This Day In History- June 5

“A page of history is worth a pound of logic” – Oscar Wendell Holmes. Learning about history helps us understand the mistakes of the past and learn from them. History brings the significant events that took place worldwide that might have changed the course of the world. Let us dwell on the events that took place on June 5, historically!

What Happened in India- June 5

1973:  M.S. Golwalkar aka Guruji, the famous Hindu Nationalist Leader, passed away.
He was the second sarsanghchalak (chief) of the RSS (Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh.) He played a huge role in taking the RSS to great strengths after independence.

1974: Smallpox epidemic in the country
At least 10,000-20,000 people in the northeastern Indian state of Bihar died from smallpox, described as one of the worst epidemics of the viral disease in recent years. On June 5, This article was published in ‘The New York Times’.

1984: The army under Major General Kuldip Singh Brar launched ‘Operation Blue Star’
They met with a lot of resistance, but after all day and all night of clashes, the shrine was cleared of all militants by the next day.

1989: Indian Missile Trishul
The Indian missile Trishul tested successfully and made its first full-range flight from Satish Dhawan Space Centre at Sriharikota in Andhra Pradesh.

2020: 2nd Lunar Eclipse of the Year
People were able to watch the upcoming penumbral lunar eclipse or the “Chandra Grahan”. Astronomers across the world have termed June 5 lunar eclipse as “Strawberry Moon Eclipse” as the full moon of June is known as the Strawberry Moon.

Around the World- June 5

1849: Danish Constitution Day
The absolute monarchy in Denmark was abolished and replaced by a new constitution that established a constitutional monarchy with a parliament.

1915: Constitution of Denmark Amended
The day has added significance for Denmark as the constitution of Denmark was amended and women were given voting rights. 

1933: Great Depression
In the backdrop of the Great Depression, the United States went off the gold standard, a monetary system in which currency is backed by gold, when Congress enacted a joint resolution that nullified the right of creditors to demand payment in gold.

1947: The Marshall Plan
In a speech delivered at Harvard University, Secretary of State George Marshall advanced the idea of the Marshall Plan, a European foreign aid program, financed by the United States.

1967: 6-day Arab Israeli War
It was the third war in the long line of Arab-Israeli wars that started in 1948, around the time of the creation of the Israeli state. The war spanned only six days during which Israel almost decimated Egypt’s air force and captured new territory.

1981: 1st Case of AIDS
A weekly Morbidity and Mortality Report by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention mentioned 5 cases of a rare form of Pneumonia in Los Angeles. Later on, this became the first recognized incidence of AIDS. 

2004: Demise of 40th President of the United States
Ronald Wilson Reagan, the 40th president of the United States died due to Alzheimer’s disease. He was also a well-known actor and served as governor of California.

1944: D-Day
Allied Forces invasion of Normandy, France is popularly known as D-Day: During WW2, The date of the Invasion was set to be June 5, but bad weather on the days leading up to the operation caused it to be delayed for 24 hours. 

Featured Event- World Environment Day

1974: It was first observed in 1974 in the US with the theme ‘Only One Earth’. World Environment Day is celebrated on 5 June with an aim to spread awareness regarding the importance of environmental conservation. The theme of World Environment Day 2021 is ‘Reimagine. Recreate. Restore.’ as this year marks the beginning of the United Nations Decade on Ecosystem Restoration. Pakistan will host World Environment Day 2021 in collaboration with the UN Environment Programme (UNEP).

Famous Birthdays- June 5

1883: John Maynard Keynes
An English Economist and Journalist, he was best known for his revolutionary economic theories (Keynesian economics) on the causes of prolonged unemployment.

1865: Satish Chandra Mukherjee
He was a renowned Indian educationist who founded the Dawn Society that contributed to the introduction of nationalism in education. 

1893: Pandit Ram Chandra Kak
He was the Prime Minister of Kashmir in the tumultuous period of 1946 to 1947.

1952: Mukesh Bhatt
He is an Indian film producer, co-owner of the production company Vishesh Films. He is the Uncle of Emraan Hashmi and Alia Bhatt.

1971: Mark Wahlberg
He is an actor who played starring roles in films like Boogie Nights, The Fighter, Ted, Transformers: Age of Extinction, Daddy’s Home and Lone Survivor. 

1972: Yogi Adityanath
He is an Indian monk and Hindu nationalist politician, appointed as the 22nd Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh( currently in office) on 26 March 2017 after the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) won the 2017 State Assembly elections,

1993: Breonna Taylor
Black American woman who was tragically killed through gunfire when Louisville police officers entered her apartment, believing her residence to be involved in a drug-dealing operation. Her wrongful death led to a series of protests across the globe under the famous #BlackLivesMatter.

1995: Troye Sivan, famous Australian singer-songwriter, actor. After gaining popularity as a singer on YouTube and in Australian talent competitions, Sivan’s single, “Happy Little Pill”, reached number ten on Australian music charts.

Analyzing causes and effects of events can be exhilarating. This is what history is all about! It cannot be created in a day, but each event taking place each day contributes a lot to our understanding of history. For more such entertaining and informative content, keep following us on Leverage Edu. You can also follow us on Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn!