On this day 5th December

Some notable facts about this date, for more, visit http://www.onthisday.com

Facts

771 Charlemagne becomes the sole King of the Franks after the death of his brother Carloman

1349 500 Jews of Nuremberg massacred during Black Death riots

1456 Earthquake strikes Naples; about 35,000 die

1848 US President Polk triggers Gold Rush of 1849 by confirming gold discovery in California

1933 21st Amendment to the US Constitution ratified, 18th Amendment (Prohibition of alcohol) repealed (5:32 PM EST)

Deaths

63 BC Publius Cornelius Lentulus (Sura), Roman statesman

1784 Phillis Wheatley, American poet and first published African-American woman, dies in Boston at 31

1791 Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, composer, dies in Vienna Austria at 35

1870 Alexandre Dumas, French writer (The Three Musketeers, The Count of Monte Cristo), dies at 68

1926 Claude Monet, French impressionist, dies at 86

1940 Jan Kubelik, Czech composer, dies at 60

1965 Joseph Erlanger, American physiologist (shock therapy-Nobel 1944), dies of heart disease at 91

1973 Robert Watson-Watt, Scottish physicist (pioneered radar and radio direction finding), dies at 81

1987 "Fat" Larry James, US drummer (Fat Larry's Band-Zoom), dies at 38

2002 Roone Arledge, American sports broadcasting pioneer, dies of prostate cancer at 71

2006 David Bronstein, Ukrainian-born chess grandmaster (b. 1924)

2013 Nelson Mandela, anti-apartheid activist, political prisoner (1962-90) and South African President (1994-99), dies of a lung infection at 95

Born on this day

1963 Eddie "the Eagle" Edwards, English ski jumper

1975 Ronnie O'Sullivan, English snooker player

A Couple of Pics from those no longer with us

Joseph Erlanger

Roone Arledge