December 05
Overview
Holidays & Observances
Christianfeast day:
Abercius, Clement of Alexandria(Episcopal Church), Crispina, Dalmatius of Pavia, Gerbold, Justinian of Ramsey Island, Nicetius (Nizier), Pelinus of Brindisi, Sabbas the Sanctified, December 5 (Eastern Orthodox liturgics)
A Christian feast day observed on December 5th, commemorating a diverse group of saints across various traditions.
Children's Day(Suriname)
A national holiday in Suriname dedicated to celebrating and promoting the wellbeing of children across the country.
Day of Military Honour - Battle of Moscow(Russia)
A Russian observance commemorating the 1941-42 Battle of Moscow and honoring the bravery of Soviet forces.
Discovery Day(HaitiandDominican Republic)
A public holiday in Haiti and the Dominican Republic marking Christopher Columbus's arrival in Hispaniola in 1492.
International Volunteer Day for Economic and Social Development
A United Nations observance celebrating the contribution of volunteers to sustainable development worldwide.
Klozum(Schiermonnikoog,Netherlands)
A traditional folk celebration on the Dutch island of Schiermonnikoog featuring masked participants who visit homes to entertain and play pranks.
Saint Nicholas' Eve(Belgium,Czech Republic,Slovakia, theNetherlands,Hungary,Romania,Germany,Polandand theUK)
Krampusnacht(Austria)
A cultural and religious celebration on the night of December 5th where children receive gifts from Saint Nicholas and some regions observe the eerie tradition of Krampusnacht.
TheKing Bhumibol Adulyadej Memorial Birthday(Thailand)
A Thai national holiday honoring the late King Bhumibol Adulyadej, marking his birth anniversary and legacy of service.
World Soil Day
An international day dedicated to raising awareness about the importance of healthy soil for sustainable agriculture and ecosystem health.
Events
Cicero gives the fourth and final of the Catiline Orations.
On December 5, 63 BC, Cicero delivered the final Catiline Oration in the Roman Senate, exposing the conspiracy against the Republic.
Fourth Council of Toledo opens, presided over by Isidore of Seville.
The Fourth Council of Toledo convened under Archbishop Isidore, shaping Church and Visigothic laws.
The Jordan Rift Valley earthquake destroys multiple cities across the Levant, triggers a tsunami and kills many.
A powerful earthquake struck the Jordan Rift Valley, leveling cities and triggering a deadly tsunami.
Ramon Berenguer II, Count of Barcelona is assassinated, most likely by his brother, Berenguer Ramon II.
Ramon Berenguer II, joint ruler of Barcelona, was assassinated in a fraternal power struggle.
Seeking to resubjugate Muscovy, Emir Edigu of the Golden Horde reaches Moscow, burning areas around the city but failing to take the city itself.
Emir Edigu’s Golden Horde force attacked Moscow’s outskirts but failed to breach the city walls.
The first of two earthquakes measuring Mw 7.2 strikes Italy, causing extreme destruction and killing upwards of 70,000 people.
A magnitude 7.2 earthquake devastated central Italy, resulting in massive loss of life and property.
Pope Innocent VIII issues the Summis desiderantes affectibus, a papal bull that deputizes Heinrich Kramer and Jacob Sprenger as inquisitors to root out alleged witchcraft in Germany.
Pope Innocent VIII authorized inquisitors Kramer and Sprenger to pursue alleged witches across Germany.
King Manuel I of Portugal issues a decree ordering the expulsion of Jews from the country.
King Manuel I ordered all Jews to leave Portugal, enforcing religious uniformity through expulsion.
Thirteen-year-old Charles IX becomes king of France, with Queen Mother Catherine de' Medici as regent.
At age 13, Charles IX ascended the French throne with his mother Catherine de' Medici as regent.
Births
Zhu Wen
Zhu Wen was a Chinese general who founded the Later Liang dynasty and served as its first emperor during the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms period.
Jianwen Emperor was the second emperor of the Ming dynasty, reigning from 1398 until his deposition in 1402.
Zbigniew Oleśnicki
Zbigniew Oleśnicki was a Polish cardinal and influential statesman who shaped 15th-century politics and the church.
Pope Julius II led the Catholic Church from 1503 to 1513 and was renowned as the 'Warrior Pope' and great patron of the arts.
Willibald Pirckheimer
Willibald Pirckheimer was a German Renaissance humanist, lawyer, and prolific author who championed the arts and classical learning.
Nicolas Cleynaerts
Nicolas Cleynaerts was a Flemish scholar who pioneered the study of Eastern languages through philology and lexicography.
Ashikaga Yoshiaki
Ashikaga Yoshiaki was the 15th and last shōgun of Japan’s Ashikaga shogunate, whose reign ended in 1573.
Fausto Sozzini
Fausto Sozzini was an Italian theologian whose writings challenged traditional doctrine and influenced early Unitarian thought.
Ubbo Emmius
Ubbo Emmius was a Dutch historian and geographer best known for founding the University of Groningen.
Deaths
Publius Cornelius Lentulus Sura
Roman senator and conspirator known for his role in the Catilinarian conspiracy.
Li Ban
Emperor of the Cheng Han state who ruled briefly during China's Sixteen Kingdoms era.
Ealhswith
Queen consort of Alfred the Great and founder of religious institutions in 9th-century England.
Ramon Berenguer II
Count of Barcelona from 1076 to 1082, remembered for fraternal conflicts and his mysterious assassination.
Dirk van Are
Bishop of Utrecht who held both ecclesiastical authority and secular power in the early 13th century.
Joan
Countess of Flanders and Hainault who exercised significant political power in medieval Europe.
John III
Duke of Brabant from 1312 to 1355, known for cultural patronage and political leadership.
King of France from 1559 to 1560, whose short reign was marked by alliance with Mary, Queen of Scots.
Johan Friis
Danish statesman and Chancellor who advanced the Lutheran Reformation under King Christian III.