December 5 - This day in History

December 5: General Interest
1945: Aircraft squadron lost in the Bermuda Triangle

At 2:10 p.m., five U.S. Navy Avenger torpedo-bombers comprising Flight 19 take off from the Ft. Lauderdale Naval Air Station in Florida on a routine three-hour training mission. Flight 19 was scheduled to take them due east for 120 miles, north for 73 miles, and then back over a final 120-mile leg that would return them to the naval base. They never returned... read more


American Revolution
1776 : Phi Beta Kappa is founded while army flounders
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/phi-beta-kappa-is-founded-while-army-flounders


Automotive
1970 : Last segment of the Dan Ryan Expressway opens in Chicago
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/last-segment-of-the-dan-ryan-expressway-opens-in-chicago


Civil War
1839 : Union General George Custer is born
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/george-custer-born


Cold War
1978 : USSR and Afghanistan sign "friendship treaty"
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/ussr-and-afghanistan-sign-friendship-treaty


Crime
1873 : The Boston Belfry Murderer kills his first victim
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/the-boston-belfry-murderer-kills-his-first-victim


Disaster
1876 : Hundreds die in Brooklyn theater fire
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/hundreds-die-in-brooklyn-theater-fire


General Interest
1933 : Prohibition ends
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/prohibition-ends


Hollywood
1984 : Eddie Murphy stars in Beverly Hills Cop
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/eddie-murphy-stars-in-beverly-hills-cop


Literary
1941 : Steinbeck's Sea of Cortez is published
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/steinbecks-sea-of-cortez-is-published


Music
2000 : O Brother, Where Art Thou? soundtrack released
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/o-brother-where-art-thou-soundtrack-released


Old West
1871 : Rodeo star Bill Pickett born in Texas
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/rodeo-star-bill-pickett-born-in-texas


Presidential
1782 : Van Buren is born
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/van-buren-is-born


Sports
2002 : Roone Arledge dies
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/roone-arledge-dies


Vietnam War
1964 : Army Captain awarded first Medal of Honor for action in Vietnam
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/army-captain-awarded-first-medal-of-honor-for-action-in-vietnam

1970 : North Vietnam announces it will not be intimidated by U.S. bombing
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/north-vietnam-announces-it-will-not-be-intimidated-by-us-bombing


World War I
1915 : Siege of British-occupied Kut, Mesopotamia begins
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/siege-of-british-occupied-kut-mesopotamia-begins


World War II
1941 : American carrier Lexington heads to Midway
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/american-carrier-lexington-heads-to-midway