A Brief History
This article presents a chronological list of notable events that happened on December 5th. For each date below, please click on the date to be taken to an article covering that date’s event.
Digging Deeper
On December 5, 63 BC, Roman politician and famed orator Cicero delivered the 4th of his famous Catiline Orations to the Roman Senate, warning of a plot to overthrow the Roman government.
On December 5, 1831, former President of the US, John Quincy Adams, took his seat in the House of Representatives as a Congressman.
On December 5, 1847, Jefferson Finis Davis of Mississippi was elected to the United States Senate.
On December 5, 1933, history was made that would change the United States (back) forever!
On December 5, 1945, a flight of U.S. Navy TBM Avenger torpedo bombers flew into history, providing grist for the paranormal mill that the Bermuda Triangle became!
On December 5, 1952, the people of London, England found out the hard way that smog is no joke.
On December 5, 1955, the American Federation of Labor and the Congress of Industrial Organizations merged to form the AFL-CIO, the largest confederation of trade and labor unions in the world.
On December 5, 1964, Captain Roger Donlon, US Army Special Forces, became the first Army Special Forces member (ever) and the first US military person to earn a Medal of Honor in the Viet Nam War.
On December 5, 2014, the American space agency, NASA, successfully launched an Orion space capsule with a Delta IV Heavy rocket supplying the lifting power.
On December 5, 2025, American martial arts film Kill Bill: The Whole Bloody Affair was released in theaters in the United States by Lionsgate.
Question for students (and subscribers) to ponder: Which event that occurred on today’s date would you like to learn more about?
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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.