Events on July 5 51
Year 328
The official opening of Constantine's Bridge built over the Danube between Sucidava (Corabia, Romania) and Oescus (Gigen, Bulgaria) by the Roman architect Theophilus Patricius.
Year 1316
The Burgundian and Majorcan claimants of the Principality of Achaea meet in the Battle of Manolada.
Year 1594
Portuguese forces under the command of Pedro Lopes de Sousa begin an unsuccessful invasion of the Kingdom of Kandy during the Campaign of Danture in Sri Lanka.
Year 1803
The Convention of Artlenburg is signed, leading to the French occupation of Hanover (which had been ruled by the British king).
Year 1807
In Buenos Aires the local militias repel the British soldiers within the Second English Invasion.
Year 1809
The largest battle of the Napoleonic Wars, the Battle of Wagram is fought between the French and Austrian Empires.
Year 1813
War of 1812: Three weeks of British raids on Fort Schlosser, Black Rock and Plattsburgh, New York commence.
Year 1814
War of 1812: Battle of Chippawa: American Major General Jacob Brown defeats British General Phineas Riall at Chippawa, Ontario.
Year 1833
Lê Văn Khôi along with 27 soldiers stage a mutiny taking over the Phiên An citadel, developing into the Lê Văn Khôi revolt against Emperor Minh Mạng.
Year 1833
Admiral Charles Napier vanquishes the navy of the Portuguese usurper Dom Miguel at the third Battle of Cape St. Vincent.
Year 1841
Thomas Cook organises the first package excursion, from Leicester to Loughborough.
Year 1915
The Liberty Bell leaves Philadelphia by special train on its way to the Panama-Pacific International Exposition. This is the last trip outside Philadelphia that the custodians of the bell intend to permit.
Year 1935
The National Labor Relations Act, which governs labor relations in the United States, is signed into law by President Franklin D. Roosevelt.
Year 1937
Spam, the luncheon meat, is introduced into the market by the Hormel Foods Corporation.
Year 1940
World War II: The United Kingdom and the Vichy France government break off diplomatic relations.
Year 1943
World War II: An Allied invasion fleet sails for Sicily (Operation Husky, July 10, 1943).
Year 1943
World War II: German forces begin a massive offensive against the Soviet Union at the Battle of Kursk, also known as Operation Citadel.
Year 1946
The bikini goes on sale after debuting during an outdoor fashion show at the Molitor Pool in Paris, France.
Year 1948
National Health Service Acts create the national public health system in the United Kingdom.
Year 1950
Korean War: Task Force Smith: American and North Korean forces first clash, in the Battle of Osan.
Year 1950
Zionism: The Knesset passes the Law of Return which grants all Jews the right to immigrate to Israel.
Year 1954
Elvis Presley records his first single, "That's All Right," at Sun Records in Memphis, Tennessee.
Year 1971
Right to vote: The Twenty-sixth Amendment to the United States Constitution, lowering the voting age from 21 to 18 years, is formally certified by President Richard Nixon.
Year 1973
A boiling liquid expanding vapor explosion (BLEVE) in Kingman, Arizona, following a fire that broke out as propane was being transferred from a railroad car to a storage tank, kills eleven firefighters.
Year 1977
Military coup in Pakistan: Zulfikar Ali Bhutto, the first elected Prime Minister of Pakistan, is overthrown.
Year 1980
Swedish tennis player Björn Borg wins his fifth Wimbledon final and becomes the first male tennis player to win the championships five times in a row (1976-1980).
Year 1987
Sri Lankan Civil War: The LTTE uses suicide attacks on the Sri Lankan Army for the first time. The Black Tigers are born and, in the following years, will continue to kill with the tactic.
Year 1989
Iran-Contra affair: Oliver North is sentenced by U.S. District Judge Gerhard A. Gesell to a three-year suspended prison term, two years probation, $150,000 in fines and 1,200 hours community service. His convictions are later overturned.
Year 1995
The Republic of Armenia adopts its constitution, four years after its independence from the Soviet Union.
Year 1997
Sri Lankan Civil War: Sri Lankan Tamil MP A. Thangathurai is shot dead at Sri Shanmuga Hindu Ladies College in Trincomalee.
Year 1999
U.S. President Bill Clinton imposes trade and economic sanctions against the Taliban regime in Afghanistan.
Year 2006
North Korea tests four short-range missiles, one medium-range missile and a long-range Taepodong-2. The long-range Taepodong-2 reportedly fails in mid-air over the Sea of Japan.
Year 2009
A series of violent riots break out in Ürümqi, the capital city of the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region in the People's Republic of China.
Year 2009
The largest hoard of Anglo-Saxon gold ever discovered in England, consisting of more than 1,500 items, is found near the village of Hammerwich, near Lichfield, Staffordshire.
Year 2012
The Shard in London is inaugurated as the tallest building in Europe, with a height of 310 metres (1,020 ft).