December 5 in History
December 5 is the birthday of Owen Cooper (2009) and the anniversary of the death of Frank Gehry (2025). Below are famous birthdays, deaths, events for December 5, plus editor's picks and genealogy records.
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Zhu Wen, Chinese emperor was born in 852, while Publius Cornelius Lentulus Sura, Roman politician died in 63 BC.
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Famous people born on December 5
Famous people who died on December 5
2024
Jacques Roubaud (Wikipedia, opens in a new tab)
French poet, writer and mathematician (1932–2024)
2015
Tibor Rubin (Wikipedia, opens in a new tab)
US Army soldier, Medal of Honor recipient (1929–2015)
2012
Elisabeth Murdoch (philanthropist) (Wikipedia, opens in a new tab)
Australian philanthropist (1909–2012)
What happened on December 5
- 2017
The International Olympic Committee bans Russia from competing at the 2018 Winter Olympics for doping at the 2014 Winter Olympics.
Wikipedia source (opens in a new tab) - 2014
Exploration Flight Test-1, the first flight test of Orion, is launched.
Wikipedia source (opens in a new tab) - 2013
Militants attack a Defense Ministry compound in Sanaa, Yemen, killing at least 56 people and injuring 200 others.
Wikipedia source (opens in a new tab) - 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.
Wikipedia source (opens in a new tab) - 2006
Commodore Frank Bainimarama overthrows the government in Fiji.
Wikipedia source (opens in a new tab) - 2005
The Civil Partnership Act comes into effect in the United Kingdom, and the first civil partnership is registered there.
Wikipedia source (opens in a new tab) - 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.
Wikipedia source (opens in a new tab) - 2001
Space Shuttle Endeavour launches on STS-108, carrying the Expedition 4 crew to the International Space Station.
Wikipedia source (opens in a new tab) - 1995
Sri Lankan Civil War: Sri Lanka's government announces the conquest of the Tamil stronghold of Jaffna.
Wikipedia source (opens in a new tab) - 1995
Azerbaijan Airlines Flight A-56 crashes near Nakhchivan International Airport in Nakhchivan, Azerbaijan, killing 52 people.
Wikipedia source (opens in a new tab) - 1994
The Budapest Memorandum is signed at the OSCE conference in Budapest, Hungary.
Wikipedia source (opens in a new tab) - 1991
Leonid Kravchuk is elected the first president of Ukraine.
Wikipedia source (opens in a new tab) - 1983
Dissolution of the Military Junta in Argentina.
Wikipedia source (opens in a new tab) - 1977
Egypt breaks diplomatic relations with Syria, Libya, Algeria, Iraq and South Yemen in retaliation to preventing President Anwar el-Sadat from pursuing negotiations with Israel at the Tripoli confer.
Wikipedia source (opens in a new tab) - 1971
Battle of Gazipur: Pakistani forces are defeated as India cedes Gazipur to Bangladesh.
Wikipedia source (opens in a new tab)
Births, deaths and events from Wikipedia, available under CC BY-SA 4.0 (opens in a new tab).
Editor's picks
Born on December 5
- 852 — Zhu Wen, Chinese emperor (died 912)
- 1377 — Jianwen Emperor of China (died 1402)
- 1389 — Zbigniew Oleśnicki, Polish cardinal and statesman (died 1455)
Died on December 5
- 63 BC — Publius Cornelius Lentulus Sura, Roman politician (born 114 BC)
- 334 — Li Ban, emperor of Cheng Han (born 288)
- 902 — Ealhswith, queen consort and wife of Alfred the Great, King of Wessex
Source: Wikipedia historical listings for December 5
Quick answers
Who was born on December 5? Owen Cooper (2009), Ediz Gürel (2008), Soobin (singer) (2000).
Who died on December 5? Frank Gehry (2025), Michael Annett (2025), Jacques Roubaud (2024).
Explore genealogy records
Researching someone born in December? Search birth records
Live genealogy events
This calendar is live and has its own date controls; it is separate from the December 5 historical article above.
Ancestry
Holiday Sale: 65% off AncestryDNA. Offer ends 11/19. Terms apply.
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Ancestry
AncestryDNA® with Traits
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