5 December 1791: Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart dies in Vienna, Austria, at the age of 35. He is considered one of the greatest composers in history.
5 December 1848: The first women's rights convention is held in Seneca Falls, New York, USA. This event is considered to be the start of the women's suffrage movement in the United States.
5 December 1901: U.S. President William McKinley dies from injuries sustained in an assassination attempt eight days earlier. Vice President Theodore Roosevelt succeeds him as president.
5 December 1933: The 21st Amendment to the United States Constitution is ratified, ending Prohibition.
5 December 1945: The United States, the United Kingdom, the Soviet Union, and France meet in Moscow, Russia, to discuss the post-World War II world order. This conference leads to the creation of the United Nations.
5 December 1952: London's Great Smog begins. The smog lasts for five days and kills thousands of people.
5 December 1962: The first televised presidential debate in the United States takes place between John F. Kennedy and Richard Nixon.
5 December 1979: The Iranian Revolution begins with a series of protests against the Shah of Iran, Mohammad Reza Pahlavi.
5 December 2001: The United States launches airstrikes against Afghanistan in retaliation for the September 11 attacks. The War in Afghanistan begins.