January 5 in History

41 events 1477 – 2024

January 5 spans 41 recorded events across recorded history — from 1477 – 2024. Below is a curated digest of the most significant moments tied to this date.

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The dwarf planet Eris is discovered by Palomar Observatory-based astronomers, la

2005 — The dwarf planet Eris is discovered by Palomar Observatory-based astronomers, later motivating the International Astronomical Union (IAU) to define the term planet for the first time

Did you know

The International Astronomical Union was founded on 28 July 1919 in Brussels, Belgium.

Did you know

It is based in Paris, France, and aims to advance astronomy through global cooperation.

Did you know

The IAU has the objective of promoting astronomical research, outreach, education, and development.

Did you know

The organization was motivated to define the term planet for the first time after the discovery of Eris in 2005.

Did you know

The IAU is an international non-governmental organization with a long history of supporting astronomical discoveries and advancements.


Battle of Nancy: Charles the Bold is defeated and killed in a conflict with René II, Duke of Lorraine; Burgundy subsequently becomes part of France.
Part of the Burgundian Wars, 1477
The Battle of Nancy was the final and decisive battle of the Burgundian Wars, fought on 5 January 1477 outside the walls of Nancy, Lorraine by Charles the Bold, Duke of Burgundy, against René II, Duke of Lorraine, and the Swiss Confederacy. René's forces won the battle, and Charles' mutilated body was found two days later.
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1477
Battle of Colmar: The French army defeats forces from Austria and Brandenburg.
1675 battle of the Franco-Dutch War
The Battle of Turckheim took place on 5 January 1675 during the Franco-Dutch War at a site between the towns of Colmar and Turckheim in Alsace. The French army, commanded by the Viscount of Turenne, defeated the armies of Austria and Brandenburg, led by Alexander von Bournonville and Frederick William, Elector of Brandenburg.
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1675
Louis XV of France survives an assassination attempt by Robert-François Damiens, who becomes the last person to be executed in France by drawing and quartering (the traditional form of capital punishment used for regicides).
King of France from 1715 to 1774
Louis XV, known as Louis the Beloved, was King of France from 1 September 1715 until his death in 1774. He succeeded his great-grandfather Louis XIV at the age of five. Until he reached maturity in 1723, the kingdom was ruled by his grand-uncle Philippe II, Duke of Orléans, as Regent of France. Cardinal Fleury was chief minister from 1726 until his death in 1743, at which time the king took sole control of the kingdom.
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1757
American Revolutionary War: Richmond, Virginia, is burned by British naval forces led by former American general Benedict Arnold.
1775–1783 conflict in North America
The American Revolutionary War, also known as the Revolutionary War or American War of Independence, was the armed conflict that comprised the final eight years of the broader American Revolution, in which American Patriot forces organized as the Continental Army and commanded by George Washington defeated the British Army. The conflict was fought in North America, the Caribbean, and the Atlantic Ocean. The war's outcome seemed uncertain for most of the war, but Washington and the Continental Army's decisive victory in the Siege of Yorktown in 1781 led King George III and the Kingdom of Great Britain to negotiate an end to the war. In 1783, in the Treaty of Paris, the British monarchy acknowledged the independence of the Thirteen Colonies, leading to the establishment of the United States as an independent and sovereign nation.
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1781
The government of Central America votes for total annexation to the First Mexican Empire.
Subregion of North America
Central America is a subregion of North America. Its political boundaries are defined as bordering Mexico to the north, Colombia to the southeast, the Caribbean to the east, and the Pacific Ocean to the southwest. Central America is usually defined as consisting of seven countries: Belize, Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua, and Panama, and also sometimes includes Mexico. Within Central America is the Mesoamerican biodiversity hotspot, which extends from southern Mexico to southeastern Panama. Due to the presence of several active geologic faults and the Central America Volcanic Arc, there is a high amount of seismic activity in the region, such as volcanic eruptions and earthquakes, which has resulted in death, injury, and property damage.
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1822
The Palais Garnier, one of the most famous opera houses in the world, is inaugurated in Paris.
Opera house in Paris, France
The Palais Garnier, also known as Opéra Garnier, is a historic 1,979-seat opera house at the Place de l'Opéra in the 9th arrondissement of Paris, France. It was built for the Paris Opera from 1861 to 1875 at the behest of Emperor Napoleon III. Initially referred to as le nouvel Opéra de Paris, it soon became known as the Palais Garnier, "in acknowledgment of its extraordinary opulence" and the architect Charles Garnier's plans and designs, which are representative of the Napoleon III style. It was the primary theatre of the Paris Opera and its associated Paris Opera Ballet until 1989, when a new opera house, the Opéra Bastille, opened at the Place de la Bastille. The company now uses the Palais Garnier mainly for ballet. The theatre has been a monument historique of France since 1923.
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1875
Dreyfus affair: French army officer Alfred Dreyfus is stripped of his rank and sentenced to life imprisonment on Devil's Island.
1894–1906 political scandal in France
The Dreyfus affair was a political scandal that divided the Third French Republic from 1894 until its resolution in 1906. The scandal began in December 1894 when Captain Alfred Dreyfus, a 35-year-old Alsatian French artillery officer of Jewish descent, was wrongfully convicted of treason for communicating French military secrets to the German Embassy in Paris. He was sentenced to life imprisonment and sent overseas to the penal colony on Devil's Island in French Guiana, where he spent the following five years imprisoned in very harsh conditions.
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1895
Irish nationalist leader John Edward Redmond calls for revolt against British rule.
Irish politician (1856–1918)
John Edward Redmond was an Irish nationalist politician, barrister, and MP in the House of Commons of the United Kingdom. He was best known as leader of the moderate Irish Parliamentary Party (IPP) from 1900 until his death in 1918. He was also the leader of the paramilitary organisation the Irish National Volunteers (INV).
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1900
Kappa Alpha Psi, the world's third-oldest and largest black fraternity, is founded at Indiana University.
International historically Black fraternity
Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity, Inc. (ΚΑΨ) is a historically African American fraternity. Since the fraternity's founding on January 5, 1911, at Indiana University Bloomington, it has never restricted membership based on color, creed, or national origin, though membership traditionally is dominated by black men. The fraternity has over 260,000 members with 721 undergraduate and alumni chapters in every state of the United States, and international chapters in ten countries.
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1911
The sixth All-Russian Conference of the Russian Social Democratic Labour Party (Prague Party Conference) opens.
In the course of the conference, Vladimir Lenin and his supporters break from the rest of the party to form the Bolshevik movement.
The Russian Social Democratic Labour Party (RSDLP), also known as the Russian Social Democratic Workers' Party (RSDWP) or the Russian Social Democratic Party (RSDP), was a socialist political party founded in 1898 in Minsk, Russian Empire. The party emerged from the merger of various Marxist groups operating under Tsarist repression, and was dedicated to the overthrow of the autocracy and the establishment of a socialist state based on the revolutionary leadership of the Russian proletariat.
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1912
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Born on January 5

20 people 1993 – 2009
Walker Scobell
Walker Scobell
American actor
Walker Scobell is an American actor. Born in Virginia, he made his professional acting debut at age 13 and gained immediate recognition for his lead roles in the science fiction streaming films The Adam Project and…
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2009
Shane Wright
Shane Wright
Canadian ice hockey player
Shane Wright is a Canadian professional ice hockey player who is a centre for the Seattle Kraken of the National Hockey League (NHL). Despite being projected as the likely first overall pick leading up to the 2022 NHL…
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2004
Mykhailo Mudryk
Mykhailo Mudryk
Ukrainian footballer
Mykhailo Petrovych Mudryk is a Ukrainian professional footballer who plays as a left winger for Premier League club Chelsea and the Ukraine national team. He is currently serving a provisional suspension from football…
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2001
Ellis Simms
Ellis Simms
English footballer
Ellis Reco Simms is an English professional footballer who plays as a striker for EFL Championship club Coventry City.
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2001
Gastón Martirena
Uruguayan footballer
Gastón Nicolás Martirena Torres is a Uruguayan professional footballer who plays as a right-back for Argentine Primera División club Racing Club.
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2000
Mattias Svanberg
Mattias Svanberg
Swedish footballer
Mattias Olof Svanberg is a Swedish professional footballer who plays as a midfielder for Bundesliga club VfL Wolfsburg and the Sweden national team.
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1999
Filip Ugrinić
Swiss footballer
Filip Ugrinić is a Swiss professional footballer who plays as a central midfielder for La Liga club Valencia and the Switzerland national team.
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1999
Carles Aleñá
Carles Aleñá
Spanish footballer
Carles Aleñá Castillo is a Spanish professional footballer who plays as a central midfielder for Deportivo Alavés.
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1998
Corey Horsburgh
Corey Horsburgh
Australian rugby league player
Corey Horsburgh is an Australian rugby league footballer who primarily plays as a lock or prop for the Canberra Raiders in the National Rugby League (NRL).
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1998
Jesús Vallejo
Jesús Vallejo
Spanish footballer
Jesús Vallejo Lázaro is a Spanish professional footballer who plays as a centre-back for Segunda División club Albacete.
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1997
James Fisher-Harris
James Fisher-Harris
New Zealand rugby league player
James Fisher-Harris is a New Zealand professional rugby league footballer who plays as a prop forward for the New Zealand Warriors in the National Rugby League (NRL), and New Zealand and the New Zealand Māori at…
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1996
Nicolás Tripichio
Argentine footballer
Nicolás Martín Tripichio is an Argentine footballer who plays as a right-back for San Lorenzo in the Argentine Primera División.
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1996
Tyler Ulis
Tyler Ulis
American basketball player and coach
Tyler Ulis is an American professional basketball coach and former player who is currently an assistant coach at the University of Arkansas. He played college basketball at the University of Kentucky. In 2015, he led…
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1996
Toafofoa Sipley
Toafofoa Sipley
New Zealand rugby league player
Toafofoa Sipley is a Niue international rugby league footballer who plays as a prop for the Warrington Wolves in the Super League.
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1995
Lachlan Fitzgibbon
Lachlan Fitzgibbon
Australian rugby league player
Lachlan Fitzgibbon is an Australian professional rugby league footballer who plays as second-row forward for the South Newcastle Lions in the Newcastle Rugby League. He previously played for the Newcastle Knights in the…
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1994
Zemgus Girgensons
Zemgus Girgensons
Latvian ice hockey player
Zemgus Girgensons is a Latvian professional ice hockey player who is a forward for the Tampa Bay Lightning of the National Hockey League (NHL). He was selected in the first round, 14th overall, in the 2012 NHL entry…
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1994
Matt Grzelcyk
Matt Grzelcyk
American ice hockey player
Matthew Grzelcyk is an American professional ice hockey player who is a defenseman for the Chicago Blackhawks of the National Hockey League (NHL). He was selected by the Boston Bruins with the 85th overall pick in the…
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1994
Tyrone Phillips
Tyrone Phillips
Australian rugby league player
Tyrone Phillips is a Fiji international rugby league footballer who plays as a fullback, centre and winger
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1994
Gustavo Scarpa
Gustavo Scarpa
Brazilian footballer
Gustavo Henrique Furtado Scarpa is a Brazilian professional footballer who plays as an attacking midfielder or winger for Campeonato Brasileiro Série A club Atlético Mineiro.
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1994
Phillip Dorsett
Phillip Dorsett
American football player
Phillip Howard Dorsett II is an American professional football wide receiver for the Las Vegas Raiders of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Miami Hurricanes and was selected by the…
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1993
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Died on January 5

20 people 2013 – 2025
Mike Rinder
Mike Rinder
Australian-American former Scientologist, critic (born 1955)
Michael John Rinder was an Australian and American former senior executive of the Church of Scientology International (CSI) and Sea Org based in the United States. From 1982 to 2007, Rinder was on the board of directors…
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2025
Costas Simitis
Costas Simitis
Greek economist, lawyer, and politician, Prime Minister of Greece (born 1936)
Konstantinos Simitis was a Greek politician who led the 'Modernization' movement of Greece. He succeeded in leadership Andreas Papandreou, the founder of the Panhellenic Socialist Movement (PASOK), and served as Prime…
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2025
Joseph Lelyveld
Joseph Lelyveld
American journalist and executive editor of The New York Times (born 1937)
Joseph Salem Lelyveld was an American journalist. He was executive editor of The New York Times from 1994 to 2001, and interim executive editor in 2003 after the resignation of Howell Raines. He was a Pulitzer…
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2024
Mário Zagallo
Mário Zagallo
Brazilian footballer and manager (born 1931)
Mário Jorge Lobo Zagallo was a Brazilian professional football player, coordinator and manager, who played as a forward.
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2024
Kim Mi-soo
Kim Mi-soo
South Korean actress and model (born 1992)
Kim Mi-soo was a South Korean actress and model.
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2022
Colin Bell
Colin Bell
English footballer (born 1946)
Colin Bell was an English professional footballer who played as a midfielder. Bell, known for his thirteen-year spell at Manchester City, is regarded as the club's greatest-ever player, and was part of the…
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2021
John Georgiadis
English violinist and composer (born 1939)
John Alexander Georgiadis was a British violinist and conductor. He was twice Concert Leader with the London Symphony Orchestra during the 1960s and 70s, a member of both the ensembles London Virtuosi and the Gabrieli…
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2021
Tafazzul Haque Habiganji
Tafazzul Haque Habiganji
Bangladeshi Islamic scholar and politician (born 1938)
Hefazat-e-Islam Bangladesh is a Deobandi Islamist advocacy group consisting mostly of religious teachers (Ulama) and students in Bangladesh. The group is mainly based on qawmi madrasas in Bangladesh. In 2013, they…
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2020
Bernice Sandler
Bernice Sandler
American women's rights activist (born 1928)
Bernice Resnick Sandler was an American women's rights activist. She is best known for being instrumental in the creation of Title IX, a portion of the Education Amendments of 1972, in conjunction with representatives…
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2019
Dragoslav Šekularac
Dragoslav Šekularac
Serbian footballer and manager (born 1937)
Dragoslav Šekularac was a Yugoslav and Serbian professional footballer and coach.
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2019
Asghar Khan
Asghar Khan
Pakistani three star general and politician (born 1921)
Mohammad Asghar Khan known as Night Flier, held the distinction of being the first native and second Commander-in-Chief of the Pakistan Air Force from 1957 to 1965. He has been described as the Father of the Pakistan…
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2018
Thomas Bopp
Thomas Bopp
American astronomer best known as the co-discoverer of comet Hale–Bopp (born 1949)
Thomas Joel Bopp was an American amateur astronomer. In 1995, he discovered comet Hale–Bopp; Alan Hale discovered it independently at almost the same time, and it was thus named after both of them. At the time of the…
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2018
Karin von Aroldingen
Karin von Aroldingen
German ballerina (born 1941)
Karin Anny Hannelore Reinbold von Aroldingen was a German ballet dancer. She danced as a soloist at the Frankfurt Opera Ballet before joining the New York City Ballet in 1962 after receiving a personal invitation from…
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2018
Jill Saward
Jill Saward
English rape victim and activist (born 1965)
Jill Saward, also known by her married name Jill Drake, was an English campaigner on issues relating to sexual violence.
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2017
Pierre Boulez
Pierre Boulez
French pianist, composer, and conductor (born 1925)
Pierre Louis Joseph Boulez was a French composer, conductor and writer, and the founder of several musical institutions. He was one of the dominant figures of post-war contemporary classical music.
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2016
Jean-Pierre Beltoise
Jean-Pierre Beltoise
French racing driver and motorcycle racer (born 1937)
Jean-Pierre Maurice Georges Beltoise was a French racing driver and motorcycle road racer, who competed in Grand Prix motorcycle racing from 1962 to 1964, and Formula One from 1966 to 1974. Beltoise won the 1972 Monaco…
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2015
Bernard Joseph McLaughlin
Bernard Joseph McLaughlin
American bishop (born 1912)
Bernard Joseph McLaughlin was an American bishop of the Catholic Church. He served as the Auxiliary Bishop of Buffalo and also held the titular see of Mottola.
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2015
Eusébio
Eusébio
Mozambican-Portuguese footballer and manager (born 1942)
Eusébio da Silva Ferreira, nicknamed the "Black Panther", the "Black Pearl" or "o Rei", was a Portuguese footballer who played as a striker. He is considered one of the greatest players of all time as well as Benfica's…
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2014
Carmen Zapata
Carmen Zapata
American actress (born 1927)
Carmen Margarita Zapata often referred to as "The First Lady of the Hispanic Theater" was an American actress best known for her role in the PBS bilingual children's program Villa Alegre. Zapata was also the co-founder…
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2014
Qazi Hussain Ahmad
Qazi Hussain Ahmad
Pakistani scholar and politician (born 1938)
Qazi Hussain Ahmad was an Islamic scholar, pro-Islamic democracy activist and former Emir of Jamaat-e-Islami, the social conservative Islamist political party in Pakistan.
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2013
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Related questions

More questions about January 5

What happened on January 5?

A featured event on this date is 2005: The dwarf planet Eris is discovered by Palomar Observatory-based astronomers, later motivating the International Astronomical Union (IAU) to define the term planet for the first time. This page also lists 41 events from other years on the same day.

Why is January 5 remembered in history?

January 5 brings together events, births, and deaths across many eras, which makes it useful for seeing how one calendar date connects different historical turning points.

Who was born on January 5?

Notable birthdays on this date include Walker Scobell, Shane Wright, Mykhailo Mudryk.

See birthdays

Who died on January 5?

Notable deaths on this date include Mike Rinder, Costas Simitis, Joseph Lelyveld.

See deaths
Short answer

What happened on January 5 in history?

On January 5, one notable event in history was 2005: The dwarf planet Eris is discovered by Palomar Observatory-based astronomers, later motivating the International Astronomical Union (IAU) to define the term planet for the first time..

This date currently highlights 41 recorded events on thisDay.info, spanning 1477 – 2024.

DateJanuary 5
Featured year2005
LocationHistorical Location
Events listed41

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