On This Day March 5th
OTD
March 5th is the Sixty-fourth day of the year in the
Gregorian calendar; 301 days remain until the end of the year.
Events
1046 – Nasir Khusraw begins the seven-year Middle Eastern
journey, which he will later describe in his book Safarnama.
1496 – King Henry VII of England issues letters patent to
John Cabot and his sons, authorizing them to explore unknown lands.
1616 – Nicolaus Copernicus's book On the Revolutions of the
Heavenly Spheres is added to the Index of Forbidden Books 73 years after it was
first published.
1770 - British troops fatally shot five Americans, including
Crispus Attucks, in what would later be known as the Boston Massacre. This
event would contribute to the American Revolutionary War outbreak five
years later.
1836 – Samuel Colt patents the first production-model
revolver, the .34-caliber.
1872 – George Westinghouse patents the air brake.
1940 – Six high-ranking members of the Soviet politburo,
including Joseph Stalin, sign an order for the execution of 25,700 Polish
intelligentsia, including 14,700 Polish POWs, in what will become known as the
Katyn massacre.
1946 – Cold War: Winston Churchill coins the phrase
"Iron Curtain" in his Westminster College, Missouri speech.
1963 – American country music stars Patsy Cline, Hawkshaw
Hawkins, Cowboy Copas, and their pilot Randy Hughes are killed in a plane crash
in Camden, Tennessee.
1981 – The ZX81, a pioneering British home computer, was
launched by Sinclair Research and would sell over 11⁄2 million units
worldwide.
Birthdays
1523 – Rodrigo de Castro Osorio, Spanish cardinal (d. 1600)
A real nasty bastard.
1637 – Jan van der Heyden, Dutch painter and engineer (d.
1712)
1774 – Christoph Ernst Friedrich Weyse, Danish organist, and
composer (d. 1842)
1853 – Howard Pyle, American author and illustrator (d.
1911)
1936 – Dean Stockwell, American actor (d. 2021)
1955 – Penn Jillette, American magician, actor, and author.
1966 – Michael Irvin, American football player,
sportscaster, and actor
Holiday Spotlight
St. Piran’s Day
On March 5, Cornwall celebrates St.
Piran’s Day, its most important holiday. St. Piran is the patron saint of
tin miners, an industry that was the keystone of Cornwall’s economy for
centuries.
Although much of his life is shrouded in mystery, historians
believe St. Piran was a 5th-century bishop exiled from Ireland. When he was
thrown into the sea to drown, he miraculously came ashore on Cornwall’s Perran
Beach. There, the saint built a small chapel whose remains can still be
observed today.
St. Piran is known for discovering the tin extraction
process, giving local miners the secrets of Cornwall’s most important industry.
He noticed a black stone leaking a white liquid when heated up by his fire —
and tin mining in Cornwall was born. The Cornish flag, a white cross on a black
background, represents this crucial revelation. Tin mining changed the economy
of Cornwall and remained at the heart of its economy until the last mine shut
down in 1998.
The holiday gained new popularity in the early 20th century
as Celtic revivalists looked for ways to strengthen local pride. The holiday
has been observed in almost all Cornish towns since the 1950s, complete with
parades and public celebrations. The distinctive black and white flag can be
seen flying across Cornwall in early March.
Customs associated with the holiday include re-enactments of
St. Piran’s life, live music, and the consumption of traditional Cornish foods
and copious amounts of alcohol.
Others Include.
Cinco de Marcho
National Absinthe Day
National Cheese Doodle Day
National Multiple Personality Day
National Potty Dance Day
National Poutine Day
National Sportsmanship Day
Pasty Day - March 5, 2024
Peace Corps Day
Reel Film Day
St. Piran's Day
Town Meeting Day Vermont
Unique Names Day
World Tennis Day
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