World Health Organization
The World Health Organization declared the end of COVID-19 as a global health emergency.
What happened on May 5
34 events · 20 births · 20 deaths · 7 observances. From 1654 to 2026.
Standout on May 5
2023
World Health Organization
The World Health Organization declared the end of COVID-19 as a global health emergency.
About May 5
May 5 is the 125th day of the year. These facts are computed from the calendar, not copied from anywhere.
- Day of the year
- Day 125 of 365 (126 in leap years)240 days left in the year (240 in leap years)
- Falls on
- Tuesday in 2026, Wednesday in 2027, Friday in 2028, Saturday in 2029, Sunday in 2030
- Week
- ISO week 19 of 2026 · Q2
- Zodiac sign
- ♉ Taurus (April 20 – May 20)
- Season
- Spring in the north · Autumn in the south
- May birthstone
- Emeraldrebirth, love and wisdom
- May birth flower
- Lily of the valley / Hawthornsweetness, humility and hope
- Next occurrence
- In 190 days
- Roman numerals
- V.Vday.month — see the Roman numeral date tool
Anniversaries in 2026
- 90thSecond Italo-Ethiopian War1936
- 80thInternational Military Tribunal for the Far East1946
- 30thChristopher Eubanks1996
- 30thMayar Sherif1996
- 20thSudan2006
Born on May 5 — ages this year
- 2004Jenna Davisturns 22
- 2004Kirsty Muirturns 22
- 2003Carlos Alcarazturns 23
- 1999Justin Kluivertturns 27
- 1999Nathan Chenturns 27
- 1998Aryna Sabalenkaturns 28
Historical events 34
A dated happening — a battle, treaty, launch, discovery, disaster or decision — recorded on this calendar day.
ABS-CBN
Philippine broadcast network ABS-CBN was forced to go off-air by the National Telecommunications Commission after Congress failed to renew its franchise granted in 1995.
Anti-austerity movement in Greece
Mass protests in Greece erupt in response to austerity measures imposed by the government as a result of the Greek government-debt crisis.
Kenya Airways Flight 507
Kenya Airways Flight 507 crashed immediately after takeoff from Douala International Airport in Cameroon, resulting in the deaths of all 114 people aboard.
Sudan
The government of Sudan signs an accord with the Sudan Liberation Army.
Bishkek Protocol
The signing of the Bishkek Protocol between Armenia and Azerbaijan effectively freezes the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict.
Caning of Michael Fay
American teenager Michael P. Fay was caned in Singapore for theft and vandalism, a punishment that the United States deemed to be excessive for a teenager committing a non-violent crime.
Twenty-seventh Amendment to the United States Constitution
The Twenty-seventh Amendment to the United States Constitution was ratified, 202 years after it was first proposed.
1991 Washington, D.C., riot
Riots broke out in Washington, D.C., after a rookie police officer shot a Salvadoran man in the chest.
Iran–Contra affair
Iran–Contra affair: Start of Congressional televised hearings in the United States.
Ronald Reagan
Ronald Reagan visits the military cemetery at Bitburg and the site of the Bergen-Belsen concentration camp, where he makes a speech.
Bobby Sands
Bobby Sands dies in the Long Kesh prison hospital (Northern Ireland) after 66 days of hunger-striking, aged 27.
1981 Irish hunger strike
After a 66-day hunger strike, Irish republican Bobby Sands died of starvation in HM Prison Maze.
Special Air Service
The British Special Air Service recaptured the Iranian embassy in London following a six-day siege after Iranian Arab separatists had seized it.
Iranian Embassy siege
Operation Nimrod: The British Special Air Service storms the Iranian embassy in London after a six-day siege.
Secretariat (horse)
Secretariat wins the 1973 Kentucky Derby in 1:59.4, an as-yet-unbeaten record.
Alitalia Flight 112
Alitalia Flight 112 crashes into Mount Longa near Palermo, Sicily, killing all 115 aboard, making it the deadliest single-aircraft disaster in Italy.
Council of Europe
The Council of Europe declares May 5 as Europe Day.
Project Mercury
Project Mercury: American astronaut Alan Shepard made a sub-orbital spaceflight on board Freedom 7, becoming the second person to travel into outer space.
Netherlands Carillon
The Netherlands Carillon was inaugurated in Arlington, Virginia, on the 15th anniversary of Dutch Liberation Day.
Bonn–Paris conventions
The General Treaty, by which France, Britain and the United States recognize the sovereignty of West Germany, comes into effect.
International Military Tribunal for the Far East
The International Military Tribunal for the Far East begins in Tokyo with twenty-eight Japanese military and government officials accused of war crimes and crimes against humanity.
Battle of Castle Itter
World War II: Battle of Castle Itter, one of only two battles in that war in which American and German troops fought cooperatively.
Mauthausen concentration camp
The Mauthausen and Gusen concentration camps were liberated by the United States Army.
Fu-Go balloon bomb
World War II: A Fu-Go balloon bomb launched by the Japanese Army kills six people near Bly, Oregon.
World War II
World War II: American and German troops fought side-by-side at the Battle for Castle Itter, defending a prison against Waffen-SS forces.
Prague uprising
World War II: The Prague uprising begins as an attempt by the Czech resistance to free the city from German occupation.
World War II
World War II: A squad of 250 Norwegian volunteers defending Hegra Fortress surrendered to a superior Nazi force after a 25-day siege.
Second Italo-Ethiopian War
Second Italo-Ethiopian War: Italian troops (pictured) captured the Ethiopian capital Addis Ababa unopposed.
Pitcher
Pitching for the Boston Americans, Cy Young threw the first perfect game in modern professional baseball.
Carnegie Hall
Carnegie Hall (interior pictured) in New York City, built by the philanthropist Andrew Carnegie, officially opened with a concert conducted by Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky.
American Civil War
American Civil War: Union Lt. Gen. Ulysses S. Grant's Overland Campaign in Virginia began with the inconclusive Battle of the Wilderness in Spotsylvania County.
Giuseppe Garibaldi
Led by Italian general Giuseppe Garibaldi, the volunteer Expedition of the Thousand set sail from Genoa on a campaign to conquer the Kingdom of the Two Sicilies, a crucial event of the unification of Italy.
Cromwell's Act of Grace
Cromwell's Act of Grace, which pardoned the people of Scotland for any crimes committed during the Wars of the Three Kingdoms, was proclaimed in Edinburgh.
Births 20
A notable person born on this day. Each links to a person page with their dates and story.
Deaths 20
A notable person who died on this day.
Michael Otedola
Michael Otedola, Nigerian journalist and politician, 9th Governor of Lagos State (born 1926)
Roy Padayachie
Roy Padayachie, South African lawyer and politician, South African Minister of Communications (born 1950)
Holidays & observances 7
A holiday, feast day, awareness day or national day observed every year on this date.
Children's Day
Children's Day (Japan, South Korea)
Angelus of Jerusalem
Christian feast day: Angelus of Jerusalem
Aventinus of Tours
Christian feast day: Aventinus of Tours
Edmund Ignatius Rice
Christian feast day: Blessed Edmund Ignatius Rice
Gotthard of Hildesheim
Christian feast day: Gotthard of Hildesheim
Beatification
Christian feast day: Blessed Caterina Cittadini
Frederick III of Saxony
Christian feast day: Frederick the Wise (Lutheran Church–Missouri Synod)
Spread across the centuries
- 17th century1
- 19th century3
- 20th century42
- 21st century28
Earliest: Cromwell's Act of Grace (1654). Most recent: Chris Phelan (2026).
What the categories mean, and how the standout is chosen
- Historical events
- A dated happening — a battle, treaty, launch, discovery, disaster or decision — recorded on this calendar day.
- Births
- A notable person born on this day. Each links to a person page with their dates and story.
- Deaths
- A notable person who died on this day.
- Milestones
- A first, a founding or a turning point our editors flagged as a landmark moment.
- Holidays & observances
- A holiday, feast day, awareness day or national day observed every year on this date.
- Standout / notable
- Editor-written entries come first, then entries covered by the most Wikipedia language editions. For the standout tile we prefer an entry that has a picture.
Nearby and related
Questions about May 5
What day of the year is May 5?
May 5 is the 125th day of the year, with 240 days left after it.
What star sign is May 5?
May 5 falls under Taurus (April 20 – May 20), a earth sign ruled by Venus. The birthstone for the month is Emerald.
How many things happened on May 5?
We record 81 entries for May 5: 34 events · 20 births · 20 deaths · 7 observances. From 1654 to 2026.
Who was born on May 5?
Jenna Davis (2004) is among the notable births on May 5. The births section lists the rest.
How often is the May 5 page updated?
The day is filled the first time anyone opens it and then re-checked for new entries about every 90 days. Computed facts such as the weekday and the anniversaries update every year.
Get a daily entry like May 5
One short email a day from this calendar. Kept for this site only.
Text adapted from Wikipedia under CC BY-SA 4.0 and from Wikidata (CC0). Images come from Wikimedia Commons; credit and licence are shown with each image. Editorial entries are © What's On This Date. Sources & licensing · How this site works.