Today August 5th 2009 this day in history Read more below to view events, deaths, births, Holidays observances and video clips. Last database updated: Jan 17th, 2009
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.
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States government levies the first income tax as part of the Revenue Act of 1861 (3% of all incomes over US $800; rescinded in 1872).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)
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 Kovác, 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
1952 – Louis Walsh, Irish Music Manage+Judge X Factor
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 Culina, 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 – Ko 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 Ogo, 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 Jagic, 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 Pittis, 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]
