917day.year
Liu Yan declares himself emperor, establishing the Southern Han state in southern China, at his capital of Panyu.
In 917, Liu Yan declared himself emperor at Panyu, marking the birth of the Southern Han state in southern China.
During the collapse of the Tang dynasty, China fractured into multiple kingdoms.
Liu Yan, a former military governor, seized the moment to elevate himself from regional power to emperor.
On September 5, 917, he enthroned himself in Panyu, modern-day Guangzhou, launching the Southern Han regime.
The new state controlled a prosperous coastal region and established its own administrative and military institutions.
Southern Han lasted until its conquest by the Song dynasty in 971, leaving a legacy of regional culture and economic strength.
917
Liu Yan
Southern Han
1367day.year
Swa Saw Ke becomes king of Ava
In 1367, Swa Saw Ke ascended the throne as king of Ava, ushering in a period of stability and cultural growth in Burma.
Following years of internal strife in the upper Irrawaddy valley, Swa Saw Ke emerged as a unifying leader.
He inherited a fragmented realm and implemented reforms to strengthen central authority and improve defense.
Under his rule, Ava enjoyed renewed political stability and fostered ties with neighboring kingdoms through diplomacy.
He patronized religious institutions, supporting the spread of Theravada Buddhism and temple construction.
His reign laid the groundwork for the golden age of Burmese art and architecture in the late 14th century.
1367
Swa Saw Ke
Ava
1661day.year
Fall of Nicolas Fouquet: Louis XIV's Superintendent of Finances is arrested in Nantes by D'Artagnan, captain of the king's musketeers.
On September 5, 1661, Louis XIV’s finance minister Nicolas Fouquet was arrested in Nantes by D’Artagnan on charges of embezzlement and treason.
By the 1660s, Nicolas Fouquet had amassed immense wealth and influence as Superintendent of Finances under Louis XIV.
King Louis, wary of Fouquet’s power and lavish lifestyle, plotted to remove him from office.
On September 5, 1661, Captain D’Artagnan led royal musketeers to arrest Fouquet at his estate in Nantes.
Fouquet’s dramatic downfall was immortalized in literature and film, symbolizing the absolute authority of the Sun King.
He was charged with embezzlement and espionage, spending his remaining years imprisoned at Pignerol.
1661
Nicolas Fouquet
Louis XIV
Superintendent of Finances
Nantes
D'Artagnan
musketeers
1725day.year
Wedding of Louis XV and Maria Leszczyńska.
On September 5, 1725, King Louis XV of France married Polish princess Maria Leszczyńska, forging a key dynastic alliance.
At the Palace of Versailles, the young King Louis XV, aged fifteen, wed Maria Leszczyńska, daughter of Poland’s King Stanisław I.
The union was arranged to strengthen France’s influence in Central Europe and counter Habsburg power.
Maria’s gentle piety and patronage of the arts endeared her to the French court and common people.
Their marriage produced ten children, securing the Bourbon succession and dynastic stability.
The royal wedding at Versailles became a grand spectacle of French Baroque pageantry and ceremony.
1725
Louis XV
Maria Leszczyńska
1774day.year
First Continental Congress assembles in Philadelphia.
In 1774, delegates from twelve American colonies convened in Philadelphia for the First Continental Congress to coordinate resistance against British policies.
Facing the punitive Intolerable Acts imposed by Britain, colonial leaders sought unified action to protect their rights.
On September 5, 1774, representatives from twelve colonies met in Carpenter’s Hall, Philadelphia.
The Congress drafted petitions to King George III and organized a Continental Association to enforce boycotts of British goods.
Their deliberations laid the foundation for intercolonial cooperation and ultimately the American Revolution.
Though not yet a revolutionary government, the Congress marked a critical step toward independence.
1774
First
Continental Congress
Philadelphia
1793day.year
French Revolution: The French National Convention initiates the Reign of Terror.
The French National Convention launches the Reign of Terror, a radical campaign of political repression during the French Revolution.
On September 5, 1793, the French National Convention enacted policies that initiated the Reign of Terror. Driven by fears of internal dissent and external invasion, revolutionary leaders like Maximilien Robespierre and the Committee of Public Safety sought to consolidate power through mass arrests and executions. Over the next year, thousands of suspected counter-revolutionaries were tried by revolutionary tribunals and often swiftly guillotined. The period was characterized by pervasive paranoia and the suppression of civil liberties. It significantly altered the course of the Revolution before its end in July 1794. The Reign of Terror remains a stark example of how revolutionary ideals can be overshadowed by extreme measures.
1793
French Revolution
French National Convention
Reign of Terror
1798day.year
Conscription is made mandatory in France by the Jourdan law.
France enacts the Jourdan Law, making military conscription mandatory and reshaping its national army.
On September 5, 1798, the French government passed the Jourdan Law (Loi Jourdan), instituting universal conscription for all unmarried men aged 20 to 25. This radical measure aimed to build upon the levée en masse and strengthen revolutionary France's armies during ongoing conflicts with European coalitions. It marked one of the first instances of a nation-wide draft, emphasizing citizenship duties and collective defense. The law faced resistance in rural regions but ultimately bolstered the manpower of the French military. It influenced future conscription systems in Europe and reshaped modern warfare by prioritizing large citizen armies. The Jourdan Law symbolizes the intersection of citizenship and military obligation during a period of intense national mobilization.
1798
Conscription
Jourdan law
1816day.year
Louis XVIII has to dissolve the Chambre introuvable ("Unobtainable Chamber").
King Louis XVIII dissolves the ultra-royalist 'Chambre introuvable,' curbing reactionary forces in post-Napoleonic France.
On September 5, 1816, King Louis XVIII of France took the unprecedented step of dissolving the Chamber of Deputies known as the Chambre introuvable, elected in 1815. Dominated by ultra-royalists, this chamber sought to reverse many gains of the Revolution and Napoleonic era, promoting a return to pre-revolutionary privileges. Fearing their extreme agenda would destabilize the country, Louis XVIII replaced it with a more moderate assembly. This decision balanced the interests of royalists, moderates, and others seeking stability after years of upheaval. The move demonstrated the delicate political dance of the Bourbon Restoration, as the monarchy attempted to reconcile revolutionary legacies with its own authority. It set a precedent for the Crown’s intervention in legislative politics.
1816
Louis XVIII
Chambre introuvable
1836day.year
Sam Houston is elected as the first president of the Republic of Texas.
Sam Houston is elected the first president of the Republic of Texas, paving the way for its independence from Mexico.
On September 5, 1836, Sam Houston won the election to become the inaugural president of the Republic of Texas following its successful bid for independence. A veteran of the Battle of San Jacinto, Houston emerged as a unifying leader for Texans seeking security and diplomatic recognition. His presidency focused on establishing a stable government, negotiating treaties, and seeking annexation by the United States. Houston faced challenges including debt, Native American relations, and the threat of Mexican incursions. His leadership set foundational policies for the young republic during its brief existence. The election underscored the transition from revolutionary leader to statesman in Texas history.
1836
Sam Houston
Republic of Texas
1905day.year
Russo-Japanese War: In New Hampshire, United States, the Treaty of Portsmouth, mediated by U.S. President Theodore Roosevelt, ends the war.
The Treaty of Portsmouth, mediated by President Theodore Roosevelt, was signed on September 5, 1905, officially ending the Russo-Japanese War.
On September 5, 1905, representatives of Russia and Japan gathered at the Portsmouth Naval Shipyard in New Hampshire to sign a treaty brokered by U.S. President Theodore Roosevelt. The agreement formally ended the Russo-Japanese War, marking the first time an Asian power had defeated a European empire in modern history. Negotiations spanned months of tense diplomacy, with Roosevelt’s mediation earning him the Nobel Peace Prize. The treaty recognized Japan’s interests in Korea and southern Manchuria while ceding territories such as Sakhalin Island to Japan. This landmark accord reshaped the balance of power in East Asia and heralded America’s growing role in international affairs.
1905
Russo-Japanese War
New Hampshire
Treaty of Portsmouth
Theodore Roosevelt
1915day.year
The pacifist Zimmerwald Conference begins.
The Zimmerwald Conference, a gathering of socialist pacifists, began on September 5, 1915, to oppose World War I and advocate for peace.
Delegates from socialist parties and labor movements across Europe convened in Zimmerwald, Switzerland, on September 5, 1915. The conference aimed to unite anti-war socialists and issue a manifesto calling for an immediate end to hostilities on the Western Front. Key figures such as Lenin and Trotsky attended, though divisions emerged between moderate and radical factions. Despite disagreements, the Zimmerwald movement laid the groundwork for later revolutionary socialist organizations. The gathering remains significant as the first international effort by socialist groups to publicly challenge the wartime policies of their governments.
1915
Zimmerwald Conference
1932day.year
The French Upper Volta is broken apart between Ivory Coast, French Sudan, and Niger.
On September 5, 1932, the French colonial territory of Upper Volta was dissolved and partitioned between neighboring colonies.
The colony of Upper Volta, established in 1919 under French West Africa, was officially abolished on September 5, 1932. Its lands were divided among the colonies of Ivory Coast, French Sudan, and Niger. The decision aimed to streamline administrative costs during the Great Depression and improve economic management. As a result, the Voltaic people were governed under different colonial administrations for the next fifteen years. Upper Volta would later be reconstituted in 1947 and eventually gain independence as Burkina Faso in 1960.
1932
French Upper Volta
Ivory Coast
French Sudan
Niger