January 5

This Day in History

Also on This Day

Lead Story
Golden Gate Bridge is born, 1933
American Revolution
Benedict Arnold captures and destroys Richmond, 1781
Automotive
Construction begins on Golden Gate Bridge, 1933
Civil War
Star of the West leaves for Fort Sumter, 1861
Cold War
Eisenhower proposes new Middle East policy, 1957
Crime
The United Mine Workers Killings, 1970
Disaster
Landslides kill 33 in California, 1982
General Interest
First divorce in the colonies, 1643
Dreyfus Affair in France, 1895
Kamikaze pilots get first order, 1945
Prague Spring begins in Czechoslovakia, 1968
Pol Pot renames Cambodia, 1976
Former Speaker Thomas P. Tip O'Neill dies, 1994
Hollywood
Sonny Bono killed in skiing accident, 1998
Literary
Alexandre Dumas pere fights a duel, 1825
Music
The Sugarhill Gang's "Rapper's Delight" becomes hip-hop's first Top 40 hit, 1980
Old West
House resolves to stop sharing Oregon, 1846
Presidential
Truman delivers his Fair Deal speech, 1949
Nixon launches the space shuttle program, 1972
Sports
New York Yankees announce purchase of Babe Ruth, 1920
Vietnam War
Amphibious operations conducted in the Mekong Delta, 1967
Lodge succeeds Harriman as chief negotiator, 1969
World War I
First conscription bill is introduced in British parliament, 1916
World War II
Soviets recognize pro-Soviet Polish Provisional Government, 1945

General Interest

Jan 5, 1945:

Kamikaze pilots get first order

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On this day in 1945, Japanese pilots received the first order to become kamikaze, meaning "divine wind" in Japanese. The suicidal blitz of the kamikazes revealed Japan's desperation in the final months of World War II. Most of Japan's top pilots were dead, but youngsters needed little training to take planes full of explosives and crash them into ships. At Okinawa, they sank 30 ships and killed almost 5,000 Americans.

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This Week in History, Jan 5 - Jan 11

Jan 05, 1643
First divorce in the colonies
Jan 05, 1895
Dreyfus Affair in France
Jan 05, 1945
Kamikaze pilots get first order
Jan 05, 1968
Prague Spring begins in Czechoslovakia
Jan 05, 1976
Pol Pot renames Cambodia
Jan 05, 1994
Former Speaker Thomas P. Tip O'Neill dies
Jan 06, 1066
Harold II crowned king of England
Jan 06, 1912
New Mexico joins the Union
Jan 06, 1925
Nurmi breaks two world records
Jan 06, 2001
Congress certifies Bush winner of 2000 elections
Jan 07, 1785
Across the English Channel in a balloon
Jan 07, 1979
Pol Pot overthrown
Jan 07, 1989
Emperor Hirohito dies
Jan 07, 1999
Clinton impeachment trial begins
Jan 08, 1642
Astronomer Galileo dies in Italy
Jan 08, 1815
The Battle of New Orleans
Jan 08, 1867
Congress expands suffrage in nation's capital
Jan 08, 1916
Allies retreat from Gallipoli
Jan 08, 1918
Wilson announces his 14 Points
Jan 08, 1962
Mona Lisa exhibited in Washington
Jan 09, 1768
First modern circus is staged
Jan 09, 1806
Nelson buried at St. Paul's Cathedral
Jan 09, 1972
Queen Elizabeth destroyed by fire
Jan 10, 1920
League of Nations instituted
Jan 10, 1922
Griffith elected president of Irish Free State
Jan 10, 1923
U.S. troops depart Germany
Jan 10, 1946
First meeting of the United Nations
Jan 11, 1928
Stalin banishes Trotsky
Jan 11, 1935
Earhart flies from Hawaii to California
Jan 11, 1949
Cornerstone laid at Washington's Islamic Center
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