This Day In History : June 5

1837 Colombia

The Republic of Texas incorporates Houston

The Republic of Texas officially incorporated Houston on June 5, 1837. This incorporation marked Houston's establishment as the capital of the Republic of Texas, replacing the previous capital, Columbia.

Also on This Day in History June 5

Discover what happened on June 5 with HISTORY's summaries of major events, anniversaries,
famous births and notable deaths.

Births on This Day, June 5
  • 1932 Dave Gold

    American businessman who founded the 99 Cents Only Stores

  • 1941 Robert Kraft

    American businessman who founded The Kraft Group

  • 1646 Elena Cornaro Piscopia

    Italian mathematician and the 1st woman to receive an academic degree from a university

  • 1883 John Maynard Keynes

    English economist whose ideas changed the theory and practice of modern macroeconomics

  • 1900 Dennis Gabor

    Hungarian-British engineer and physicist (invented holography, Nobel Prize 1971)

Deaths on This Day, June 5
  • 2004 Ronald Reagan

    American actor, Governor of California, and 40th President of the United States

  • 1988 Clarence M. Pendleton

    African-American chairman of the United States Commission on Civil Rights (1981-88)

  • 1990 Vasily V Kuznetsov

    President of USSR supreme soviet (1982-83, 85)

  • 1931 John Lawson Stoddard

    American lecturer, photographer, and author, considered the father of travelogue

  • 1913 Chris von der Ahe

    German entrepreneur and owner of St. Louis Brown Stockings

1794

US Congress passes the Neutrality Act, banning Americans from serving in foreign armed forces

The United States Congress passed the Neutrality Act on June 5, 1794. This act, officially titled "An Act to prohibit the carrying on the Slave Trade from the United States to any foreign place or country," aimed to maintain U.S. neutrality and prevent American involvement in foreign conflicts by prohibiting Americans from serving in foreign armed forces.
1849

Danish National Day, Denmark becomes a constitutional monarchy

Denmark officially became a constitutional monarchy with the signing of the Danish Constitution on June 5, 1849. This marked the transition from an absolute monarchy to a constitutional monarchy, granting more power to the parliament and establishing a constitutional framework for governance in Denmark.
1857

Walter Woodbury and James Page open photo studio in Batavia (Jakarta)

Walter Woodbury and James Page opened their pioneering photo studio in Batavia (now Jakarta) on June 5, 1857. This studio, known as Woodbury & Page, played a significant role in the history of photography in the Dutch East Indies (present-day Indonesia).
1959

The first independent government of the State of Singapore is sworn in with Lee Kuan Yew as Prime Minister

The first independent government of the State of Singapore was sworn in on June 5, 1959, with Lee Kuan Yew as Prime Minister. This marked a significant milestone in Singapore's history as it gained self-governance from British colonial rule.
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