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Old clock in sand with the words: It Happend in August

View Historical Events by Day: What Happened on August 5 in History?

Explore the historical events that shaped our world on August 5th. From major milestones to cultural achievements, see what happened on this day in history. Dates for earlier events may be approximate.

1583 CE, August 5

Sir Humphrey Gilbert, a British navigator and explorer takes possession of the area around St. John’s harbor, Newfoundland in the name of the Queen. He was later lost at sea in a storm off the Azores on his return trip to England.

1861 CE, August 5

President Abraham Lincoln signs the first income tax bill; the Revenue act of 1861, establishing a 3% flat rate on annual incomes of $800 or more and some import tariffs, and property taxes. The Bill was enacted during the Civil War as a temporary measure to help finance the war effort. This initial income tax was fairly ineffective as it lacked a strong enforcement mechanism. It was repealed in 1862 and replaced with a different revenue act.

1864 CE, August 5

Battle of Mobile Bay -- Admiral David G. Farragut, leads a fleet of fourteen wooden ships and four ironclads and delivers a much needed victory for the Union and immortalizes the phase "Damn the torpedoes! - Full speed ahead!” Farragut became the first U.S. Navy’s full admiral. At the time of his death in 1870, he had served a total of 59 years in uniform. More

1914 CE, August 5

The first electric traffic signal is installed in Cleveland, Ohio at the corner of East 105th Street and Euclid Avenue. It was shaped like a birdhouse and had just green and red lights, with a buzzer that indicated when the light was about to change. A police officer named Lester Wire came up with the idea that revolutionized traffic engineering. He later sold the patent to General Electric. In 1923, inventor Garrett Morgan patented the three-position traffic signal, which is where we get today’s yellow light. More

1960 CE, August 5

Burkina Faso Independence Day. Effective date of the agreement with France signed on 11 July and creation of the independent Republic of Upper Volta. On 4 August 1984, it changed its name to Burkina Faso.

1963 CE, August 5

The Limited Nuclear Test Ban Treaty was signed by the United States, Great Britain, and the Soviet Union. After Senate approval, the treaty that went into effect on October 10, 1963, banned nuclear weapons testing in the atmosphere, in outer space, and under water. More

2002 CE, August 5

The turret of the Civil War ironclad USS Monitor is lifted out of the Atlantic Ocean off the coast of Hatteras N.C. The historic warship sank on December 31 1862 during a storm as it was being towed around Cape Hatteras on its way to Beaufort, North Carolina, to join a fleet being assembled for an attack on Charleston. Many of the sailors were rescued, but 16 of its crew members perished, More

2011 CE, August 5

NASA's Juno spacecraft launches on a mission to study the planet Jupiter

2011 CE, August 5

Standard & Poor’s credit rating agency downgrades the United States debt from its highest rating of AAA to a lesser AA+ rating, marking the first-ever decline of credit worthiness for the U.S. The agency cited America’s $14 trillion outstanding debt and an ineffective political leadership to address the debt reduction. This downgraded rating remains in effect as of January 1, 2023.

2016, August 5-21

The Summer Olympics are held in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, showcasing athletes from around the world.

2019 CE, August 5

India revokes the special autonomous status of Jammu and Kashmir, escalating tensions between India and Pakistan over the disputed region.

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