1808 ~ Anton Füster the Austrian priest and activist was born on the 5th January 1808 (died 12th March 1881 aged 73). Anton Füster was an active member of the Association against the Torture of Animals, one of the 1st animal rights movements in Central Europe. See the Anton Füster bibliography & portrait
1896 – An Austrian newspaper reported that Wilhelm Röntgen had discovered a type of radiation on the 5th January 1896, later to be known as X-rays.
1914 – The Ford Motor Company announced an 8 hour workday and a minimum wage of $5 for a day’s labor on the 5th January 1914.
1919 – The German Workers’ Party, which would become the Nazi Party, was founded on the 5th January 1919.
1925 – Nellie Tayloe Ross of Wyoming becme the first female governor in the United States on the 5th January 1925
1931 ~ Robert Duvall the American actor and director was born on the 5th January 1931. Robert Duvall has won an Academy Award, 2 Emmy Awards, 4 Golden Globe Awards and a BAFTA. Robert Duvall has starred in The Twilight Zone, The Outer Limits, To Kill a Mockingbird, THX 1138, Joe Kidd, The Godfather, The Godfather Part II,MASH, Network, The Apostle, True Grit, The Conversation, Apocalypse Now, Falling Down, Tender Mercies, The Natural and Lonesome Dove.
1933 – Construction of the Golden Gate Bridge began in San Francisco Bay on the 5th January 1933.
1940 – FM radio was demonstrated to the Federal Communications Commission for the first time on the 5th January 1940.
1940 – Athol Guy the Australian bassist from The Seekers was born on the 5th January 1940.
1944 – The Daily Mail became the first transoceanic newspaper on the 5th January 1944.
1950 – Chris Stein the American guitarist and songwriter from the band Blondie was born on the 5th January 1950.
1969 – Marilyn Manson the American singer-songwriter was born on the 5th January 1969.
1971 – The first One Day International cricket match was held between Australia and England at the Melbourne Cricket Ground on the 5th January 1971.
1972 – U.S. President Richard Nixon ordered the development of a Space Shuttle program on the 5th January 1972.
1974 – The warmest reliably measured temperature in Antarctica of +59°F (+15°C) was recorded at Vanda Station on the 5th January 1974.
1975 – The Tasman Bridge in Tasmania, Australia, was struck by the bulk ore carrier Lake Illawarra, on the 5th January 1975, killing twelve people.
1975 ~ Bradley Cooper the American actor was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, on the 5th January 1975. Bradley Cooper first gained recognition on the television shows Alias and Jack & Bobby. Bradley Cooper is also known for his roles in Wedding Crashers (2005), Yes Man (2008), He’s Just Not That Into You (2009), The Hangover trilogy (2009~2013), The A-Team (2010), Limitless (2011), Silver Linings Playbook (2012), and The Place Beyond the Pines (2013). Bradley Cooper was named the Sexiest Man Alive by People magazine. YouTube video: Silver Linings Playbook Trailer (#2) Bradley Cooper plays Pat Solitano Jr., just released from a mental health facility into the care of his mother Dolores (Jacki Weaver) and father Pat Sr. (Robert De Niro), after 8 months of treatment for bipolar disorder. Pat learns that his wife Nikki, has moved away, his father is out of work and into illegal bookmaking to start a restaurant. Pat is determined to get his life back on track and reconcile with Nikki who who sent him away…
1975 – Kylie Bax the New Zealand-American model and actress was born on the 5th January 1975.
2005 – Eris, the largest known dwarf planet in the solar system, was discovered by the team of Michael E. Brown, Chad Trujillo, and David L. Rabinowitz on the 5th January 2005, using images originally taken on the 21st October 2003, at the Palomar Observatory.
Today in History for the 5th January video produced by Associated Press
Associated Press official website: www.AP.org