1945⚡ Event
Atomic bombing of Hiroshima
The United States drops the atomic bomb 'Little Boy' on Hiroshima, Japan, killing an estimated 80,000 people instantly.
warsciencemilitary
August 5 – August 11 in History
DayFacts Week 32 · 7 days
This recurring calendar span contains 108 historical entries in the DayFacts collection. The sections below preview entries from these 7 days; use the date links to open each date collection.
Selected Anniversaries
25th Anniversary
Jerusalem restaurant bombing
25th Anniversary
Anthony Edwards
25th Anniversary
Moyuka Uchijima
Explore the Date Pages
Historical Events (August 5 – August 11)(20)
1955⚡ Event
Hurricane Diane Forms
Hurricane Diane, the first Atlantic hurricane to cause more than $1 billion in damages, formed between the Lesser Antilles and Cape Verde.
disaster
1966⚡ Event
Heron Road Bridge collapse
The Heron Road Bridge in Ottawa, Canada, collapsed during its construction, killing nine workers.
disastertechnology
1970⚡ Event
Marin County Courthouse Hostage Incident
Jonathan Jackson took hostages in a courthouse in Marin County, California, to coerce the release of the Soledad Brothers. The incident resulted in the deaths of judge Harold Haley and three others.
1977⚡ Event
Ford Pinto Fuel Leak Investigation
The U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration initiated an investigation into the Ford Pinto's vulnerability to fuel leakage and fire in rear-end collisions.
lawtechnology
1979⚡ Event
Aeroflot Mid-Air Collision
Two Aeroflot passenger jets collided in mid-air near Dniprodzerzhynsk, killing all 178 people on board.
disaster
1985⚡ Event
Bamber Family Murders
Five members of the Bamber family were found murdered at a farmhouse in Tolleshunt D'Arcy, England. This event is known as the White House Farm murders.
1988⚡ Event
Civil Liberties Act of 1988
The Civil Liberties Act of 1988 became law, authorizing reparations to surviving Japanese Americans interned during World War II.
lawpolitics
1991⚡ Event
World Wide Web goes public
Tim Berners-Lee publishes the first website, making the World Wide Web available to the general public.
technology
1993⚡ Event
Magic: The Gathering released
Wizards of the Coast released Magic: The Gathering, the first trading card game. It has since become one of the most popular and influential games in the world.
entertainmentarts
1997⚡ Event
Korean Air Flight 801 crash
Korean Air Flight 801 crashed into a hill on approach to Antonio B. Won Pat International Airport in Guam, killing 228 of the 254 people aboard on August 6, 1997.
disastertechnology
1998⚡ Event
Taliban raid Iranian consulate
The Taliban raided the Iranian consulate in Mazar-i-Sharif, Afghanistan. This resulted in the deaths of 10 Iranian diplomats and a journalist.
politicswar
2001⚡ Event
Jerusalem restaurant bombing
A suicide bomber attacked a pizza restaurant in Jerusalem during the Second Intifada, killing 15 people and wounding 130 others.
war
2006⚡ Event
Transatlantic aircraft plot foiled
British police arrested 24 people for conspiring to detonate liquid explosives on airliners traveling from the UK to the US and Canada.
law
2007⚡ Event
Queen's Pier demolition
The High Court of Hong Kong dismissed legal attempts to preserve the Queen's Pier, amid large protests against its impending demolition.
politics
2008⚡ Event
Train derailment near Studénka
A EuroCity train traveling to Prague derailed after striking a fallen bridge section near Studénka station. The accident claimed 8 lives and injured 64.
disaster
2009⚡ Event
Mid-air collision over Hudson River
A tour helicopter and a small airplane collided over the Hudson River near Hoboken, New Jersey. Nine people were killed in the accident.
disaster
2011⚡ Event
NASA launches Juno probe
NASA launched the Juno probe to Jupiter as part of the New Frontiers program. The spacecraft is designed to study Jupiter's composition, gravity field, magnetic field, and polar magnetosphere.
sciencespace
2012⚡ Event
Radio Network House demolition
Radio Network House in Christchurch, damaged by an earthquake, was demolished by implosion. This was the first such demolition in New Zealand.
disastertechnology
2014⚡ Event
Killing of Michael Brown
Michael Brown, an 18-year-old African-American man, was killed by a police officer in Ferguson, Missouri. This event sparked widespread protests and unrest.
politicslaw
Births (August 5 – August 11)(15)
1809🎂 Birth
Alfred, Lord Tennyson born
English poet Alfred, Lord Tennyson is born. He became Poet Laureate and is known for works like 'The Charge of the Light Brigade.'
literature
1995🎂 Birth
Rebecca Peterson
Rebecca Peterson is a Swedish professional tennis player.
sports
1998🎂 Birth
Shawn Mendes
Shawn Mendes is a Canadian singer-songwriter and guitarist.
music
2000🎂 Birth
Tom Gilbert
Tom Gilbert is an Australian professional rugby league footballer. He was born on August 5, 2000.
sports
2001🎂 Birth
Anthony Edwards
Anthony Edwards is an American professional basketball player for the Minnesota Timberwolves of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He was born on August 5, 2001.
sports
2003🎂 Birth
Toni Shaw
Toni Shaw is a British Paralympic swimmer. She was born on August 5, 2003.
sports
Deaths (August 5 – August 11)(15)
1945🕊️ Death
Thousands die in Hiroshima
An estimated 80,000 people die instantly from the atomic bombing, with tens of thousands more dying from radiation in the following months.
warmilitary
2018🕊️ Death
Joël Robuchon
Joël Robuchon was a French chef and restaurateur who was widely regarded as one of the finest chefs in the world.
entertainment
2021🕊️ Death
Markie Post
Markie Post, a beloved American actress known for her roles in television sitcoms, has died.
entertainment
2021🕊️ Death
Pat Hitchcock
English actress and producer Pat Hitchcock died on August 9, 2021. She was born in 1928.
entertainment
2021🕊️ Death
Tony Esposito
Tony Esposito was a Canadian-American professional ice hockey player.
sports
2021🕊️ Death
Killer Kau
South African rapper, dancer, and record producer Killer Kau died on August 9, 2021. He was born in 1998.
musicentertainment
2022🕊️ Death
Judith Durham
Judith Durham was an Australian singer-songwriter, best known as the lead vocalist of the folk-music group The Seekers. She was born in 1943 and died on August 5, 2022.
musicentertainment
2022🕊️ Death
Cherie Gil
Filipino actress Cherie Gil died on August 5, 2022. She was born in 1963.
entertainment
2022🕊️ Death
David McCullough
David McCullough, a celebrated American historian and two-time Pulitzer Prize winner, has passed away.
literature
2022🕊️ Death
Vesa-Matti Loiri
Vesa-Matti Loiri was a Finnish actor, musician, and comedian.
entertainmentmusic
2022🕊️ Death
Ali Haydar
Syrian army officer Ali Haydar died on August 5, 2022. He was born in 1932.
war
2023🕊️ Death
Mike Ahern
Mike Ahern, Australian politician and 32nd Premier of Queensland, died on August 11, 2023. He was born in 1942.
politics
2024🕊️ Death
Issa Hayatou
Issa Hayatou was a Cameroonian basketball player and football executive.
sports
2024🕊️ Death
Ángel Salazar
Ángel Salazar, Cuban-American comedian and actor, died on August 11, 2024. He was born in 1956.
entertainment