March 5 is the 64th day of the year in the
Gregorian Calendar (65th in
leap years). There are 301 days remaining.
- 1766 - Antonio de Ulloa, the first Spanish governor of Louisiana, arrives in New Orleans.
- 1770 - Boston Massacre: 5 Americans killed by British troops in an event that would help start the American Revolution 5 years later.
- 1793 - French troops are defeated by Austrian forces and Liege is recaptured.
- 1821 - James Monroe is inaugurated for a second term as President of the United States.
- 1836 - Samuel Colt makes the first pistol (.34-caliber).
- 1842 - Over 500 Mexican troops led by Rafael Vasquez[?] invade Texas briefly occupy San Antonio and then head back to the Rio Grande. This is the first such invasion since the Texas revolution.
- 1849 - Zachary Taylor is inaugurated as the 12th President of the United States.
- 1868 - A court of impeachment is organized in the United States Senate to hear charges against President Andrew Johnson.
- 1872 - George Westinghouse patents the air brake.
- 1877 - Rutherford B. Hayes is inaugurated for a second term as President of the United States.
- 1905 - Russian troops begin to retreat from Mukden, Manchuria after losing 100,000 troops in three days.
- 1907 - The second Duma is opened in St. Petersburg, Russia and 40,000 demonstrators had to be dispersed by Russian troops.
- 1912 - Italian forces are the first to use dirigibles for a military purpose by using them for reconnaissance west of Tripoli behind Turkish lines.
- 1917 - Woodrow Wilson is inaugurated for a second term as President of the United States.
- 1918 - The Soviet Union moves the national capital from Petrograd to Moscow
- 1933 - Great Depression: President Franklin D. Roosevelt declares a "bank holiday", closing all United States banks and freezing all financial transactions.
- 1933 - In Germany, the Nazis win 44 percent of the vote in parliamentary elections.
- 1946 - Winston Churchill mentions the Iron Curtain in his speech at Westminster College[?] in Fulton, Missouri. This event is often regarded at the beginning of the Cold War.
- 1953 - After 29 years of ruling the Soviet Union, Joseph Stalin dies.
- 1960 - Elvis Presley is discharged from the United States Army.
- 1970 - A nuclear non-proliferation treaty[?] goes into effect after ratification by 43 nations.
- 1993 - Canadian sprinter Ben Johnson[?] is banned from international competition for life after testing positive for banned substances for the second time.
- 1998 - NASA announced that that the Clementine spaceprobe orbiting the moon had found enough water in polar craters to support a human colony and rocket fueling station.
- 1998 - NASA announces the choice of United States Air Force Lt. Col. Eileen Collins[?] as commander of a future Space Shuttle Columbia mission to launch an X-ray telescope making Collins the first woman commander of a space shuttle mission.
- 2002 - MTV begins airing The Osbournes
- 1133 - King Henry II of England (+ 1189)
- 1324 - King David II of Scotland
- 1658 - Antoine de la Mothe, Le Sieur de Cadillac[?], explorer
- 1696 - Giovanni Battista Tiepolo, painter (+ 1770)
- 1869 - Michael von Faulhaber[?], cardinal and archbishop (+ 1952)
- 1870 - Frank Norris, writer (+ 1902)
- 1871 - Rosa Luxemburg, politician (+ 1919)
- 1887 - Heitor Villa-Lobos, Brazilian composer (+ 1959)
- 1897 - Madame Chiang Kai-Shek, Chinese political figure
- 1905 - Günther Lüders[?], actor and film director (+ 1975)
- 1908 - Rex Harrison, actor (+ 1990)
- 1918 - James Tobin, economist (+ 2002)
- 1922 - Pier Paolo Pasolini, writer, film director (+ 1975)
- 1936 - Dean Stockwell[?], actor
- 1942 - Felipe González Márquez[?], politician (+ 1942)
- 1955 - Penn Jillette[?], magician, comedian
- 1958 - Andy Gibb, singer (+ 1988)
- 1971 - John Frusciante, musician ("The Red Hot Chili Peppers")
- 1974 - Jens Jeremies, football player, National Team of Germany
- 1975 - Niki Taylor[?], fashion model
- 1815 - Franz Mesmer, developer of hypnotism
- 1953 - Sergei Prokofiev, Soviet composer
- 1953 - Joseph Stalin, leader of the Soviet Union
- 1953 - Herman J. Mankiewicz[?], writer, producer
- 1963 - Patsy Cline and Cowboy Copas[?], country music singers
- 1974 - Sol Hurok[?], impresario
- 1980 - Jay Silverheels, actor
- 1982 - John Belushi, actor
- 1984 - William Powell, actor
- 1999 - Richard Kiley[?], actor
See Also: January,
February,
March,
April,
May,
June,
July,
August,
September,
October,
November,
December
March 4 - March 6 - February 5 - April 5 - more historical anniversaries