Did you know
The second son of Ferdinand III, Holy Roman Emperor, by his first wife, Maria Anna of Spain, Leopold became heir apparent in 1654 after the death of his elder brother Ferdinand IV, King of the Romans.
Notable Deaths on May 5
1705 — Leopold I
Holy Roman Emperor (born 1640)
May 5 has 95 recorded notable deaths across history, from 465 to 2026. This focused page highlights 20 people with the strongest available profile context.
By thisDay.info Editorial Team · — Wikipedia
Notable Deaths
95 source records
465 – 2026
Today in history
Major events on May 5
See what else happened on this day in history.
- 1961 Project Mercury: Alan Shepard becomes the first American to travel into outer space, on a sub-orbital flight. Source
- 1912 The first issue of the Bolshevik newspaper Pravda is published. Source
- 1821 The first edition of The Manchester Guardian, now The Guardian, is published. Source
- 1930 The 1930 Bago earthquake, the first of two major earthquakes in southern Burma, kills as many as 7,000 in Yangon and Bago. Source
Did you know
Dana Wynter appeared in film and television for more than 40 years, beginning in the 1950s.
Did you know
Ludwig Wilhelm Erhard was a German politician and economist who served as the second chancellor of West Germany from 1963 until 1966.
Did you know
Choules became the oldest man born in the United Kingdom following the death of Stanley Lucas on 21 June 2010.
Did you know
Between terms as ANC Secretary-General (1949–1954) and ANC Deputy President (1991–1994), he was Accused No.
More major people who died on May 5
Notable people are ranked by substantive profile depth and public notability.
2011
Dana Wynter
British actress (born 1931)
Dana Wynter was a German-born British actress who was raised in the United Kingdom and southern Africa. She appeared in film and television for more than 40 years, beginning in the 1950s.
1977
Ludwig Erhard
German economist and politician, Chancellor of Germany (born 1897)
Ludwig Wilhelm Erhard was a German politician and economist who served as the second chancellor of West Germany from 1963 until 1966.
2011
Claude Choules
English-Australian soldier (born 1901)
Claude Stanley Choules was a British-born military serviceman from Pershore, Worcestershire, who at the time of his death was the oldest combat veteran of the First World War.
2003
Walter Sisulu
South African activist and politician (born 1912)
Walter Max Ulyate Sisulu was a South African anti-apartheid activist and member of the African National Congress (ANC).
1309
Charles II of Naples (born 1254)
Charles II, also known as Charles the Lame, was King of Naples, Count of Provence and Forcalquier (1285–1309), Prince of Achaea (1285–1289), and Count of Anjou and Maine (1285–1290); he also was King of Albania…
2007
Theodore Harold Maiman
American-Canadian physicist and engineer, created the laser (born 1927)
Theodore Harold Maiman was an American engineer and physicist who is widely credited with the invention of the laser. Maiman's laser led to the subsequent development of many other types of lasers.
1883
John O'Shanassy
Irish-Australian politician, 2nd Premier of Victoria (born 1818)
Sir John O'Shanassy, KCMG, was an Irish-Australian politician who served as the 2nd Premier of Victoria.
1766
Jean Astruc
French physician and scholar (born 1684)
Jean Astruc was a professor of medicine in France at Montpellier and Paris, who wrote the first great treatise on syphilis and venereal diseases, and also, with a small anonymously published book, played a fundamental…
2017
Binyamin Elon
Israeli Orthodox rabbi and politician (born 1954)
Rabbi Binyamin "Benny" Elon was an Israeli Orthodox rabbi and politician who served as a member of the Knesset for Moledet and the National Union between 1996 and 2009.
1947
Ty LaForest
Canadian-American baseball player (born 1917)
Byron Joseph LaForest was a Canadian professional baseball player who appeared in 52 games in the major leagues, primarily as a third baseman, for the Boston Red Sox during the latter months of the 1945 season.
1959
Carlos Saavedra Lamas
Argentinian academic and politician, Nobel Prize laureate (born 1878)
Carlos Saavedra Lamas was an Argentine academic and politician who served as Argentina's foreign minister from 1932 to 1938.
2000
Gino Bartali
Italian cyclist (born 1914)
Gino Bartali,, nicknamed Gino the Pious and Ginettaccio, was a champion road cyclist.
2002
George Sidney
American director and producer (born 1916)
George Sidney was an American film director and producer who worked primarily at Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer. His work includes cult classics Bye Bye Birdie (1963) and Viva Las Vegas (1964).
1821
Napoleon
French general and emperor (born 1769)
Napoleon Bonaparte, later known by his regnal name Napoleon I, was Emperor of the French from 18 May 1804 until his first abdication in 1814, with a brief restoration during the Hundred Days in 1815.
1892
August Wilhelm von Hofmann
German chemist and academic (born 1818)
August Wilhelm von Hofmann was a German chemist who made considerable contributions to organic chemistry.
2013
Robert Ressler
American FBI agent and author (born 1937)
Robert Kenneth Ressler was an American FBI agent and author. He played a significant role in the psychological profiling of violent offenders in the 1970s and is often credited with coining the term "serial killer",…
2020
Millie Small
Jamaican singer-songwriter (born 1947)
Millicent Dolly May Small CD was a Jamaican singer who is best known for her international hit "My Boy Lollipop" (1964).
1827
Frederick Augustus I of Saxony (born 1750)
Frederick Augustus I of Saxony was a member of the House of Wettin who reigned as the last Elector of Saxony from 1763 to 1806 and as the first King of Saxony from 1806 to 1827.
2024
Jeannie Epper
American stuntwoman and actress (born 1941)
Jean Luann Epper was an American stuntwoman and actress. She performed stunts in over 100 feature films and television series and is perhaps best known as Lynda Carter's stunt double on the 1970s television series…