Major Events
- 1666 Great Fire of London ends, leaving 13,200 houses destroyed and 8 dead
- 1774 Twelve of the thirteen American colonies adopt a trade embargo against Great Britain at the first Continental Congress at Carpenters' Hall in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
- 1781 American Revolutionary War: French fleet of 24 ships under Comte de Grasse defeat British forces under Admiral Thomas Graves and Samuel Hood at the Battle of the Chesapeake [Battle of the Virginia Capes] and trap General Lord Charles Cornwallis
- 1839 The First Opium War begins in China
- 1958 1st color video recording on magnetic tape presented, Charlotte, North Carolina
- 2017 Hurricane Irma becomes the most powerful hurricane ever recorded in the Atlantic Basin region with winds of 185mph (280km/h)
- More September 5 Events
Sep 5 in Sport
- 1972 11 Israeli athletes taken hostage and later killed by Palestinian Black September group at the Munich Olympics
Did You Know?
Louis XIV
Archduke Charles
Jesse James
Paul Volcker
Raquel Welch
Bob Newhart
Michael Keaton
Rose McGowan
Amy Beach
Freddie Mercury
Fun Fact About September 5
Erramatti Mangamma becomes the world's oldest living mother after giving birth to twins, aged 74 in Hyderabad, India
Famous Weddings
- 1725 French King Louis XV (15) marries Polish princess Marie Leszczyńska (22)
- 1959 American motorcycle daredevil Evel Knievel (20) weds Linda Joan Bork; divorce in 1997
- 1968 Welsh college student and future novelist Ken Follett (19) weds fellow student Mary Emma Ruth Elson; divorce in 1985
Famous Divorces
- 1980 American lawyer Kathleen St. Johns divorces American best-selling author Michael Crichton (37) after nearly 2 years of marriage
More September 5 Weddings
Suleiman the Magnificent
Crazy Horse
Rudolf Virchow
Francis Ford
Mother Teresa
Phyllis SchlaflyArticles, Photos and Quiz
Battle That Gave Birth To The USA
The Battle of Chesapeake Bay was one of the most decisive battles of the world. Before it, the creation of the United States was possible; after it, it was certain.
September 5, 1781
Jesse James – Hero or Cold Killer?
Hailed by some as a folk hero and by others as a cold-bloodied killer, Jesse James, one of America’s most infamous outlaws, was born on this day.
September 5, 1847
First Battle of the Marne
French forces at the First Battle of the Marne
September 5, 1914
Hurricane Irma
Satellite photo of Hurricane Irma shortly before landfall in Florida, with Hurricane Jose to the right
September 5, 2017
