December 5
December 5 is the 340th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar; 26 days remain until the year's end. It falls in autumn (northern hemisphere) and under the astrological sign of Sagittarius.
External references
Curated jump-off points to the major almanacs, encyclopaedias and primary sources for this date.
Astronomy
On December 5 the Sun's declination is approximately -22.7°. At this latitude the Sun is south of the celestial equator, giving the Northern Hemisphere shorter 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 December 5.
Position in the year
Holidays & observances
- Christian feast day: Clement of Alexandria (Episcopal Church)
- Christian feast day: Crispina
- Christian feast day: Dalmatius of Pavia
- Christian feast day: John Almond
- Christian feast day: Justinian of Ramsey Island
Events
A selection of widely-documented historical events that took place on this date. Years marked BCE follow standard astronomical convention.
2017 — The International Olympic Committee bans Russia from competing at the 2018 Winter Olympics for doping at the 2014 Winter Olympics. ↗(9 years ago)more
The International Olympic Committee (IOC) is the international, non-governmental, sports governing body of the modern Olympic Games. Founded in 1894 by Pierre de Coubertin and Demetrios Vikelas, it is based in Lausanne, Switzerland. The IOC is the authority responsible for organising the Summer, Winter, and Youth Olympics.
2014 — Exploration Flight Test-1, the first flight test of Orion, is launched. ↗(12 years ago)more
Exploration Flight Test-1 or EFT-1 was a technology demonstration mission and the first flight test of the crew module portion of the Orion spacecraft. Without a crew, it was launched on December 5, 2014, at 12:05 UTC by a Delta IV Heavy rocket from Space Launch Complex 37B at the Cape Canaveral Air Force Station.
2013 — Militants attack a Defense Ministry compound in Sanaa, Yemen, killing at least 56 people and injuring 200 others. ↗(13 years ago)more
On 5 December 2013, a coordinated terrorist attack occurred targeting the Ministry of Defense complex in Sanaa, Yemen. Heavily armed militants utilized a car bomb to breach the gates of the complex before storming it and occupying a hospital within it.
2007 — Westroads Mall shooting: Nineteen-year-old Robert A. Hawkins kills nine people, including himself, with a WASR-10 at a Von Maur department store in Omaha, Nebraska. ↗(19 years ago)more
On December 5, 2007, 19-year-old Robert Arthur Hawkins fatally shot eight people and injured four others in a Von Maur department store at Westroads Mall in Omaha, Nebraska, before committing suicide. It was the deadliest mass murder in Nebraska since the rampage of Charles Starkweather in 1958.
2006 — Commodore Frank Bainimarama overthrows the government in Fiji. ↗(20 years ago)more
Josaia Voreqe "Frank" Bainimarama is a Fijian former politician and naval officer who served as the prime minister of Fiji from 2007 until 2022. A member of the FijiFirst party, which he founded in 2014, he began his career as an officer in the Fijian navy and commander of the Fijian military. Despite being suspended from Parliament, he served as the oppo...
2005 — The Civil Partnership Act comes into effect in the United Kingdom, and the first civil partnership is registered there. ↗(21 years ago)more
The Civil Partnership Act 2004 is an act of the Parliament of the United Kingdom, introduced by the Labour government, which grants civil partnerships in the United Kingdom the rights and responsibilities very similar to those in civil marriage. Initially the act permitted only same-sex couples to form civil partnerships.
- 2005 — The 6.8 Mw Lake Tanganyika earthquake shakes the eastern provinces of the Democratic Republic of the Congo with a maximum Mercalli intensity of X (Extreme), killing six people. ↗(21 years ago)
more
The 2005 Lake Tanganyika earthquake occurred at 14:19:56 local time on 5 December with a moment magnitude of 6.8 and a maximum Mercalli intensity of X (Extreme). The shock occurred along the East African Rift, an active continental rift zone in East Africa that is characterized by normal faulting, and initiated at a depth of 22 kilometers (14 mi).
2001 — Space Shuttle Endeavour launches on STS-108, carrying the Expedition 4 crew to the International Space Station. ↗(25 years ago)more
Space Shuttle Endeavour is a retired orbiter from NASA's Space Shuttle program and the fifth and final operational Shuttle built. It embarked on its first mission, STS-49, in May 1992 and its 25th and final mission, STS-134, in May 2011.
1995 — Sri Lankan Civil War: Sri Lanka's government announces the conquest of the Tamil stronghold of Jaffna. ↗(31 years ago)more
The Sri Lankan civil war was fought in Sri Lanka from 1983 to 2009. Beginning on 23 July 1983, it was an intermittent insurgency against the government by the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam led by Velupillai Prabhakaran.
1995 — Azerbaijan Airlines Flight A-56 crashes near Nakhchivan International Airport in Nakhchivan, Azerbaijan, killing 52 people. ↗(31 years ago)more
Azerbaijan Airlines Flight A-56 was a scheduled domestic passenger flight operated by Azerbaijan Airlines, from Nakhchivan Airport to Baku, which crashed whilst attempting an emergency landing on 5 December 1995, killing 52 out of the 82 people on board.
1994 — The Budapest Memorandum is signed at the OSCE conference in Budapest, Hungary. ↗(32 years ago)more
The Budapest Memorandum on Security Assurances comprises four substantially identical political agreements signed at the Conference on Security and Co-operation in Europe (CSCE) in Budapest, Hungary, on 5 December 1994, to provide security assurances by its signatories relating to the accession of Belarus, Kazakhstan and Ukraine to the Treaty on the Non-P...
1991 — Leonid Kravchuk is elected the first president of Ukraine. ↗(35 years ago)more
Leonid Makarovych Kravchuk was a Ukrainian politician who served as the first president of Ukraine from 5 December 1991 to 19 July 1994. Kravchuk's presidency was marked by Ukraine achieving independence from the Soviet Union, the handover of its post-Soviet nuclear arsenal and an economic crisis that ultimately resulted in him losing re-election.
Notable births
2009 — Owen Cooper, English actor ↗(17 years ago)more
Owen Patrick Cooper is an English actor. He gained international recognition for his debut role portraying teenage murder suspect Jamie Miller in the Netflix miniseries Adolescence (2025). For the role, he won the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Limited or Anthology Series or Movie, making him the youngest male actor to win a Pr...
2008 — Ediz Gürel, Turkish chess grandmaster ↗(18 years ago)more
Ediz Gürel is a Turkish chess player who received the FIDE title of Grandmaster (GM) in 2024.
2000 — Soobin, South Korean singer-songwriter ↗(26 years ago)more
Choi Soo-bin, known mononymously as Soobin, is a South Korean singer and songwriter. He is the leader of the South Korean boy band Tomorrow X Together, formed by Big Hit Entertainment in 2019.
1998 — Conan Gray, American singer-songwriter ↗(28 years ago)more
Conan Lee Gray is an American singer, songwriter and former YouTuber. He was born in Lemon Grove, California, and raised in Georgetown, Texas, where he began uploading vlogs, covers, and original songs to YouTube as a teenager. In 2018, Gray signed a record deal with Republic Records, which released his debut EP, Sunset Season (2018).
1998 — Randal Kolo Muani, French footballer ↗(28 years ago)more
Randal Kolo Muani is a French professional footballer who plays as a forward for Premier League club Tottenham Hotspur, on loan from Ligue 1 club Paris Saint-Germain, and the France national team.
1997 — Maddie Poppe, American singer-songwriter and musician ↗(29 years ago)more
Madeline Mae Poppe is an American singer-songwriter, musician, and the sixteenth season winner of American Idol. She is a multi-instrumentalist—playing the guitar, piano, and ukulele. Prior to winning American Idol in 2018, Poppe released an independent album titled Songs from the Basement.
Notable deaths
2025 — Frank Gehry, Canadian-American architect and designer (b. 1929) ↗(1 years ago)more
Frank Owen Gehry was a Canadian and American architect and designer known for his postmodern designs and use of unconventional forms and materials. A number of his buildings, including his private residence in Santa Monica, California, have become attractions.
2025 — Michael Annett, American Former NASCAR Driver (b. 1986) ↗(1 years ago)more
Michael Wayne Annett was an American professional stock car racing driver. He last competed in the NASCAR Xfinity Series, driving the No. 1 Chevrolet Camaro SS for JR Motorsports.
2023 — Norman Lear, American screenwriter and producer (born 1922) ↗(3 years ago)more
Norman Milton Lear was an American screenwriter and producer who wrote and produced more than 100 television shows during a career that lasted over 70 years. Lear created and produced numerous popular 1970s sitcoms, including All in the Family (1971–1979), Maude (1972–1978), Sanford and Son (1972–1977), One Day at a Time (1975–1984), The Jeffersons (1975–...
2022 — Kirstie Alley, American actress and producer (born 1951) ↗(4 years ago)more
Kirstie Louise Alley was an American actress. Her breakthrough role was as Rebecca Howe in the NBC sitcom Cheers (1987–1993), for which she received an Emmy Award and a Golden Globe in 1991. From 1997 to 2000, Alley starred as the lead in the sitcom Veronica's Closet, earning additional Emmy and Golden Globe nominations.
Numerical & calendrical curiosities
| Day-of-year (340) | 2^2 × 5 × 17 · composite (no) |
|---|---|
| Days remaining (26) | 2 × 13 |
| Date code DDMMYYYY | 05122026 · next palindrome year: 2150 |
| Sun declination | -22.69° (Cooper approximation) |
| Distance from solstice | 15 days |