On This Day: 5 December

5 December in Indian history

• 1995Sri Lankan Civil War: Sri Lanka's government announces the conquest of the Tamil stronghold of Jaffna.India
• 1971Battle of Gazipur: Pakistani forces are defeated as India cedes Gazipur to Bangladesh.India

5 December in world history

• 2017The International Olympic Committee bans Russia from competing at the 2018 Winter Olympics for doping at the 2014 Winter Olympics.
• 2005The Civil Partnership Act comes into effect in the United Kingdom, and the first civil partnership is registered there.
• 1983Dissolution of the Military Junta in Argentina.
• 1977Egypt breaks diplomatic relations with Syria, Libya, Algeria, Iraq and South Yemen in retaliation to preventing President Anwar el-Sadat from pursuing negotiations with Israel at the Tripoli confer.
• 1972Gough Whitlam took office as the 21st Prime Minister of Australia and formed a duumvirate with his deputy Lance Barnard, ending 23 years of Liberal–Country Party government.
• 1964Vietnam War: For his heroism in battle earlier in the year, Captain Roger Donlon is awarded the first Medal of Honor of the war.
• 1955The Civil Rights Movement: the Montgomery bus boycott begins, led by E. D. Nixon and Rosa Parks.
• 1936The Soviet Union adopts a new constitution and the Kirghiz Soviet Socialist Republic is established as a full Union Republic of the USSR.
• 1934Abyssinia Crisis: Italian troops attack Wal Wal in Abyssinia, taking four days to capture the city.
• 1918National Guards and Sokol volunteers protested in Zagreb, leading to an armed clash with regiments of the Home Guard and former Common Army.
• 1914The Imperial Trans-Antarctic Expedition began in an attempt to make the first land crossing of Antarctica.
• 1807Napoleonic Wars: British ships began a raid on Griessie after the Dutch captain refused a British demand for surrender.
• 1775American Revolutionary War: Continental Army colonel Henry Knox arrived at Fort Ticonderoga in New York to arrange the transport of 60 tons of artillery (depicted) to support the siege of Boston.
• 1757Seven Years' War: Prussian troops under Frederick the Great defeated Austrian forces at the Battle of Leuthen.
• 1484Pope Innocent VIII issued the papal bull Summis desiderantes affectibus, which gave the Dominican inquisitor Heinrich Kramer the explicit authority to prosecute witchcraft in Germany.
• 1456The first of two major earthquakes struck the Kingdom of Naples, killing up to 70,000 people.

Born on 5 December

• 1985Shikhar Dhawan, Indian cricketerIndia
• 1974Ravish Kumar, Indian journalist and authorIndia
• 1932Nadira, Indian actress (died 2006)India
• 1916Hilary Koprowski, Polish-American virologist and immunologist, created the world's first effective live polio vaccine (died 2013)
• 1897Nunnally Johnson, American director, producer, and screenwriter (died 1977)
• 1859John Jellicoe, 1st Earl Jellicoe, English admiral and politician, 2nd Governor-General of New Zealand (died 1935)

Died on 5 December

• 2016J. Jayalalithaa, Indian actress and Former Chief Minister of the Indian state of Tamil Nadu (born 1948)India
• 2010Don Meredith, American football player, sportscaster, and actor (born 1938)
• 1963Huseyn Shaheed Suhrawardy, Indian-Pakistani lawyer and politician, 5th Prime Minister of Pakistan (born 1892)India
• 1951Shoeless Joe Jackson, American baseball player and manager (born 1887)

Frequently asked questions

What happened on 5 December in history?

2017: The International Olympic Committee bans Russia from competing at the 2018 Winter Olympics for doping at the 2014 Winter Olympics. 2005: The Civil Partnership Act comes into effect in the United Kingdom, and the first civil partnership is registered there. 1995: Sri Lankan Civil War: Sri Lanka's government announces the conquest of the Tamil stronghold of Jaffna. 1983: Dissolution of the Military Junta in Argentina.

What happened on 5 December in Indian history?

1995: Sri Lankan Civil War: Sri Lanka's government announces the conquest of the Tamil stronghold of Jaffna. 1971: Battle of Gazipur: Pakistani forces are defeated as India cedes Gazipur to Bangladesh.

Which famous people were born on 5 December?

Shikhar Dhawan, Indian cricketer (1985); Ravish Kumar, Indian journalist and author (1974); Nadira, Indian actress (died 2006) (1932); Hilary Koprowski, Polish-American virologist and immunologist, created the world's first effective live polio vaccine (died 2013) (1916).

Which day is observed on 5 December?

Children's Day (Suriname); Day of Military Honour - Battle of Moscow (Russia); Discovery Day (Haiti and Dominican Republic); International Volunteer Day for Economic and Social Development; Klozum (Schiermonnikoog, Netherlands).