610day.year
Heraclius arrives at Constantinople, kills Byzantine Emperor Phocas, and becomes emperor.
In 610, General Heraclius seized Constantinople, deposed Emperor Phocas, and ascended the Byzantine throne.
At the start of October 610, the Byzantine general Heraclius launched a surprise expedition from the Exarchate of Africa. His forces sailed swiftly and entered Constantinople on October 5. Once inside the imperial palace, Heraclius executed the unpopular Emperor Phocas. With Phocas removed, he secured the support of the Senate and the city guard. Heraclius was proclaimed emperor, marking the end of Phocas’s turbulent reign. His accession established the Heraclian dynasty and initiated comprehensive reforms that would shape the empire’s fortunes.
610
Heraclius
816day.year
King Louis the Pious is crowned emperor of the Holy Roman Empire by the Pope.
On October 5, 816, Louis the Pious was crowned Holy Roman Emperor by Pope Stephen IV in Rome.
In the autumn of 816, Charlemagne’s son Louis the Pious traveled to Rome to seek papal coronation. On October 5, Pope Stephen IV placed the imperial crown upon his head, formally recognizing him as Holy Roman Emperor. This ceremony reinforced the alliance between the Frankish monarchy and the papacy. Louis vowed to uphold Christian unity and justice across his realm. His coronation solidified his authority among the Frankish nobility. This event continued the Carolingian tradition of papally endorsed imperial rule in western Europe.
816
Louis the Pious
869day.year
The Fourth Council of Constantinople is convened to depose patriarch Photios I.
The Fourth Council of Constantinople began on October 5, 869, to address disputes over Patriarch Photios I.
On October 5, 869, the Fourth Council of Constantinople assembled under Emperor Basil I to settle the growing conflict within the Eastern Church. The main aim was to depose Patriarch Photios I, whose contested installation had sparked a theological and political crisis. Over one hundred bishops attended, debating issues of jurisdiction and doctrinal authority. Photios was charged with usurping the patriarchal throne and excommunicating his predecessor Ignatius. The council ultimately declared Photios deposed and reinstated Ignatius, deepening the schism with the Western Church. This gathering had long-lasting effects on Byzantine ecclesiastical structure and East–West relations.
869
Fourth Council of Constantinople
1143day.year
With the signing of the Treaty of Zamora, King Alfonso VII of León and Castile recognises Portugal as a Kingdom.
With the Treaty of Zamora signed on October 5, 1143, Alfonso VII recognized Portugal as an independent kingdom.
On October 5, 1143, the Treaty of Zamora was signed between King Alfonso VII of León and Castile and Prince Afonso Henriques. The agreement acknowledged Afonso Henriques’s control over Portuguese territories and proclaimed him King of Portugal. This treaty marked Portugal’s formal emergence as a sovereign kingdom separate from León. Diplomatic envoys affirmed new borders along the Minho River. The papacy later granted a separate archbishopric to Lisbon, further legitimizing Portugal’s independence. The Treaty of Zamora laid the foundation for the nation’s distinct identity on the Iberian Peninsula.
1143
Treaty of Zamora
Alfonso VII of León and Castile
1607day.year
Assassins attempt to kill Venetian statesman and scientist Paolo Sarpi.
In 1607, unidentified assassins attacked Venetian scholar and statesman Paolo Sarpi in an attempt on his life.
Paolo Sarpi, a prominent Venetian theologian and state adviser, survived an assassination attempt on October 5, 1607. Shot at near his Venetian residence, he was seriously wounded but managed to escape further harm. The plot was widely believed to have been orchestrated by opponents of his reforms and his defense of Venetian independence against papal interference. Sarpi’s recovery became a celebrated event, bolstering his reputation as a steadfast defender of the republic. He continued to advise the Venetian Senate, producing influential works on canon law and science. This incident underlined the high stakes of religious and political conflicts in early modern Europe.
1607
Paolo Sarpi
1789day.year
French Revolution: The Women's March on Versailles effectively terminates royal authority.
On October 5, 1789, thousands of women marched to Versailles, forcing the royal family to relocate to Paris and effectively ending the monarchy’s independence.
On October 5, 1789, amidst food shortages and revolutionary fervor, a large crowd of Parisian women marched on the Palace of Versailles. Chanting for bread and political reforms, they overwhelmed the royal guards and entered the palace grounds. King Louis XVI and his family were forced to seek sanctuary, and the National Assembly conceded to their demands. The royal court was relocated to the Tuileries Palace in Paris, placing the king under closer revolutionary scrutiny. This march symbolized popular empowerment and the collapse of absolute monarchy in France. The event dramatically shifted the French Revolution from political debate to grassroots action.
1789
Women's March on Versailles
1900day.year
Peace congress in Paris condemns British policy in South Africa and asserts Boer Republic's right to self-determination.
In 1900, an international peace congress in Paris denounced British actions in the South African War and championed the Boer Republics’ self-governance.
Against the backdrop of the Second Boer War, delegates from across Europe convened in Paris to protest British military tactics in South Africa. On October 5, 1900, they formally condemned policies including scorched-earth campaigns and concentration camps. The congress argued that the Boer Republics deserved the right to negotiate their own futures free from imperial dominance. Although its resolutions held no legal power, the gathering galvanized public opinion and influenced diplomatic discourse. The event underscored the era’s rising challenges to colonial authority and foreshadowed broader movements for national self-determination.
1900
Boer Republic
1910day.year
In a revolution in Portugal the monarchy is overthrown and a republic is declared.
The 1910 revolution in Portugal overthrew the monarchy and established the Portuguese First Republic, reshaping the nation’s political landscape.
On October 5, 1910, republican forces in Lisbon launched a coordinated uprising against King Manuel II’s constitutional monarchy. Street battles erupted across the capital as insurgents seized key government buildings. By nightfall, the monarchy had collapsed, and leaders proclaimed the Portuguese First Republic. The new government enacted reforms including the separation of church and state, expanded civil liberties, and electoral changes. Though the republic faced political turmoil in subsequent years, the revolution marked the end of centuries of royal rule and guided Portugal toward modern democratic governance.
1910
revolution
1938day.year
Holocaust: In Nazi Germany, Jews' passports are invalidated.
On this day in 1938, the Nazi regime in Germany invalidated the passports of Jewish citizens, further stripping them of their rights.
As part of escalating persecution against Jews in Nazi Germany, authorities annulled the passports of Jewish citizens on October 5, 1938. The policy left many Jews stateless and vulnerable, preventing them from traveling or seeking refuge abroad. It followed a series of discriminatory laws, including the Nuremberg Laws, which relegated Jews to second-class status. This action intensified the climate of fear, marking a grim step towards the Holocaust. The passport invalidation exemplified how bureaucratic measures were used to isolate and dehumanize entire populations. It foreshadowed the brutal deportations and atrocities that would unfold in the coming years.
1938
Holocaust
passports are invalidated
1944day.year
The Provisional Government of the French Republic enfranchises women.
On October 5, 1944, France granted women the right to vote under the Provisional Government, marking a major step in gender equality.
In the wake of France's liberation from Nazi occupation, the Provisional Government led by General Charles de Gaulle issued an ordinance on October 5, 1944 granting women the right to vote and stand for election. French women had long campaigned for suffrage, but their demands were repeatedly postponed under previous regimes. This landmark decision enfranchised millions of women ahead of the first postwar elections scheduled for 1945. The extension of voting rights transformed French democracy by ensuring women's voices in political life. It reflected broader social changes emerging from the Resistance and the ideals of liberty and equality. The move accelerated advances in women's rights across Europe and underscored France's commitment to universal suffrage.
1944
Provisional Government of the French Republic
1947day.year
President Truman makes the first televised Oval Office address.
President Harry S. Truman delivered the first televised Oval Office address, ushering in a new era of presidential communication.
On October 5, 1947, President Harry S. Truman became the first U.S. president to address the nation from the Oval Office via television. The 15-minute broadcast reached an estimated 22 million viewers and demonstrated the power of the emerging medium in shaping public opinion. Truman spoke about economic measures, global stability, and the challenges facing postwar America. The successful broadcast set a precedent for future presidents to utilize television as a direct channel to citizens. It marked a pivotal moment in political communication, bridging the gap between the White House and the living rooms of ordinary Americans. The televised address forever changed the relationship between U.S. leaders and the electorate, laying the foundation for the modern era of media-driven politics.
1947
Oval Office address
1963day.year
The United States suspends the Commercial Import Program in response to repression of the Buddhist majority by the regime of President Ngo Dinh Diem.
The United States suspended the Commercial Import Program in protest against President Ngo Dinh Diem's repression of Buddhist citizens in South Vietnam.
On October 5, 1963, the U.S. government announced the suspension of its Commercial Import Program to South Vietnam, citing the Diem regime's violent repression of Buddhist demonstrations. The move came after the Huế Phật Đản protests and the Buddhist crisis that exposed the government's religious discrimination. By cutting trade privileges, Washington sought to pressure President Ngo Dinh Diem to curb human rights abuses and pursue political reform. The suspension strained relations between the two allies and highlighted growing U.S. frustration with South Vietnam's leadership. It foreshadowed deeper American involvement in the region and debates over foreign policy objectives. This decision represented a rare use of economic leverage to influence an anti-communist partner during the early stages of the Vietnam War.
1963
Commercial Import Program
repression of the Buddhist majority