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January 5Across the years

8 selected records · Newest first

1972

Science & Discovery · January 5

US President Richard Nixon announces the Space Shuttle program.

Richard Milhous Nixon was the 37th president of the United States, serving from 1969 until his resignation in 1974. A member of the Republican Party, he represented California in both houses of the United States Congress before serving as the 36th vice president under President Dwight D. Eisenhower from 1953 to 1961. His presidency saw the reduction of U.S. involvement in the Vietnam War, détente with the Soviet Union and China, the Apollo 11 Moon landing, and the establishment of the Environmental Protection Agency and Occupational Safety and Health Administration. Nixon's second term ended early when he became the only U.S. president to resign from office, as a result of the Watergate scandal.

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1938

Historical Figures · January 5

Birth of Juan Carlos I of Spain

Born: Juan Carlos I of Spain.

Juan Carlos I is a member of the Spanish royal family who reigned as King of Spain from 1975 until his abdication in 2014. Although chosen by Francisco Franco as his successor, Juan Carlos helped dismantle the Francoist system and oversee the Spanish transition to democracy.

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1919

Historical Events · January 5

The German Workers' Party, which would become the Nazi Party, is founded in Munich.

The German Workers' Party was an obscure far-right political party established in the Weimar Republic after World War I. It lasted from 5 January 1919 until 24 February 1920. The DAP was the precursor of the National Socialist German Workers' Party, commonly known as the Nazi Party.

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1875

Arts & Culture · January 5

The Palais Garnier, one of the most famous opera houses in the world, is inaugurated in Paris.

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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1757

Historical Events · January 5

Louis XV of France survives an assassination attempt by Robert-François Damiens, who becomes the last…

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).

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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1675

Historical Events · January 5

Battle of Colmar: The French army defeats forces from Austria and Brandenburg.

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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1527

Historical Figures · January 5

Death of Felix Manz

Died: Felix Manz, Swiss martyr (born 1498).

Felix Manz was an Anabaptist, a co-founder of the original Swiss Brethren congregation in Zürich, Switzerland, and an early martyr of the Radical Reformation.

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1477

Historical Events · January 5

Battle of Nancy: Charles the Bold is defeated and killed in a conflict with René II, Duke of Lorraine;…

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.

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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