So you want to have a drink but you aren't sure why? Here are some GREAT reasons to call your friends over and have a party.

December 5th


- Christian Feast Day
- Day of the Ninja
- Faunalia, in honor of Faunus (Roman Empire)
- Repeal Day (United States)
- Saint Nicholas Eve (Belgium, Czech Republic, Slovakia, the Netherlands, Hungary, Romania and the UK)
Krampus (Austria)
- The King's Birthday, National Day, and Father's Day (Thailand)

December 5th


- 1848 - California Gold Rush: In a message before the U.S. Congress, US President James K. Polk confirms that large amounts of gold had been discovered in California.
- 1776 - In the Apollo Room of the Raleigh Tavern in Williamsburg, Virginia, students from the College of William and Mary meet for the first time founding Phi Beta Kappa, the first scholastic fraternity in the United States.
- 1766 - In London, James Christie holds his first sale.
- 1492 - Christopher Columbus becomes the first European to set foot on the island of Hispaniola, now Haiti and the Dominican Republic.
- 2007 - Westroads Mall massacre: A gunman opens fire with a semi-automatic rifle at an Omaha, Nebraska mall, killing eight people before taking his own life.
- 2006 - Commodore Frank Bainimarama overthrows the government in Fiji.
- 2005 - The Lake Tanganyika earthquake causes significant damage, mostly in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.
- 2005 - The Civil Partnership Act comes into effect in the United Kingdom, and the first civil partnership is registered there.
- 1995 - The Sri Lankan government announces the conquest of Tamil stronghold of Jaffna.
- 1993 - The mayor of Wien (Vienna), Helmut Zilk, is wounded by a letter bomb.
- 1983 - Dissolution of the Military Junta in Argentina.
- 1983 - ICIMOD is established and inaugurated with its headquarters in Kathmandu, Nepal, and legitimised through an Act of Parliament in Nepal in the same year.
- 1979 - Sonia Johnson is formally excommunicated by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints for her outspoken criticism of the church concerning the proposed Equal Rights Amendment to the Constitution of the United States.
- 1978 - The Soviet Union signs a "friendship treaty" with the Democratic Republic of Afghanistan.
- 1977 - Egypt breaks diplomatic relations with Syria, Libya, Algeria, Iraq and South Yemen. The move is in retaliation for the Declaration of Tripoli against Egypt.
- 1976 - The United Nations General Assembly adopts Pakistan's resolution on security of non-Nuclear States.
- 1974 - In American football, the Birmingham Americans would win what would eventually be the only World Bowl in World Football League history.
- 1964 - Vietnam War: For his heroism in battle earlier in the year, Captain Roger Donlon is awarded the first Medal of Honor of the war.
- 1958 - Subscriber Trunk Dialling (STD) is inaugurated in the UK by Queen Elizabeth II when she speaks to the Lord Provost in a call from Bristol to Edinburgh.
- 1958 - The Preston bypass, the UK's first stretch of motorway, opens to traffic for the first time. It is now part of the M6 and M55 motorways.
- 1957 - Sukarno expels all Dutch people from Indonesia.
- 1955 - The American Federation of Labor and the Congress of Industrial Organizations merge and form the AFL-CIO.
- 1955 - E.D. Nixon and Rosa Parks lead the Montgomery Bus Boycott.
- 1952 - Great Smog of 1952: A cold fog descends upon London, combining with air pollution and killing at least 12,000 in the weeks and months that follow.
- 1945 - Flight 19 is lost in the Bermuda Triangle.
- 1944 - World War II: Allied troops occupy Ravenna.
- 1943 - World War II: U.S. Army Air Force begins attacking Germany's secret weapons bases in Operation Crossbow .
- 1941 - World War II: In the Battle of Moscow Georgy Zhukov launches a massive Soviet counter-attack against the German army, with the biggest offensive launched against Army Group Centre.
- 1941 - World War II: Great Britain declares war on Finland, Hungary and Romania.
- 1936 - The Soviet Union adopts a new constitution and the Kirghiz Soviet Socialist Republic is established as a full Union Republic of the USSR.
- 1934 - Abyssinia Crisis: Italian troops attack Wal Wal in Abyssinia, taking four days to capture the city.
- 1933 - Prohibition in the United States ends: Utah becomes the 36th U.S. state to ratify the Twenty-first Amendment to the United States Constitution, thus establishing the required 75% of states needed to enact the amendment (this overturned the 18th Amendment which had made the manufacture, sale, or transportation of alcohol illegal in the United States).
- 1932 - German-born Swiss physicist Albert Einstein is granted an American visa.
- 1920 - Dimitrios Rallis forms a government in Greece.
- 1914 - The Italian Parliament proclaims the neutrality of the country.
- 1876 - Brooklyn Theater Fire kills at least 278 people in Brooklyn, NY.
- 1865 - Chincha Islands War: Peru allies with Chile against Spain.
- 1847 - Jefferson Davis is elected to the US senate, his first political post.
- 1831 - Former US President John Quincy Adams takes his seat in the House of Representatives.
- 1815 - Foundation of Maceió in Brazil.
- 1775 - At Fort Ticonderoga, Henry Knox begins his historic transport of artillery to Cambridge, Massachusetts.
- 1757 - Seven Years' War: Battle of Leuthen – Frederick II of Prussia leads Prussian forces to a decisive victory over Austrian forces under Prince Charles Alexander of Lorraine.
- 1746 - Revolt in Genoa against Spanish rule.
- 1590 - Niccolň Sfondrati becomes Pope Gregory XIV.
- 1496 - King Manuel I of Portugal issues a decree of expulsion of "heretics" from the country.
- 1484 - Pope Innocent VIII issues the Summis desiderantes, a papal bull that deputizes Heinrich Kramer and James Sprenger as inquisitors to root out alleged witchcraft in Germany and leads to one of the most oppressive witch hunts in European history.
- 1408 - Emir Edigu of Golden Horde reaches Moscow.
- 1360 - The French Franc is created.
- 1082 - Ramon Berenguer II, Count of Barcelona is assassinated.
- 771 - Charlemagne becomes the sole King of the Franks after the death of his brother Carloman.
- 663 - Fourth Council of Toledo takes place.
- -63 - Cicero reads the last of his Catiline Orations.

December 5th


- 1932 - Little Richard, American singer and pianist
- 1901 - Walt Disney, American animated film producer (d. 1966)
- 1839 - George Armstrong Custer, American general (d. 1876)
- 1989 - Gregory Tyree Boyce, American actor
- 1989 - Yuri, South Korean singer
- 1987 - Tommy Fraser, English footballer
- 1985 - Frankie Muniz, American actor
- 1985 - Josh Smith, American basketball player
- 1985 - Nico Verdonck, Belgian racing driver
- 1984 - Chris Solinsky, American distance runner
- 1983 - Tiffany Weimer, American soccer player
- 1982 - Eddy Curry, American basketball player
- 1982 - Keri Hilson, American singer
- 1982 - Trai Essex, American football player
- 1981 - Leila Tong, Hong Kong actress
- 1980 - Shizuka Ito, Japanese voice actress (seiy?)
- 1980 - Ibrahim Maalouf, Lebanese-born French trumpeter
- 1979 - Matteo Ferrari, Italian footballer
- 1979 - Niklas Hagman, Finnish ice hockey player
- 1979 - Evonne Hsu, Taiwanese singer
- 1979 - Gareth McAuley, Northern Irish footballer
- 1979 - Nick Stahl, American actor
- 1978 - Olli Jokinen, Finnish ice hockey player
- 1978 - Marcelo Zalayeta, Uruguayan footballer
- 1976 - Amy Acker, American actress
- 1976 - Xavier Garbajosa, French rugby union footballer
- 1976 - Rachel Komisarz, American swimmer
- 1975 - Ronnie O'Sullivan, English snooker player
- 1975 - Paula Patton, American actress
- 1974 - Charlie Batch, National Football League quarterback
- 1973 - Luboš Motl, Czech physicist
- 1973 - Danielle Winits, Brazilian actress
- 1973 - Shalom Harlow, Canadian supermodel and actress
- 1973 - Mikelangelo Loconte, Italian singer
- 1972 - Cliff Floyd, American baseball player
- 1972 - Mike Mahoney, American baseball player
- 1972 - Angela Shelton, American actress & writer
- 1971 - Kali Rocha, American actress
- 1971 - Kavus Torabi, Iranian-born British guitarist (The Monsoon Bassoon, Cardiacs, Guapo, Chrome Hoof)
- 1970 - Kevin Haller, Canadian ice hockey player
- 1969 - Morgan J. Freeman, American film director
- 1969 - Lewis Gordon Pugh, English swimmer, polar explorer and motivational speaker
- 1968 - Margaret Cho, American comedian and actress
- 1968 - Lisa Marie, American model and actress
- 1968 - Lydia Millet, American writer
- 1967 - Gary Allan, American country musician
- 1967 - Konstantin-Assen, Prince of Vidin, titular Bulgarian royal family
- 1966 - Patricia Kaas, French singer
- 1966 - Lee Seung-Chul, South Korean singer
- 1965 - Johnny Rzeznik, American singer, songwriter and guitarist (Goo Goo Dolls)
- 1965 - Wayne Smith, Jamaican reggae musician
- 1963 - Doctor Dre, American radio personality
- 1963 - Eddie "the Eagle" Edwards, English ski jumper
- 1963 - Carrie Hamilton, American actress (d. 2002)
- 1962 - José Cura, Argentine tenor
- 1962 - Pablo Morales, American swimmer
- 1960 - Jack Russell, American singer (Great White)
- 1960 - Frans Adelaar, Dutch football player and manager
- 1959 - Lee Chapman, English footballer
- 1958 - Dean Erickson, American actor
- 1958 - Dynamite Kid, English professional wrestler
- 1957 - Raquel Argandońa, Chilean television presenter, Miss Chile 1975
- 1957 - Art Monk, American football player
- 1956 - Krystian Zimerman, Polish pianist
- 1956 - Klaus Allofs, German footballer
- 1956 - Brian Backer, American actor
- 1953 - Larry Zbyszko, American professional wrestler
- 1952 - Andy Kim, Canadian singer, songwriter
- 1951 - Morgan Brittany, American actress
- 1951 - Anne-Mie van Kerckhoven, Belgian artist
- 1950 - Camarón de la Isla, Spanish flamenco singer (d. 1992)
- 1950 - Osvaldo Golijov, Argentine-born composer
- 1950 - James Knaggs, American-born Salvationist
- 1949 - Ray Comfort, New Zealand evangelist
- 1949 - John Altman, British film composer
- 1947 - Bruce Golding, Jamaican politician
- 1947 - Tony Gregory, Irish politician
- 1947 - Jim Messina, American musician (Buffalo Springfield, Loggins and Messina)
- 1947 - Jim Plunkett, American football player
- 1946 - José Carreras, Spanish tenor
- 1946 - Sarel van der Merwe, South African rally driver
- 1945 - Serge Chapleau, French Canadian caricaturist
- 1944 - Jeroen Krabbé, Dutch actor
- 1944 - Loukas Sideras, Greek drummer (Aphrodite's Child)
- 1943 - Eva Joly, Norwegian-born French magistrate
- 1940 - Boris Ignatyev, Russian footballer and manager
- 1940 - Peter Pohl, Swedish writer
- 1940 - Adrian Street, Welsh professional wrestler
- 1939 - Minita Chico-Nazario, Filipino Supreme Court jurist
- 1938 - J. J. Cale, American songwriter
- 1938 - J.D. McDuffie, American racecar driver (d. 1991)
- 1936 - James Lee Burke, American writer
- 1935 - Calvin Trillin, American writer
- 1935 - Yury Vlasov, Soviet weightlifter
- 1934 - Joan Didion, American writer
- 1934 - Nikos Kourkoulos, Greek actor, artistic director of the National Theatre of Greece (d. 2007)
- 1932 - Sheldon Lee Glashow, American physicist, Nobel laureate
- 1927 - Bhumibol Adulyadej, King of Thailand
- 1925 - Anastasio Somoza, President of Nicaragua (d. 1980)
- 1921 - Alvy Moore, American actor (d. 1997)
- 1917 - Ken Downing, English racing driver (d. 2004)
- 1917 - Wenche Foss, Norwegian actress
- 1916 - Hilary Koprowski, Polish virologist and immunologist
- 1914 - Hans Hellmut Kirst, German author (d. 1989)
- 1911 - W?adys?aw Szpilman, Polish pianist (d. 2000)
- 1910 - Abraham Polonsky, American screenwriter (d. 1999)
- 1909 - Musashiyama Takeshi, Japanese sumo wrestler, the 33rd Yokozuna (d. 1969)
- 1907 - Giuseppe Occhialini, Italian physicist (d. 1993)
- 1907 - Lin Biao, Chinese Communist military leader (d. 1971)
- 1906 - Otto Preminger, Austrian-born film director, producer, and actor (d. 1986)
- 1905 - Gus Mancuso, American baseball player (d. 1984)
- 1903 - Johannes Heesters, Dutch singer and actor
- 1903 - Cecil Frank Powell, English physicist, Nobel laureate (d. 1969)
- 1902 - Strom Thurmond, American politician (d. 2003)
- 1901 - Milton H. Erickson, American psychiatrist (d. 1980)
- 1901 - Werner Heisenberg, German physicist, Nobel laureate (d. 1976)
- 1899 - Sonny Boy Williamson II, American blues musician (d. 1965)
- 1898 - Josh Malihabadi, Urdu poet of India and Pakistan (d. 1982)
- 1898 - Grace Moore, American soprano (d. 1947)
- 1897 - Nunnally Johnson, American screenwriter and producer (d. 1977)
- 1897 - Gershom Scholem, German-born Israeli Jewish philosopher and historian (d. 1982)
- 1896 - Carl Ferdinand Cori, Austrian-born biochemist, Nobel laureate (d. 1984)
- 1895 - Elbert Frank Cox, American mathematician (d. 1969)
- 1894 - C.R. Swart, South African politician (d. 1982)
- 1892 - Ferdinand Schörner, German field marshal (d. 1973)
- 1890 - Fritz Lang, Austrian-born film director (d. 1976)
- 1890 - David Bomberg, English painter (d. 1957)
- 1886 - Rose Wilder Lane, American writer and reporter, daughter of 'Little House' books writer Laura Ingalls Wilder (d. 1968)
- 1879 - Clyde Cessna, American airplane manufacturer (d. 1954)
- 1875 - Sir Arthur Currie, Canadian soldier (d. 1933)
- 1872 - Harry Nelson Pillsbury, American chess player (d. 1906)
- 1871 - Bill Pickett, American rodeo performer (d. 1932)
- 1870 - Vít?zslav Novák, Czech composer (d. 1949)
- 1869 - Ellis Parker Butler, American author (d. 1937)
- 1868 - Arnold Sommerfeld, German physicist (d. 1951)
- 1867 - Józef Pi?sudski, Polish revolutionary and statesman (d. 1935)
- 1867 - Antti Aarne, Finnish folklorist (d. 1925)
- 1863 - Paul Painlevé, French mathematician and Prime Minister (d. 1933)
- 1859 - John Jellicoe, British admiral (d. 1935)
- 1855 - Clinton Hart Merriam, American ornithologist (d. 1942)
- 1841 - Marcus Daly, American mining tycoon (d. 1900)
- 1830 - Christina Rossetti, English poet (d. 1894)
- 1829 - Henri-Gustave Joly de Lotbiničre, French Canadian politician (d. 1908)
- 1822 - Elizabeth Cabot Agassiz, American college president (d. 1907)
- 1820 - Afanasy Fet, Russian poet (d. 1892)
- 1803 - Fyodor Ivanovich Tyutchev, Russian poet (d. 1873)
- 1782 - Martin Van Buren, 8th President of the United States (d. 1862)
- 1687 - Francesco Geminiani, Italian violinist and composer (d. 1762)
- 1661 - Robert Harley, 1st Earl of Oxford and Mortimer, English statesman (d. 1724)
- 1595 - Henry Lawes, English composer (d. 1662)
- 1547 - Ubbo Emmius, Dutch historian and geographer (d. 1625)
- 1539 - Fausto Paolo Sozzini, Italian theologian (d. 1604)
- 1537 - Ashikaga Yoshiaki, Japanese shogun (d. 1597)
- 1495 - Nicolas Cleynaerts, Flemish grammarian (d. 1542)
- 1443 - Pope Julius II (d. 1513)
- 1377 - Jianwen Emperor of China (d. 1402)