April 5
April 5 is the 96th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar; 270 days remain until the year's end. It falls in spring (northern hemisphere) and under the astrological sign of Aries.
External references
Curated jump-off points to the major almanacs, encyclopaedias and primary sources for this date.
Astronomy
On April 5 the Sun's declination is approximately +6.0°. At this latitude the Sun is north of the celestial equator, giving the Northern Hemisphere longer days than nights.
For specific rise/set times at your location, see the U.S. Naval Observatory, or the NASA APOD archive for any imagery published on a April 5.
Position in the year
Holidays & observances
No widely-observed holidays catalogued for this day in our base set. See the external almanacs above for region-specific observances.
Events
A selection of widely-documented historical events that took place on this date. Years marked BCE follow standard astronomical convention.
1614 — Pocahontas married English colonist John Rolfe in Virginia. ↗(412 years ago)more
Pocahontas was a Native American woman belonging to the Powhatan people, notable for her association with the colonial settlement at Jamestown, Virginia. She was the daughter of Wahunsenacawh, the paramount chief of a network of tributary tribes in the Tsenacommacah, encompassing the Tidewater region of what is today the U.S. state of Virginia.
1722 — Dutch explorer Jacob Roggeveen reached Easter Island on Easter Sunday. ↗(304 years ago)more
Easter Island is an island and special territory of Chile in the southeastern Pacific Ocean, at the southeasternmost point of the Polynesian Triangle in Oceania. The island is renowned for its nearly 1,000 extant monumental statues, called moai, which were created by the early Rapa Nui people.
1933 — U.S. President Franklin D. Roosevelt signed Executive Order 6102, requiring Americans to surrender most gold to the U.S. Treasury. ↗(93 years ago)more
Executive Order 6102 is an executive order signed on April 5, 1933, by US President Franklin D. Roosevelt forbidding "the hoarding of gold coin, gold bullion, and gold certificates within the continental United States".
1955 — Winston Churchill resigned as British Prime Minister. ↗(71 years ago)more
Sir Winston Leonard Spencer Churchill was a British statesman, military officer, and writer who was Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 1940 to 1945, during the Second World War, and again from 1951 to 1955. For some 62 of the years between 1900 and 1964, he was a Member of Parliament (MP) and represented a total of five constituencies over that time.
Notable births
1588 — Thomas Hobbes, English philosopher (Leviathan). ↗(438 years ago)more
Thomas Hobbes was an English philosopher and political theorist, best known for his 1651 book Leviathan, in which he expounds an influential formulation of social contract theory. He is considered to be one of the founders of modern political philosophy.
1908 — Bette Davis, American actress. ↗(118 years ago)more
Ruth Elizabeth "Bette" Davis was an American actress of film, television, and theater. Regarded as one of the greatest actresses in Hollywood history, she was noted for her willingness to play unsympathetic, sardonic characters and was known for her performances in a range of film genres, from contemporary crime melodramas to historical and period films a...
1937 — Colin Powell, U.S. general and diplomat. ↗(89 years ago)more
Colin Luther Powell was an American Army general, diplomat, and statesman who was the 65th United States secretary of state from 2001 to 2005, being the first Black American to hold the office, and was the highest-ranking Black American in the federal executive branch in American history until the election of Barack Obama as president in 2008.
Notable deaths
1964 — Douglas MacArthur, U.S. general. ↗(62 years ago)more
Douglas MacArthur was an American general who served as a top commander during World War II and the Korean War, achieving the rank of General of the Army. He served with distinction in World War I; as chief of staff of the United States Army from 1930 to 1935; as Supreme Commander, Southwest Pacific Area, from 1942 to 1945; as Supreme Commander for the Al...
Numerical & calendrical curiosities
| Day-of-year (96) | 2^5 × 3 · composite (no) |
|---|---|
| Days remaining (270) | 2 × 3^3 × 5 |
| Date code DDMMYYYY | 05042026 · no palindrome in next 200 years |
| Sun declination | +5.99° (Cooper approximation) |
| Distance from solstice | 76 days |