Discover what happened on June 5 in history, along with notable events that shaped medicine, entertainment, politics, and space exploration.
What Happened on June 5 in History?
Important events on this day include Elvis Presley introducing “Hound Dog” on national television, the first recognized cases of AIDS being reported by the CDC, Robert F. Kennedy being shot in Los Angeles, and the death of former President Ronald Reagan.
JUNE 5 – TODAY IN HISTORY:
1783 – In Annonay, France, a hot-air balloon flight was demonstrated to the public demonstration for the first time. Brothers Joseph and Jacques Montgolfier succeeded in launching their 33-foot-diameter balloon. The unmanned balloon rose an estimated 1,500 feet and traveled about 7,500 feet before landing after a 10-minute flight.
1794 – Congress prohibited citizens from serving in any foreign armed forces.
1817 – The first Great Lakes steamer, the Frontenac, was launched.
1851 – Harriet Beecher Stow published the first installment of “Uncle Tom’s Cabin” in “The National Era”.
1865 – The first safe deposit vault was opened in New York, NY. The charge was $1.50 a year for every $1,000 that was stored.
1866 – Doctors met in Detroit, MI, to organize the Michigan State Medical Society.
1917 – American men began registering for the World War I draft.
1924 – Ernst F. W. Alexanderson transmitted the first facsimile message across the Atlantic Ocean.
1927 – Johnny Weissmuller set two world records in swimming events. Weissmuller set marks in the 100-yard, and 200-yard, free-style swimming competition.
1933 – President Roosevelt signed the bill that took the U.S. off of the gold standard, nullifying the right of creditors to demand payment in gold.
1946 – The first medical sponges were first offered for sale in Detroit, MI.
1956 – Elvis Presley introduced his new single, “Hound Dog”, on “The Milton Berle Show”, shocking audiences with his suggestive hip movements.
1967 – The National Hockey League (NHL) awarded three new franchises: The Minnesota North Stars (later the Dallas Stars), the California Golden Seals (no longer in existence) and the Los Angeles Kings.
1968 – Robert F. Kennedy, a Presidential candidate, was shot at the Ambassador Hotel in Los Angeles, CA, by Sirhan Sirhan, a Palestinian. Kennedy died the next day.
1981 – In the U.S., the Center for Disease Control and Prevention reported that five men in Los Angeles were suffering from a rare pneumonia found in patients with weakened immune systems. They were the first recognized cases of what later became known as AIDS.
1987 – Ted Koppel and guests discussed the topic of AIDS for four hours on ABC-TV’s “Nightline”.
1987 – The movie “Harry and the Hendersons”, about a Seattle family’s encounter with Bigfoot, opened in theaters in the United States. It would later become a TV show which ran from 1991-1993.
1989 – The Toronto Sky Dome opened. The Blue Jays lost to Milwaukee 53.
1995 – The dating show “Singled Out” aired on MTV for the first time. Each episode featured a group of 50 men and a group of 50 women competing for a date with one main contestant of the opposite sex. The original hosts were Chris Hardwick and Jenny McCarthy. When McCarthy left the show in early 1997 to star in her own sitcom, “Jenny”, MTV hired Carmen Electra to replace her for the last season and a half. The show ended in 1998
1998 – A strike began at a General Motors Corp. parts factory in Flint, MI, that closed five other assembly plants and idled workers across the U.S. for seven weeks.
1998 – The movie “The Truman Show”, starring Jim Carrey, opened in theaters in the United States.
1998 – Volkswagen AG won approval to buy Rolls-Royce Motor Cars for $700 million, outbidding BMW’s $554 million offer.
2001 – Amazon.com announced that it would begin selling personal computers later in the year.
2002 – The Space Shuttle Endeavor was launched. The Shuttle would deliver a new crew to the International Space Station Alpha and bring the old space station crew back to Earth.
2004 – Ronald Reagan, the 40th President of the United States, died at age 93. He had long suffered from Alzheimer’s disease.
2004 – The U.S.S. Jimmy Carter was christened in the U.S. Navy in Groton, CT.
2024 – The Boeing Starliner was launched on its first crewed flight , carrying astronauts Barry Wilmore and Sunita Williams to the International Space Station.
2025 – The Nintendo Switch 2 video game console was released worldwide.
CELEBRITY BIRTHDAYS ON JUNE 5:
Whitfield Diffie – 82 years old (1944) – Cryptographer and academic
John Carlos – 81 years old (1945) – Runner and football player
André Lacroix – 81 years old (1945) – Canadian-American ice hockey player and coach
Laurie Anderson – 79 years old (1947) – Singer-songwriter and violinist
Freddie Stone – 79 years old (1947) – Singer, guitarist, and pastor
Suze Orman – 75 years old (1951) – Financial adviser, author, and television host
Kathleen Kennedy – 73 years old (1953) – Film producer, co-founded Amblin Entertainment
Nancy Stafford – 72 years old (1954) – Model and actress
Kenny G – 70 years old (1956) – Saxophonist, songwriter, and producer
Jeff Garlin – 64 years old (1962) – Actor, comedian, director, and screenwriter
Lisa Cholodenko – 62 years old (1964) – Director and screenwriter
Rick Riordan – 62 years old (1964) – Author
Michael E. Brown – 61 years old (1965) – Astronomer and author
Alfie Turcotte – 61 years old (1965) – Ice hockey player
Joe DeLoach – 59 years old (1967) – Sprinter
Ron Livingston – 59 years old (1967) – Actor
Brian McKnight – 57 years old (1969) – Singer-songwriter, producer, and actor
Alex Mooney – 55 years old (1971) – Politician
Mark Wahlberg – 55 years old (1971) – Model, actor, producer, and rapper
Lamon Brewster – 53 years old (1973) – Boxer
Russ Ortiz – 52 years old (1974) – Baseball player
Zydrunas Ilgauskas – 51 years old (1975) – Lithuanian-American basketball player
Joe Gatto – 50 years old (1976) – Comedian
Torry Holt – 50 years old (1976) – Football player
Liza Weil – 49 years old (1977) – Actress
Nick Kroll – 48 years old (1978) – Actor and comedian
Pete Wentz – 47 years old (1979) – Singer-songwriter, bass player, actor, and fashion designer
Jason White – 47 years old (1979) – Race car driver
Marques Colston – 43 years old (1983) – Football player
Jeremy Abbott – 41 years old (1985) – Figure skater
Vernon Gholston – 40 years old (1986) – Football player
Marcus Thornton – 39 years old (1987) – Basketball player
Cam Atkinson – 37 years old (1989) – Ice hockey player
Ninja – 35 years old (1991) – Professional gamer
Sam Darnold – 29 years old (1997) – Football player
DAYS OF THE YEAR FOR JUNE 5:
No events found for this date.
For additional information check out websites like: www.on-this-day.com, www.born-today.com, www.famousbirthdays.com, www.daysoftheyear.com, and www.nationaldaycalendar.com.
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