What happened This day in History on April 5th

For Those With Birthdays 5th April looking for specific year these years are Included on this date 1933, 1936, 1951, 1955, 1969, 1970, 1976, 1986, 1987, 1988, 1992, 1994, 1999, 2001, 2006, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2012, Born This Day,
1987 U.S.A. Fox Broadcasting 5th April 1987 : Fox Broadcasting Co. made its prime-time TV debut with Its first prime time shows, starting on Sunday nights beginning April 5, 1987,
A comedy about a dysfunctional family (Married... with Children) ( Which Aired for 11 seasons )
A variety series (The Tracey Ullman Show). Which spawned the longest-running sitcom and animated series in U.S. history: The Simpsons Find More What happened in 1987

1933 U.S.A. Gold Compulsorily Purchased 9th March, 1933: President Franklin Roosevelt signs "United States Executive Order 6102" which prohibited the "hoarding" of privately held gold coins and bullion in the United States. The government required holders of significant quantities of gold to sell their gold at the prevailing price of $20.67 per ounce. Shortly after this forced sale, the price of gold from the treasury for international transactions was raised to $35 an ounce.

1936 U.S.A. Tornadoes strike Tupelo, Mississippi and Gainesville, Georgia 5th April 1936 : Two small towns in Tupelo, Mississippi and Gainesville, Georgia are devastated by tornadoes, killing 200 people in one of the deadliest spates of tornadoes in United States history. A total of 466 people were killed over four days of nearly continuous twisters. Another 3,500 people were injured.



1951 U.S.A. Rosenberg's Trial 5th April 1951 : At the end of the trial against the Rosenberg's for giving the secrets to the Atomic Bomb to the Soviet Union, death sentences are imposed against Julius and Ethel Rosenberg when found guilty of conspiring to transmit atomic secrets to the Soviet Union.

1955 UK Sir Winston Churchill Retires 5th April 1955 : Sir Winston Churchill, the 80 year old British leader who guided Great Britain and the Allies through the crisis of World War II, retires as prime minister of Great Britain.


1969 U.S.A. Anti Vietnam Demonstrations 5th April 1969 : One of the greatest co-ordinated demonstrations in modern times starts on this weekend against US involvement in Vietnam with demonstrations in New York, San Francisco, Chicago, Los Angeles, Washington, D.C., and other major cities. Just in Washington alone were believed to be over 250,000 in protest at the Vietnam War

1970 Guatemala Count Karl von Spreti 5th April 1970 : West Germany's Count Karl von Spreti the ambassador to Guatemala is kidnapped and shot dead.

1976 U.S.A. Howard Hughes 5th April 1976 : One of the world's richest men, eccentric American billionaire Howard Hughes dies at the age of 70. He had spent the last 20 years living as a recluse in hotel penthouses around the world.

1976 UK James Callaghan 5th April 1976 : Britain's new Prime Minister, James Callaghan, arrives in Downing Street for his first day in office

1986 Germany Bomb Exploded In Berlin Disco 5th April 1986 : A bomb is exploded in the crowded La Belle disco in Berlin, Germany, killing two and injuring at least 120. This follows a bomb planted earlier that wrecked a German-Arab club in the city and injured seven Arabs. The West German foreign minister, Hans-Dietrich Genscher, said a special group would be set up to investigate the possible involvement of a foreign country in the attack and 10 days later, the US government retaliated by bombing Libya killing at least 60 people .

1988 Iran Hijack Kuwait Airways Jumbo Jet 5th April 1988 : The hijackers of a Kuwait Airways jumbo jet have released 24 women passengers and one man with a heart condition after landing in Iran.

1992 U.S.A. Abortion Rights Activists March 5th April 1992 : The Abortion rights activists march and demonstration in Washington, D.C. attracts several hundred thousand people who are concerned that the high court, with its conservative majority may overturn the 1973 Roe v. Wade ruling that made abortion legal.

1994 U.S.A. Kurt Cobain 5th April 1994 : Modern rock icon Kurt Cobain lead singer, guitarist, and songwriter for the rock band Nirvana commits suicide with a self-inflicted shotgun wound to the head.

1999 Libya Gives Up Wanted Terrorists For Pan Am Flight 103 5th April 1999 : Libya surrendered two suspects in the 1988 bombing of Pan Am Flight 103 over Scotland to a U.N. representative.

2001 England Illegal Immigrants 5th April 2001 : A Dutch lorry driver is sentenced to 14 years in prison for his part in the deaths of 58 Chinese illegal immigrants found during a routine search at Dover Ferry Port Last June.





2006 U.S.A. Katie Couric 5th April 2006 : Katie Couric announced she was leaving NBC's "Today" show to become anchor of "The CBS Evening News."

2008 U.S.A. Charlton Heston dies 5th April 2008 : Charlton Heston, who won an Oscar for his starring role in Ben-Hur, has died. He was aged 84. Heston died at his home in Beverly Hills. His wife Lydia, whom he married in 1944, was at his side. Heston has played Michelangelo, El Cid and other heroic figures in Hollywood movies of the 1950's and 1960's.

2009 North Korea Launches Rocket 5th April 2009 : North Korea launches the Kwangmyŏngsŏng-2 experimental communications satellite raising concerns that North Korea is now capable of the technology that could be used in the future to launch an intercontinental ballistic missile. North Korea is still involved in nuclear activities related to a ballistic missile programme.
This Day In History For Tomorrow April 6th Day After April 7th Or You Can Use Our Calendar at the top of the page to find the day or month you are looking for

2009 The Czech Republic Obama calls for a nuclear weapon-free world 5th April 2009 : Barack Obama calls for a purge on the world's nuclear weapons. His warnings of proliferation were accompanied by the possibility of nuclear-armed terrorists. He unveiled a plan to cut stockpiles, curtail testing, choke fissile production and secure loose nuclear material. "As the only nuclear power to have used a nuclear weapon, the United States has a moral responsibility to act," he said. His speech was warmly received.

2009 United States The media has filmed the U.S. military’s dead being returned home 5th April 2009 : Media has filmed the return of dead U.S. soldiers for the first time since the eighteen-year ban on coverage was lifted. Reporters were allowed to witness the ceremony marking the return of the body of Air Force Staff Sergeant Phillip Myers, with the permission of his family. Sergeant Myers was killed by an improvised explosive device near Helmand province on April 4th.

2010 Pakistan The U.S. Consulate in Peshawar is attacked 5th April 2010 : At least seven people have died after militants attacked the U.S. consulate in Peshawar. Several explosions were reported near the consulate, and some of the area's other buildings collapsed. A susequent gun battle between the police and attackers occured after the explosions, and eleven people were killed in those. One of Pakistan's main Taliban factions has said it carried out the attack. The raid came a few hours after forty-three people had been killed in a suicide attack about fifty miles north-east of Peshawar. That bomber had targeted a crowded rally that was being held by a Pashtun nationalist party in Timergara.

2010 United States Toyota has been fined $16 million for its lack of warning on a brake problem 5th April 2010 : The Department of Transportation has asked Toyota to pay a fine of $16.4m for withholding information on faulty accelerator pedals. The Department has said that the company had failed to notify it about the flaws 'in a timely way.' The National Highways Traffic Safety Administration has said that documents provided by Toyota have shown that the carmaker knew about the defect in September 2009. It was reports of problems with the pedals that prompted the recall that took place in January. Toyota will have two weeks to appeal against the penalty. Under federal regulations, automakers are required to inform the agency within five days of determining that a safety defect exists.

2010 United States West Virginia Mine Explosion 5th April 2010 : An explosion at the Upper Big Branch Mine in Montcoal, Raleigh County, West Virginia kills 29 miners and leaves several missing. This is the deadliest mining accident in the U.S. in at least 35 years.

2010 Pakistan Bombing Attacks Leave 50 dead 5th April 2010 : Coordinated bombings by Taliban militants at the U.S. consulate in Peshawar and at a ruling party rally in the Pakistani North-West Frontier Province kills fifty people and injures one hundred.

France 2012 France Fire at Nuclear Reactor in Northern France
5th April, 2012 : Two small fires broke out at a reactor at the Penly site in Northern France but were quickly contained as ten fire engines were sent and the reactor was shut down. Hot oil that leaked from a pump inside of the reactor was what caused the fires according to a spokeswoman for the energy company.