128 things happened on 5 October, from AD 578 to 2021. UK stories come first, then the rest of the world.
1658 · 368 years ago
Mary of Modena married the future King James II, who was also James VII of Scotland. At the time, he was the younger brother of King Charles II and next in line to the throne. A devout Roman Catholic, Mary was Queen of England, Scotland and Ireland from 1685 …
UK history first: stories from England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.
UK story
Around 200 men set off to walk 291 miles (468 km) from Jarrow, in the north of England, to London. Many people in the town were out of work after its main employer, Palmer's shipyard, closed in 1934. The marchers, who called themselves 'Crusaders', carried a petition asking the government to bring new industry to Jarrow. The march lasted until 31 October, but Parliament never debated their petition.
UK story
Dr. No, the very first James Bond film, was released. Sean Connery starred as Bond, the British secret agent 007, who was created by the novelist Ian Fleming. Altogether, seven actors have played Bond in twenty-seven films. Dr. No came out on the same day as the Beatles' first single, 'Love Me Do'.
UK story
'Love Me Do', the very first single by the Beatles, came out in the United Kingdom. The band had formed in Liverpool and was made up of John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison and Ringo Starr. The song reached number 17 in the UK charts, and later went to number one in the United States. The Beatles are often called the most influential band in pop music history.
UK story
A civil rights march in Derry, Northern Ireland, was broken up by police using force. The march was organised by the Northern Ireland Civil Rights Association, a group set up in Belfast in 1967. It campaigned to end discrimination – unfair treatment – against Catholics in Northern Ireland, especially in elections, jobs and housing.
UK story
War of 1812: The Army of the Northwest defeats a British and Native Canadian force threatening Detroit.
UK story
Peace congress in Paris condemns British policy in South Africa and asserts Boer Republic's right to self-determination.
Market women in Paris were angry about the high price and shortage of bread. They began a march to the Palace of Versailles, home of King Louis XVI. Others joined them until the crowd grew to thousands. The Women's March on Versailles became one of the most important early events of the French Revolution.
The Wright brothers flew their aeroplane, the Wright Flyer III, for 24 miles in 39 minutes, setting a new world record. Only two years earlier, in 1903, the American brothers had made the first controlled flight in a powered aeroplane. The Flyer III is seen as the first truly practical aeroplane.
A revolution in Portugal overthrew the country's monarchy, which had lasted for centuries. The uprising was organised by the Portuguese Republican Party. Portugal became a republic – a country without a king or queen. It still marks the anniversary each year with a national holiday called Republic Day.
Pilots Clyde Pangborn and Hugh Herndon landed their plane, Miss Veedol, in East Wenatchee, Washington State, USA. They had taken off from a beach in Misawa, Japan, about 41 hours earlier. It was the first non-stop flight across the Pacific Ocean. The flight won them the Harmon Trophy for the year's greatest achievement in flying.
The Provisional Government of the French Republic gave women the right to vote. This temporary government ran France from June 1944 to October 1946, after the country was liberated during the Second World War. The change meant that French women could take part in elections alongside men.
Marc Garneau became the first Canadian to travel into space. He had been an officer in Canada's navy before he was chosen as an astronaut in 1983. Garneau went on to fly on three Space Shuttle missions and later led the Canadian Space Agency. After that he became a politician and served as a minister in Canada's government.
King Louis the Pious is crowned emperor of the Holy Roman Empire by the Pope.
The Fourth Council of Constantinople, the eighth Catholic Ecumenical Council, was convened to discuss the patriarchate of Photios I of Constantinople.
With the signing of the Treaty of Zamora, King Alfonso VII of León and Castile recognises Portugal as a Kingdom.
King Louis XI of France is forced to sign the treaty of Conflans.
Jan Sobieski, Grand Hetman of the Polish Crown, begins his successful military campaign against the Tartars following their rebellion and an invasion by the Ottoman Empire.
During construction of the Eastman tunnel in St. Anthony, Minnesota (now Minneapolis), the Mississippi River broke through the tunnel's limestone ceiling, nearly destroying Saint Anthony Falls.
The Saxby Gale devastates the Bay of Fundy region in Canada.
The Nez Perce War in the northwestern United States comes to an end.
Samuel Griffith (pictured) became the first Chief Justice of Australia, while Edmund Barton and Richard O'Connor became the first Puisne Justices of the High Court of Australia.
The Kowloon–Canton Railway commences service.
World War I: An aircraft successfully destroys another aircraft with gunfire for the first time.
The World Series is broadcast on radio for the first time.
President Truman makes the first televised Oval Office address.
The U.S. suspended the Commercial Import Program, its main economic support for South Vietnam, in response to the oppression of Buddhists by President Ngô Đình Diệm (pictured).
A reactor at the Enrico Fermi Nuclear Generating Station near Detroit suffers a partial meltdown.
The Public Broadcasting Service (PBS) is founded in the United States.[citation needed]
Brother Eddie Villanueva and 15 others from the Polytechnic University of the Philippines begin the Jesus Is Lord Church.
During the United States vice-presidential debate, Democratic candidate Lloyd Bentsen told his opponent Dan Quayle, "Senator, you're no Jack Kennedy."
After 150 years The Herald newspaper in Melbourne, Australia, is published for the last time as a separate newspaper.
Colour revolutions: During protests over irregularities in the Yugoslavian general election, a wheel-loader was driven into the Radio Television of Serbia building, giving the protests the nickname "Bulldozer Revolution".
Windows 11 is released to the general public.
Every answer is somewhere on this page. Have a go, then check!
In which year did this happen: “Dr. No, the first James Bond film, is released”?
A: 1962. 1962 — that’s 64 years ago. Find it on the page
In which year did this happen: “The Beatles release their first single, 'Love Me Do'”?
A: 1962. 1962 — that’s 64 years ago. Find it on the page
Which of these happened first?
B: The Jarrow March sets off for London. 1968: Police break up a civil rights march in Derry · 1936: The Jarrow March sets off for London · 1962: Dr. No, the first James Bond film, is released Find it on the page
“The Jarrow March sets off for London” happened in 1936. How many years ago was that?
A: 90 years. 2026 − 1936 = 90. Find it on the page
Famous people whose birthday is 5 October.
UK story
Mary of Modena married the future King James II, who was also James VII of Scotland. At the time, he was the younger brother of King Charles II and next in line to the throne. A devout Roman Catholic, Mary was Queen of England, Scotland and Ireland from 1685 to 1688. Her son, James Francis Edward Stuart, later claimed the thrones with the support of the Jacobites.
Well-known people who died on 5 October.
Festivals, holidays and saints’ days celebrated on 5 October somewhere in the world.
World Teachers' Day celebrates the work of teachers all over the world. It began in 1994 and is held every year on 5 October. That date marks the signing of a 1966 agreement on teachers' work and training by two United Nations organisations. It is a great chance to thank a teacher who has helped you.
Content note: these entries mention things like war, violence, deaths, disasters or crime. They are part of history, but they can be upsetting. Grown-ups and teachers: you may want to read them first. They come straight from Wikipedia and have not been rewritten for children.
Stories with a heading have been written for young readers by A Day in the Past, using the linked articles as sources. Other entries show text from Wikipedia’s “October 5” page and its “On this day” feed, written by Wikipedia contributors and shared under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 licence. Each “Read more” link goes to the article an entry is based on. Photos are credited under each picture. Spotted a mistake? Please tell us.