December 5
Dec 5
2013 Sana'a attack
On December 5, 2013, coordinated explosions and an armed assault struck the Yemeni Ministry of Defense compound in Sana'a. The attack — claimed by Ansar al‑Sharia, linked to Al‑Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula — killed roughly 50–60 people and wounded more than 150. It exposed glaring security gaps in the capital and deepened anxieties about the state's ability to protect its institutions during a fragile political transition.
Dec 5
2006 Fijian coup d'état
On 5 December 2006, Commodore Voreqe (Frank) Bainimarama and the Republic of Fiji Military Forces seized key government buildings, state media and communications in Suva, removing Prime Minister Laisenia Qarase’s administration. The takeover, justified by the military as necessary to stop corruption and block an amnesty bill, set Fiji on a decade-long path of military-backed rule, legal upheaval and international isolation before a new constitution and elections later normalized civilian government under new legal arrangements.
Dec 5
The Great Smog of London (1952)
In early December 1952 a stagnant weather pattern trapped thick coal smoke, soot and sulfurous gases over London, producing a yellow‑brown smog that darkened streets, choked public services and precipitated a sharp spike in illness and death. The episode — most intense between 5 and 9 December 1952 — galvanized public outrage and led to Britain’s first major air‑quality legislation, the Clean Air Act 1956.
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Explore more events in December
Dec 26
The 2004 Indian Ocean Earthquake and Tsunami
A colossal natural disaster, the 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake and tsunami, struck on December 26, 2004, causing catastrophic loss of life and devastation across 14 countries.
Dec 17
The First Arab Spring Starts
The Arab Spring began in Tunisia on December 17, 2010, ignited by Mohamed Bouazizi's protest through self-immolation, leading to widespread uprisings and the toppling of President Zine El Abidine Ben Ali.
Dec 13
Massacre of Kalavryta
On December 13, 1943, occupying German forces rounded up and executed hundreds of male residents of Kalavryta in the northern Peloponnese and set much of the town ablaze. The killings—commonly remembered as the Kalavryta massacre—were carried out as a collective reprisal against local partisan activity. The commonly cited death toll is 438 male civilians; the town’s population and memory were forever altered by that single winter day.