A Brief History
This article presents a chronological list of notable events that happened on August 5th. For each date below, please click on the date to be taken to an article covering that date’s event.
Digging Deeper
On August 5, 1305, William Wallace, the Scottish hero known as “Braveheart” in the 1995 movie, was captured by the English and then executed for treason in the gory way “traitors” were put to death at that time.
On August 5, 1620, the Mayflower set out from England with another ship, the Speedwell, on its first attempt to take Pilgrims to the New World.
On August 5, 1620, two small English sailing ships left Southampton Water in England on a trip to the New World, carrying a group of Puritans seeking a land where they could practice their brand of religion without interference.
On August 5, 1861, the Federal Government of the United States instituted its first income tax to help pay for the Civil War.
On August 5, 1901, Irish track and field athlete Peter O’Connor set the official long jump record at 24’ 11 ¾”, recognized by the IAAF (International Association of Athletics Federations) a record for that event in 1912, when the event was first recognized with an official record.
On August 5, 1957, the iconic pop music show American Bandstand made its debut, starting a 37-season run of 3002 episodes and making host Dick Clark a national icon.
On August 5th, 1962, Marilyn Monroe was found dead in her home of an apparent drug overdose.
On August 5, 2010, 33 Chilean miners were trapped underground 2300 feet deep in a copper and gold mine, an incredible three miles from the entrance to the mine.
On August 5, 2019, while the nation reeled from recent mass shootings in Gilroy, California (three dead), El Paso, Texas (22 dead), and Dayton, Ohio (nine dead), the calls for “common sense” gun control were ringing loud and strong.
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Historical Evidence
For more information, please see…
Andrews, John and Matt Baker. Timeline of World History. Thunder Bay Press, 2020.
You can also watch video versions of this article on YouTube.
