonian branch of the Teutonic Order suffered a great loss when 71 knights died in the Battle of Aizkraukle. Read more
• 363 — Roman–Persian Wars: Roman emperor Julian and his army set out from Antioch to attack the Sasanian Empire. Read more

Events

• 2023 — The 2023 Estonian parliamentary election is held, with two centre-right liberal parties gaining an absolute majority for the first time. Read more
• 2023 — A group of four prisoners escape from the Nouakchott Civil Prison, before being caught the next day. Read more
• 2021 — Pope Francis begins a historic visit to Iraq amidst the COVID-19 pandemic. Read more
• 2021 — Twenty people are killed and 30 injured in a suicide car bombing in Mogadishu, Somalia. Read more
• 2018 — Syrian civil war: The Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) pause the Deir ez-Zor campaign due to the Turkish-led invasion of Afrin. Read more
• 2012 — Tropical Storm Irina kills over 75 as it passes through Madagascar. Read more
• 2012 — Two people are killed and six more are injured in a shooting at a hair salon in Bucharest, Romania. Read more
• 2011 — An Antonov An-148 crashes in Russia's Alexeyevsky District, Belgorod Oblast during a test flight, killing all seven aboard. Read more
• 2003 — In Haifa, 17 Israeli civilians are killed in the Haifa bus 37 suicide bombing. Read more
• 2002 — An earthquake in Mindanao, Philippines, kills 15 people and injures more than 100. Read more
• 2001 — In Mina, Saudi Arabia, 35 pilgrims are killed in a stampede on the Jamaraat Bridge during the Hajj. Read more
• 1993 — Palair Macedonian Airlines Flight 301 crashes at Skopje International Airport in Petrovec, North Macedonia, killing 83. Read more
• 1991 — Aeropostal Alas de Venezuela Flight 109 crashes in Venezuela, killing 45. Read more
• 1982 — Soviet probe Venera 14 lands on Venus. Read more
• 1981 — The ZX81, a pioneering British home computer, is launched by Sinclair Research and would go on to sell over 11⁄2 million units around the world. Read more
• 1979 — Soviet probes Venera 11, Venera 12 and the German-American solar satellite Helios II all are hit by "off the scale" gamma rays leading to the discovery of soft gamma repeaters. Read more
• 1978 — The Landsat 3 is launched from Vandenberg Air Force Base in California. Read more
• 1974 — Yom Kippur War: Israeli forces withdraw from the west bank of the Suez Canal. Read more
• 1973 — An Iberia McDonnell Douglas DC-9 collides in mid-air with a Spantax Convair 990 Coronado over Nantes, France, killing all 68 people aboard the DC-9, including music manager Michael Jeffery. Read more
• 1970 — The Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons goes into effect after ratification by 43 nations. Read more
• 1968 — Air France Flight 212 crashes into La Grande Soufrière, killing all 63 aboard. Read more
• 1967 — Lake Central Airlines Flight 527 crashes near Marseilles, Ohio, killing 38. Read more
• 1966 — BOAC Flight 911, a Boeing 707 aircraft, breaks apart in mid-air due to clear-air turbulence and crashes into Mount Fuji, Japan, killing all 124 people on board. Read more
• 1965 — March Intifada: A Leftist uprising erupts in Bahrain against the British colonial presence. Read more
• 1963 — American country music stars Patsy Cline, Hawkshaw Hawkins, Cowboy Copas and their pilot Randy Hughes are killed in a plane crash in Camden, Tennessee. Read more
• 1963 — Aeroflot Flight 191 crashes while landing at Aşgabat International Airport, killing 12. Read more
• 1960 — Indonesian President Sukarno dismisses the Dewan Perwakilan Rakyat (DPR), 1955 democratically elected parliament, and replaces it with DPR-GR, the parliament of his own selected members. Read more
• 1957 — Sutton Wick air crash: A Blackburn Beverley of 53 Squadron, Royal Air Forces, crashes into the village of Sutton Wick, Berkshire (now Oxfordshire), killing most of the crew and passengers and two local residents. Read more
• 1953 — Joseph Stalin, the longest serving leader of the Soviet Union, dies at his Volynskoe dacha in Moscow after suffering a cerebral hemorrhage four days earlier. Read more
• 1946 — Cold War: Winston Churchill delivers his famous "Iron Curtain" speech at Westminster College, Missouri. Read more
• 1944 — World War II: The Red Army begins the Uman–Botoșani offensive in the western Ukrainian SSR. Read more
• 1943 — World War II: General strike and protest march in Athens against rumours of forced mobilization of Greek workers for work in Germany, resulting in clashes with the Axis occupation forces and collaborationist police. The decree is withdrawn on the next day. Read more
• 1942 — World War II: Japanese forces capture Batavia, capital of Dutch East Indies, which is left undefended after the withdrawal of the KNIL garrison and Australian Blackforce battalion to Buitenzorg and Bandung. Read more
• 1940 — Six high-ranking members of the Soviet politburo, including Joseph Stalin, sign an order for the execution of 25,700 Polish intelligentsia, including 14,700 Polish POWs, in what will become known as the Katyn massacre. Read more
• 1939 — Spanish Civil War: The National Defence Council seizes control of the republican government in a coup d'etat, with the intention of negotiating an end to the war. Read more
• 1933 — Adolf Hitler's Nazi Party receives 43.9% at the Reichstag elections, which allows the Nazis to later pass the Enabling Act and establish a dictatorship. Read more
• 1931 — The British Raj: Gandhi–Irwin Pact is signed. Read more
• 1912 — Italo-Turkish War: Italian forces are the first to use airships for military purposes, employing them for reconnaissance behind Turkish lines. Read more
• 1906 — Moro Rebellion: United States Army troops bring overwhelming force against the native Moros in the First Battle of Bud Dajo, leaving only six survivors. Read more
• 1872 — George Westinghouse patents the air brake. Read more
• 1868 — Mefistofele, an opera by Arrigo Boito, receives its premiere performance at La Scala. Read more
• 1860 — Parma, Tuscany, Modena and Romagna vote in referendums to join the Kingdom of Sardinia. Read more
• 1850 — The Britannia Bridge across the Menai Strait between the island of Anglesey and the mainland of Wales is opened. Read more
• 1836 — Samuel Colt establishes his first factory to produce the recently patented production-model revolver, the .34-caliber "Paterson". Read more
• 1825 — Roberto Cofresí, one of the last successful Caribbean pirates, is defeated in combat and captured by authorities. Read more
• 1824 — First Anglo-Burmese War: The British officially declare war on Burma. Read more
• 1811 — Peninsular War: A French force under the command of Marshal Victor is routed while trying to prevent an Anglo-Spanish-Portuguese army from lifting the Siege of Cádiz in the Battle of Barrosa. Read more
• 1770 — Boston Massacre: Five Americans, including Crispus Attucks, are fatally shot by British troops in an event that would contribute to the outbreak of the American Revolutionary War (also known as the American War of Independence) five years later. Read more
• 1766 — Antonio de Ulloa, the first Spanish governor of Louisiana, arrives in New Orleans. Read more
• 1616 — Nicolaus Copernicus's book On the Revolutions of the Heavenly Spheres is added to the Index of Forbidden Books 73 years after it was first published. Read more
• 1496 — King Henry VII of England issues letters patent to John Cabot and his sons, authorising them to explore unknown lands. Read more
• 1279 — The Livonian Order is defeated in the Battle of Aizkraukle by the Grand Duchy of Lithuania. Read more
• 1046 — Nasir Khusraw begins the seven-year Middle Eastern journey which he will later describe in his book Safarnama. Read more
• 363 — Roman emperor Julian leaves Antioch with an army of 90,000 to attack the Sasanian Empire, in a campaign which would bring about his own death. Read more

Born on March 5

• 2007 — Roman Griffin Davis, English actor Read more
• 2000 — Doug Edert, American basketball player Read more
• 1999 — Madison Beer, American singer-songwriter Read more
• 1999 — Justin Fields, American football player Read more
• 1999 — Yeri, South Korean singer and actress Read more
• 1998 — Bo Bichette, American baseball player Read more
• 1997 — Milena Venega, Cuban rower Read more
• 1996 — Taylor Hill, American model Read more
• 1996 — Emmanuel Mudiay, Congolese-American basketball player Read more
• 1994 — Daria Saville, Russian-Australian tennis player Read more
• 1994 — MJ, South Korean singer and actor Read more
• 1993 — El Hadji Ba, French footballer Read more
• 1993 — Joshua Coyne, American violinist and composer Read more
• 1993 — Fred, Brazilian footballer Read more
• 1993 — Ahmed Hassan, Egyptian footballer Read more
• 1993 — Harry Maguire, English footballer Read more
• 1993 — Kyle Schwarber, American baseball player Read more
• 1992 — Sam Bankman-Fried, American businessman and fraudster Read more
• 1991 — Ramiro Funes Mori, Argentine footballer Read more
• 1991 — Daniil Trifonov, Russian pianist and composer Read more
• 1990 — Danny Drinkwater, English footballer Read more
• 1990 — Mason Plumlee, American basketball player Read more
• 1990 — Alex Smithies, English footballer Read more
• 1989 — Sterling Knight, American actor, singer, and dancer Read more
• 1989 — Jake Lloyd, American actor Read more
• 1988 — Jovana Brakočević, Serbian volleyball player Read more
• 1988 — Liassine Cadamuro-Bentaïba, Algerian footballer Read more
• 1987 — Anna Chakvetadze, Russian tennis player Read more
• 1987 — Chris Cohen, English footballer Read more
• 1986 — Alexandre Barthe, French footballer Read more
• 1986 — Corey Brewer, American basketball player and coach Read more
• 1986 — Matty Fryatt, English footballer Read more
• 1986 — Shikabala, Egyptian footballer Read more
• 1985 — David Marshall, Scottish footballer Read more
• 1985 — Kenichi Matsuyama, Japanese actor Read more
• 1985 — Brad Mills, American baseball player Read more
• 1984 — Branko Cvetković, Serbian basketball player Read more
• 1984 — Guillaume Hoarau, French footballer Read more
• 1983 — Édgar Dueñas, Mexican footballer Read more
• 1982 — Dan Carter, New Zealand rugby player Read more

Died on March 5

• 2017 — Kurt Moll, German opera singer (born 1938) Read more
• 2016 — Hassan Al-Turabi, Sudanese activist and politician (born 1932) Read more
• 2016 — Ray Tomlinson, American computer programmer and engineer (born 1941) Read more
• 2016 — Al Wistert, American football player and coach (born 1920) Read more
• 2015 — Vlada Divljan, Serbian singer-songwriter and guitarist (born 1958) Read more
• 2015 — Edward Egan, American cardinal and former Archbishop of New York (born 1932) Read more
• 2014 — Geoff Edwards, American actor and game show host (born 1931) Read more
• 2014 — Ailsa McKay, Scottish economist and academic (born 1963) Read more
• 2014 — Leopoldo María Panero, Spanish poet and translator (born 1948) Read more
• 2014 — Ola L. Mize, American colonel, Medal of Honor recipient (born 1931) Read more
• 2013 — Paul Bearer, American wrestler and manager (born 1954) Read more
• 2013 — Hugo Chávez, Venezuelan colonel and politician, President of Venezuela (born 1954) Read more
• 2013 — Duane Gish, American biochemist and academic (born 1921) Read more
• 2012 — Paul Haines, New Zealand-Australian author (born 1970) Read more
• 2012 — Philip Madoc, Welsh-English actor (born 1934) Read more
• 2012 — William O. Wooldridge, American sergeant (born 1922) Read more
• 2011 — Manolis Rasoulis, Greek singer-songwriter (born 1945) Read more
• 2010 — Charles B. Pierce, American director, producer, and screenwriter (born 1938) Read more
• 2010 — Richard Stapley, British actor and writer (born 1923) Read more
• 2008 — Joseph Weizenbaum, German computer scientist and author (born 1923) Read more
• 2005 — David Sheppard, English cricketer and bishop (born 1929) Read more
• 2000 — Lolo Ferrari, French dancer, actress and singer (born 1963) Read more
• 1999 — Richard Kiley, American actor and singer (born 1922) Read more
• 1997 — Samm Sinclair Baker, American writer (born 1909) Read more
• 1997 — Jean Dréville, French director and screenwriter (born 1906) Read more
• 1996 — Whit Bissell, American character actor (born 1909) Read more
• 1995 — Vivian Stanshall, English singer-songwriter and musician (born 1943) Read more
• 1990 — Gary Merrill, American actor and director (born 1915) Read more
• 1988 — Alberto Olmedo, Argentine comedian and actor (born 1933) Read more
• 1984 — Tito Gobbi, Italian operatic baritone (born 1913) Read more
• 1984 — William Powell, American actor (born 1892) Read more
• 1982 — John Belushi, American actor (born 1949) Read more
• 1981 — Yip Harburg, American songwriter and composer (born 1896) Read more
• 1980 — Jay Silverheels, Canadian-American actor (born 1912) Read more
• 1977 — Tom Pryce, Welsh race car driver (born 1949) Read more
• 1976 — Otto Tief, Estonian lawyer and politician, Prime Minister of Estonia (born 1889) Read more
• 1974 — John Samuel Bourque, Canadian colonel and politician (born 1894) Read more
• 1974 — Billy De Wolfe, American actor (born 1907) Read more
• 1974 — Sol Hurok, Ukrainian-American businessman (born 1888) Read more
• 1973 — Robert C. O'Brien, American journalist and author (born 1918) Read more

Holidays & observances

Christian feast day: Ciarán of Saigir; Christian feast day: John Joseph of the Cross; Christian feast day: Piran; Christian feast day: Theophilus, bishop of Caesarea; Christian feast day: Thietmar of Minden; Christian feast day: March 5 (Eastern Orthodox liturgics); Learn from Lei Feng Day (China); St Piran's Day (Cornwall)

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