Barry Bonds hit his 71st home run of the season, breaking Mark McGwire's record
Bonds achieved what was considered impossible just three years after McGwire set the record. The ball was caught by a fan who later sold it for $450,0...
October 5 in History
Significant events that happened on this day.
Historical Events
2001
1984
Marc Garneau became the first Canadian in space aboard the Space Shuttle Challenger
Garneau beat out over 4,000 other applicants to become Canada's first astronaut. During the mission, he operated the Canadarm robotic arm and conducte...
1970
British trade commissioner James Cross was kidnapped in Montreal by the FLQ, triggering the October Crisis
The Front de Libération du Québec seized Cross from his home, demanding the release of political prisoners and $500,000 in gold. This led to Prime Min...
1969
Monty Python's Flying Circus premiered on BBC Television
MajorThe first episode aired at the unlikely time of 11:00 PM on a Sunday night, with almost no publicity. The BBC was so unsure about the show that they d...
1962
The Beatles released their first single 'Love Me Do' in the United Kingdom
MajorThe song that launched Beatlemania barely cracked the UK charts at first, reaching only number 17. Manager Brian Epstein allegedly bought 10,000 copie...
1953
Earl Warren was sworn in as the 14th Chief Justice of the Supreme Court
President Eisenhower later called this appointment 'the biggest damn fool mistake I ever made' after Warren led the court in liberal directions. Warre...
1947
President Harry Truman made the first televised presidential address from the White House
Truman spoke about the world food crisis and asked Americans to reduce their consumption of meat and poultry. Only a few thousand people actually saw...
1936
The Jarrow March began in northeast England as 200 unemployed men walked 300 miles to petition Parliament
The marchers walked from Jarrow to London carrying a petition signed by 11,000 people, representing 68% of the town's population. They were protesting...
1921
Baseball's World Series was broadcast on radio for the first time
Newark station WJZ aired the game between the New York Giants and New York Yankees, though the announcer wasn't even at the game. He recreated the act...
1910
Portugal's monarchy ended when revolutionaries proclaimed the First Portuguese Republic
After just two days of street fighting in Lisbon, 400 years of monarchy came to an end. King Manuel II fled to Gibraltar on his yacht, then to Britain...
1902
Ray Kroc was born in Oak Park, Illinois, who would later build McDonald's into a global empire
Kroc didn't even buy McDonald's until he was 52 years old, working as a milkshake machine salesman. He saw potential in a small burger restaurant run...
1882
The first 8-hour workday law in the United States went into effect
New York became the first state to limit streetcar drivers to an 8-hour workday, a radical concept at the time. Most workers were expected to work 10-...
1789
French women marched on Versailles demanding bread during the French Revolution
MajorThousands of working women armed with pitchforks and kitchen knives marched 12 miles in the rain to confront King Louis XVI about bread shortages. The...