August 05
Overview
Holidays & Observances
Christianfeast day:
Abel of Reims, Addai, Afra, Cassian of Autun, Dedication of the Basilica of St Mary Major(Catholic Church), Emygdius, Memnius, Oswald of Northumbria, August 5 (Eastern Orthodox liturgics)
A day in the Christian liturgical calendar commemorating several saints and the dedication of the Basilica of St Mary Major.
Independence Day (Burkina Faso)
Commemorates Burkina Faso’s independence from France in 1960.
July Mass Uprising Day(Bangladesh)
Remembers the 1969 mass protests that galvanized Bangladesh’s struggle for independence.
Victory and Homeland Thanksgiving Day and the Day of Croatian defenders(Croatia)
National holiday honoring Operation Storm and the service of Croatian defenders.
Abel of Reims
Addai
Afra
Cassian of Autun
Dedication of the Basilica of St Mary Major(Catholic Church)
Events
Guangwu claims the throne as Emperor of China, restoring the Han dynasty after the collapse of the short-lived Xin dynasty.
In AD 25, Liu Xiu ascended as Emperor Guangwu, marking the Han dynasty's revival and the end of the Xin dynasty.
Fires resulting from the destruction of the Second Temple in Jerusalem are extinguished.
On August 5, AD 70, the fires consuming Jerusalem's Second Temple were finally brought under control, marking the grim end of a pivotal siege.
Battle of Maserfield: Penda of Mercia defeats and kills Oswald of Northumbria.
In 642, Penda of Mercia achieved a decisive victory over Northumbrian King Oswald at the Battle of Maserfield, altering power dynamics in early medieval England.
The last major Danish army to raid England for nearly a century is defeated at the Battle of Tettenhall by the allied forces of Mercia and Wessex, led by King Edward the Elder and Æthelred, Lord of the Mercians.
On August 5, 910, allied forces of Mercia and Wessex dealt a crushing defeat to the last major Danish raiders at Tettenhall, securing England's borders.
The Battle of Alhandic is fought between Ramiro II of León and Abd-ar-Rahman III at Zamora in the context of the Spanish Reconquista. The battle resulted in a victory for the Emirate of Córdoba.
During the Spanish Reconquista in 939, Abd-ar-Rahman III's forces triumphed over Ramiro II of León at the Battle of Alhandic near Zamora.
Byzantine–Norman wars: Italo-Normans begin a nearly-three-year siege of Bari.
In 1068, Italo-Norman forces initiated a protracted siege of Bari, striking at the heart of Byzantine southern Italy.
Henry I is crowned King of England in Westminster Abbey.
On August 5, 1100, Henry I was crowned King of England at Westminster Abbey, beginning a reign marked by legal reforms and consolidation.
Spanish Reconquista: the forces of the Kingdom of Castile initiate the ultimately futile Siege of Algeciras against the Emirate of Granada.
In 1278, Castilian forces launched the Siege of Algeciras against the Emirate of Granada, a campaign that ultimately failed after years of struggle.
First Scottish War of Independence: Sir John Stewart of Menteith, the pro-English Sheriff of Dumbarton, successfully manages to capture Sir William Wallace of Scotland, leading to Wallace's subsequent execution by hanging, evisceration, drawing and quartering, and beheading 18 days later.
On August 5, 1305, Sir John Stewart of Menteith captured Scottish hero William Wallace, leading to Wallace’s brutal execution weeks later.
Births
Tullia
Beloved daughter of the Roman statesman and orator Cicero.
King of Hungary and Croatia from 1272 to 1290, known as Ladislaus the Cuman.
Edmund of Woodstock
1st Earl of Kent and English nobleman, executed for his loyalty to Edward II.
Guillaume Du Fay
Renowned early Renaissance composer and music theorist.
Alexander Jagiellon
King of Poland and Grand Duke of Lithuania (1501–1506).
Joseph Justus Scaliger
Pioneering French philologist and historian, father of historical chronology.
Antonio Barberini
Italian cardinal and patron of the arts during the Baroque era.
Antonio Cesti
Italian Baroque composer and organist, famed for his operas.
Richard Ottley
English royalist politician and Governor of Shropshire.
Deaths
Xiao Ji
A Chinese imperial prince of the Liang dynasty known for his military leadership and bid for the throne.
Eowa
An early king of Mercia who co-ruled with his brother and perished in the power struggles of 7th-century England.
Oswald
A 7th-century King of Northumbria renowned for his Christian faith and his victory at the Battle of Heavenfield.
Heizei
The 51st emperor of Japan, who reigned from 806 to 809 before abdicating amidst court intrigues.
Ubayd Allah ibn Yahya ibn Khaqan
A powerful vizier of the Abbasid Caliphate who served under Caliphs al-Mutawakkil and al-Mu'tamid.
Louis III
King of West Francia known for defending his realm against Viking invasions in the late 9th century.
Ranulf II
Duke of Aquitaine who maintained relative autonomy in southwestern France during the Carolingian decline.
Eowils and Halfdan
Two Viking rulers who briefly seized power in Northumbria before their deaths at the hands of English forces.
Ingwær
A 10th-century king of Northumbria, known primarily through brief annals noting his demise in conflict.