January 5
Updated November 6, 2026 · Edited by the JanuaryCalendar.com team
January 5 is Twelfth Night in many traditions, the eve of Epiphany that closes the Christmas season, and the evening of Spain's Three Kings parades. History remembers it for Ford's $5 workday in 1914, the start of Golden Gate Bridge construction in 1933 and the beginning of the Prague Spring in 1968.
January 5 is the 5th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. 360 days remain in the year (361 in leap years). In 2027, January 5 falls on a Tuesday.
- Day of year
- 5
- Days left
- 360 (361 in leap years)
- Zodiac sign
- Capricorn ♑︎
- Birthstone
- Garnet
- ISO week (2027)
- Week 1
- Weekday (2027)
- Tuesday
Holidays and observances on January 5
- Religious Twelfth Night (Western Christian tradition) — The eve of Epiphany, closing the twelve days of Christmas in many traditions.
- Cultural Three Kings parades (Cabalgatas de Reyes) (Spain) — Evening parades welcome the Three Kings ahead of gift-giving on January 6.
- Unofficial National Bird Day (US) — Raises awareness of bird conservation and welfare.
Events on January 5 in history
- 1477 – Charles the Bold, Duke of Burgundy, was defeated and killed at the Battle of Nancy.
- 1875 – The Palais Garnier opera house was inaugurated in Paris.
- 1895 – French army captain Alfred Dreyfus was publicly stripped of his rank after being wrongly convicted of treason.
- 1914 – Ford Motor Company announced a $5 daily wage and an eight-hour workday.
- 1925 – Nellie Tayloe Ross of Wyoming became the first woman governor in the United States.
- 1933 – Construction began on the Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco.
- 1953 – Samuel Beckett's play Waiting for Godot premiered in Paris.
- 1968 – Alexander Dubček became leader of Czechoslovakia's Communist Party, beginning the reforms of the Prague Spring.
- 2005 – Astronomers at Palomar Observatory discovered Eris, the dwarf planet whose finding led to Pluto's reclassification in 2006.
- 2014 – India launched the GSAT-14 satellite, the first successful flight of an Indian-built cryogenic rocket engine.
Famous birthdays on January 5
- 1855 – King C. Gillette, Founder of the Gillette razor company
- 1876 – Konrad Adenauer, First chancellor of West Germany
- 1893 – Paramahansa Yogananda, Indian yogi, author of Autobiography of a Yogi
- 1921 – Friedrich Dürrenmatt, Swiss playwright and novelist
- 1931 – Alvin Ailey, American dancer and choreographer
- 1932 – Umberto Eco, Italian author of The Name of the Rose
- 1938 – Juan Carlos I, King of Spain from 1975 to 2014
- 1946 – Diane Keaton, Oscar-winning American actress
- 1975 – Bradley Cooper, American actor and director
- 1986 – Deepika Padukone, Indian film actress
What day is January 5?
Frequently asked questions
Is Twelfth Night on January 5 or January 6?
In England and many other places, Twelfth Night is the evening of January 5, the eve of Epiphany. Some traditions count it as the evening of January 6, so the date varies by country and church.
When did construction of the Golden Gate Bridge begin?
Construction began on January 5, 1933. The bridge opened to pedestrians on May 27, 1937, and to vehicles the following day.
What was Ford's $5 day?
On January 5, 1914, Ford Motor Company announced it would pay eligible workers $5 for an eight-hour day, roughly double what most of its factory workers had been earning.
What day of the week is January 5, 2027?
January 5, 2027 is a Tuesday. In 2028 it falls on a Wednesday.
What zodiac sign is January 5?
People born on January 5 are Capricorns (December 22 – January 19) in Western astrology.