Significant events across political, military, technological, sporting and scientific domains have dotted the landscape of March 5 in the past. Different regions of the world have borne the brunt of these events. Here is a chronological look at 10 of these events.
Julian Marches Against the Sassanids – 363
Roman Emperor Julian left Antioch on 5 March 363 with an army of 90,000 men to wage war against the Sassanid Empire. The campaign was one of Rome’s most ambitious eastern offensives. Julian was mortally wounded during the expedition, and his death reshaped Rome’s strategic posture along its eastern frontier for decades.
Cabot Gets His Commission – 1496
English King Henry VII granted John Cabot, born Giovanni Caboto, a royal commission to sail in search of new lands on 5 March 1496. The commission opened the door to English exploration of North America. Cabot’s subsequent voyages laid early groundwork for Britain’s eventual presence on the continent.
The Boston Massacre – 1770
British soldiers opened fire on a crowd in Boston on 5 March 1770, killing five men. The crowd had been throwing snowballs, stones and sticks. African American Crispus Attucks was the first to fall and was later recognised as an early Black martyr. The event, known also as the Incident on King Street, sharpened colonial opposition to British rule and became a catalyst for the American Revolution.
Geological Survey of India – 1851
The Geological Survey of India was established in Calcutta on 5 March 1851. Set up primarily to assess coal resources for the railways, it grew into one of the world’s oldest and most respected geological institutions. Its early surveys laid the foundation for systematic mapping of India’s mineral wealth.
Stapler Patent – 1868
C H Gould patented the stapler in England on 5 March 1868. The device became one of the most widely used office tools in the world and remains so today.
Westinghouse Makes Rail Travel Safer – 1872
American engineer George Westinghouse was granted a patent for the triple air brake on 5 March 1872. The system gave train drivers far greater control over braking and significantly reduced the risk of accidents. It became standard across railway networks and remains the basis of modern train braking systems.
Gandhi and Irwin Reach Agreement – 1931
Mahatma Gandhi and British Viceroy Lord Irwin signed a political agreement on 5 March 1931. The Gandhi-Irwin Pact marked the end of the Civil Disobedience Movement in India. Britain agreed to release political prisoners and make limited concessions in return for suspending the campaign.
Roosevelt Declares a Bank Holiday – 1933
US President Franklin D Roosevelt proclaimed a ten-day national bank holiday on 5 March 1933 to arrest a wave of bank failures sweeping the country. The move was part of his early New Deal response to the Great Depression and helped restore a degree of public confidence in the financial system.
Churchill and the Iron Curtain – 1946
Winston Churchill delivered his landmark Iron Curtain speech at Westminster College in Fulton, Missouri, on 5 March 1946. The address warned of Soviet expansionism and the growing division of Europe between East and West. The phrase entered the political lexicon almost immediately and defined the vocabulary of the Cold War for a generation.
Bhopal Gas Tragedy Relief Announced – 1985
The Indian government announced an interim relief package of Rs 360 crore for approximately five lakh victims of the Bhopal gas tragedy on 5 March 1985. The disaster had occurred in December 1984 and remains one of the worst industrial accidents in history. The announcement was an early official acknowledgement of the scale of suffering caused by the Union Carbide gas leak.
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