This roundup highlights key events tied to Aug. 5 across history, from Abraham Lincoln’s 1861 approval of the first federal income tax to Nelson Mandela’s 1962 arrest and subsequent 27-year imprisonment. It includes cultural milestones such as the national debut of "American Bandstand," political turning points like Nixon’s Watergate admission and Elena Kagan’s 2010 confirmation, and tragedies such as the 1949 Ecuador earthquake and the 2012 Oak Creek Sikh temple shooting. A 2024 political development in Bangladesh is also noted but was subject to ongoing verification.
On This Day — Aug. 5: Nelson Mandela Arrested and Other Pivotal Moments in History
Nelson Mandela raises his fist to the crowd at the Washington Convention Center during his introduction June 26, 1990. The South African anti-apartheid activist was arrested on August 5, 1962, spending 27 years imprisoned. File Photo by Martin Jeong/UPI
A look back at notable events that occurred on Aug. 5 across history — from political turning points and tragic attacks to cultural milestones and scientific revelations.
On August 5, 1974, U.S. President Richard Nixon admitted ordering the Watergate investigation halted six days after the break-in. File Photo by Ken Cedeno/UPI
Notable Events
1861: President Abraham Lincoln signed the first U.S. federal income tax into law as a wartime measure; that tax was later repealed in 1872.
The 11-year-old son and 12-year-old daughter of shooting victim Prakash Singh are are comforted by mourners at a memorial service and visitation August 10, 2012, for six members of the Sikh temple mass murder at Oak Creek High School in Oak Creek, Wis. Wade Michael Page, a member of a racist neo-nazi group, has been identified as the lone gunman who killed six people, and then himself, during Sunday services at the Sikh Temple August 5. File Photo by Allen Fredrickson/UPI
1944: Members of the Polish underground liberated hundreds of Jewish prisoners from the Gęsiówka Nazi labor camp during the Warsaw Uprising, an effort to retake Warsaw from German forces.
UPI File Photo
1949: A catastrophic earthquake struck Ecuador, destroying dozens of towns and killing an estimated 6,000 people while injuring roughly 20,000.
Fireworks ignite during the opening ceremony of the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, on August 5, 2016. File Photo by Terry Schmitt/UPI
1957: Dick Clark's television program "American Bandstand" began national broadcasts, launching a decades-long influence on American pop culture; Clark later became widely associated with "New Year's Rockin' Eve."
On August 5, 2010, the U.S. Senate confirmed Elena Kagan as the newest member of the Supreme Court. File Photo by Kevin Dietsch/UPI
1962: South African police arrested anti-apartheid activist Nelson Mandela on charges that included inciting strikes and leaving the country without permission. Mandela spent 27 years in prison and later shared the Nobel Peace Prize for his role in ending apartheid.
Bishop Gene Robinson (L), the first openly gay bishop, shares a laugh with senior adviser to the president Valerie Jarrett during an Easter prayer breakfast hosted by President Barack Obama in the East Room of the White House, in Washington on April 14, 2014. At right is the Rev. Al Sharpton. On August 5, 2003, U.S. Episcopal officials approved election of Robinson of New Hampshire. File Photo by Martin Simon/Pool
1962: Actress Marilyn Monroe died at age 35 from a barbiturate overdose.
File Photo by Roger L. Wollenberg/UPI
1974: President Richard Nixon publicly acknowledged that he had ordered a halt to parts of the Watergate investigation shortly after the break-in; he said at the time he expected impeachment proceedings.
Stevie Wonder performs a tribute to Richard Clark at the 40th anniversary American Music Awards held at the Nokia Theatre in Los Angeles on November 18, 2012. On August 5, 1957, Clark's "American Bandstand" began airing nationally. File Photo by Phil McCarten/UPI
1981: By executive order, President Ronald Reagan fired 11,359 air-traffic controllers who were on strike after negotiations over pay and work rules failed.
File Photo by John Angelillo/UPI
1991: Iraq told U.N. inspectors it had misled them about biological weapons programs and admitted to extracting plutonium from reactor fuel at a nuclear facility.
2003: The Episcopal Church in the United States approved the election of V. Gene Robinson of New Hampshire, its first openly gay bishop.
2007: President George W. Bush signed legislation expanding government surveillance authority, permitting certain warrantless monitoring of calls and electronic communications when there is a "reasonable belief" that one party is outside the United States (the measure and its scope were the subject of intense debate and later legal and political scrutiny).
2010: The U.S. Senate confirmed Elena Kagan as an associate justice of the Supreme Court by a 63-37 vote; she was sworn in two days later to succeed the retiring John Paul Stevens.
2012: A white supremacist gunman killed six worshippers and injured four at the Sikh Temple of Wisconsin in Oak Creek; the attacker, Wade Michael Page, then died by suicide. Authorities treated the incident as an act of domestic terrorism.
2016: The opening ceremony for the Summer Olympic Games took place in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
2019: The Government of India announced plans to revoke the special autonomous status of Jammu and Kashmir, a major constitutional and political shift for the region.
2024: Reports circulated that Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina resigned and left the country after protesters stormed her official residence in Dhaka and that Nobel laureate Muhammad Yunus was named head of an interim government. These developments were widely reported but may require further independent verification; follow-up reporting continued.
Note: Dates and summaries above are presented for historical context. Some contemporary items (notably the 2024 Bangladesh reports) were evolving at the time of publication and may have been updated by later reporting.
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