5 May in Indian and World History
5 May in Indian and World History is celebrated, observed, and remembered for various reasons. 5 May is the birth anniversary of Guru Amar Das, Pritilata Waddedar, and Giani Zail Singh.
5 May is also observed as the death anniversary of Naushad Ali and Raman Surendranath.
Birth Anniversary on 5 May
5 May in Indian history is celebrated as the birth anniversary of the following personalities:
Guru Amar Das (5 May 1479 – 1 September 1574), also known as Guru Amardas, was the third of the Ten Gurus of Sikhism and became Sikh Guru on 26 March 1552 at age 73. He was an important innovator in Sikhism, who introduced a religious organization called the ‘manji system by appointing trained clergy, a system that expanded and survives into the contemporary era.[4][3] He wrote and compiled hymns into a Pothi (book) that ultimately helped create the Adi Granth. Guru Amar Das remained the leader of the Sikhs till age 95 and named his son-in-law Bhai Jetha later remembered by the name Guru Ram Das as his successor. He was born on 5 May 1479.
Pritilata Waddedar (5 May 1911 – 24 September 1932), a Bengali revolutionary nationalist from the Indian subcontinent who was influential in the Indian independence movement. After completing her education in Chittagong and Dhaka, she attended Bethune College in Kolkata. She graduated in philosophy with distinction and became a schoolteacher. She is known for leading fifteen revolutionaries in the 1932-armed attack on the Pahartali European Club, during which one person was killed and eleven injured. The revolutionaries torched the club and were later caught by the British police. To avoid arrest, Pritilata consumed cyanide and died. She was born on 5 May 1911.
Giani Zail Singh (5 May 1916 – 25 December 1994) was the seventh President of India serving from 1982 to 1987. He was born as Jarnail Singh. Prior to his presidency, he was a politician with the Indian National Congress Party, and had held several ministerial posts in the Union Cabinet, including that of Home Minister. He also served as the Chairman of the Non-Aligned Movement from 1983 to 1986. His presidency was marked by Operation Blue Star, the assassination of Indira Gandhi, and the 1984 anti-Sikh riots. He was born on 5 May 1916.
Read More: 4 May in Indian and World History
Death Anniversary on 5 May
5 May in Indian history is observed as the death anniversary of the following personalities:
Naushad Ali (26 December 1919 – 5 May 2006), an Indian music director for Hindi films. He is widely considered to be one of the greatest and foremost music directors of the Hindi film industry. He is particularly known for popularising the use of classical music in films. Naushad was conferred the Dadasaheb Phalke Award and the Padma Bhushan in 1981 and 1992 respectively for his contribution to the Hindi film industry. He died on 5 May 2006.
Raman Surendranath (4 January 1937 – 5 May 2012), an Indian cricketer who played in eleven Test matches between 1958 and 1961. He was primarily a medium-pace swing bowler, who enjoyed a particularly successful tour of England in 1959. He died on 5 May 2012.
Read More: 3 May in Indian and World History
Notable events on 5 May in Indian and World History
Some of the Notable events on 5 May in World History are mentioned below:
5 May 1818 – Karl Marx, great journalist, chief editor, writer and social worker, was born in Trier, Germany.
5 May 1862 – Mexico repelled the French forces of Napoleon III at the Battle of Puebla, a victory that became a symbol of resistance to foreign domination and is now celebrated as a national holiday, Cinco de Mayo.
5 May 1903 – Former minister William Petty declares the Persian Gulf a part of British dominion in India.
5 May 1921 – Arthur Leonard Schawlow, an American physicist, and Nobel Prize Laureate, was born.
5 May 1930 – Hoshiar Singh Dahiya, an Indian military officer, and Nobel Prize Laureate, was born.
5 May 1945 – The Prague uprising begins as an attempt by the Czech resistance to free the city from German occupation.
5 May 1945 – A Fu-Go balloon bomb launched by the Japanese Army kills six people near Bly, Oregon.
5 May 1945 – Battle of Castle Itter, the only battle in which American and German troops fought cooperatively.
5 May 1959 – Carlos Saavedra Lamas was a Foreign Minister. In 1936, Carlos Saavedra Lamas was awarded the Nobel Prize , died.
5 May Historical Significance
May 5th holds a prominent place in history for various reasons across different cultures and nations. One of the most well-known events associated with this date is the Battle of Puebla in 1862, where the Mexican army claimed a significant victory over the French forces during the Franco-Mexican War. This event is commemorated annually as Cinco de Mayo, a celebration of Mexican resistance and triumph against foreign domination. In the broader scope of history, May 5th has been a day of many notable occurrences. For instance, in 553, the Second Council of Constantinople, the fifth ecumenical council, opened, which had profound implications for the Christian doctrine. In 1260, Kublai Khan became the ruler of the Mongol Empire, marking a significant expansion of one of history’s largest empires. The date also saw the expulsion of Jews from Speyer, Germany in 1430, reflecting the turbulent religious and social dynamics of the time. Christopher Columbus sighted Jamaica on May 5th, 1494, during his second voyage to the New World, an event that would lead to significant cultural and demographic changes. In the realm of science and measurement, May 5th, 1792, is notable for Jean Baptiste Joseph Delambre being commissioned to measure the meridian between Dunkerque to Rodez to calculate the accurate length of the meter, a fundamental unit of the metric system. Moreover, the day marks the opening of the French Estates General in 1789, which was a precursor to the French Revolution, an event that radically transformed French and European history. The 19th century saw a variety of significant events on this day, including the attack on Fort Ontario, Oswego, New York by the British in 1814, and the organization of the American Bible Society in New York in 1816. The first railway in Belgium, connecting Brussels and Mechelen, was opened by King Leopold I in 1835, signifying the dawn of a new era in transportation.
In the arts, May 5th witnessed the premiere of French ballerina Marie de Camargo at the Paris Opera Ballets in 1726, showcasing the evolving art of ballet. Thomas Carlyle began his lecture series “The Hero as Divinity” in 1840, which would later be collected in his book “On Heroes, Hero-Worship, and The Heroic in History”, influencing the field of historical analysis and philosophy. The day also saw the city-wide fire in Hamburg, Germany in 1842, which burned for over 100 hours, demonstrating the devastating potential of urban fires in the industrial age.
Important Days of 5 May in History
Some of the Notable events on 5 May in History are mentioned below:
- Cinco de Mayo (Mexico): A celebration of the Mexican victory at the Battle of Puebla in 1862, symbolizing resistance to foreign domination.
- Children’s Day (Japan): Also known as Kodomo no Hi, this day celebrates children’s personalities and their happiness.
- Liberation Day (Netherlands): Marks the liberation of the Dutch from Nazi occupation in 1945.
- Cartoonists Day (USA): Honors all the cartoonists and appreciates the art of cartooning.
- African World Heritage Day (International): Celebrates the rich cultural heritage and significance of historical sites across Africa.
- International Midwives’ Day (International): Recognizes the important work of midwives in delivering babies and caring for mothers.
- National Hoagie Day (USA): A day to enjoy and celebrate the submarine sandwich, also known as a hoagie.
- National Day of Reason (USA): Established to celebrate reason—a concept all citizens can support—and to raise public awareness about the persistent threat to religious liberty posed by government intrusion into the private sphere of worship.
- Europe Day: a continent-wide celebration held every May, serves as a powerful reminder of the shared history and unity among European nations. This celebration, observed on two separate dates, May 5 by the Council of Europe and May 9 by the European Union
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