March 5

Events

• 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

Births

• 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

Deaths

• 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

Holidays and observances

• St Piran's Day - Cornwall's national day

March 4 - March 6 - February 5 - April 5 - more historical anniversaries