In History, Today on December 5

The International Olympic Committee bans Russia from the 2018 Winter Olympics in Pyeongchang due to state-sponsored doping, allowing only clean athletes to compete under a neutral flag.

The first issue of the Paris climate agreement text was adopted by consensus during the COP21 summit in Paris.

Nelson Mandela, the former President of South Africa and anti-apartheid revolutionary, passes away at the age of 95. His death marks the end of an era in South African history and prompts a global outpouring of tributes and reflections on his legacy.

A car bombing in Mogadishu, Somalia, killed 25 people, representing one of the most deadly attacks in the capital that year.

The Islamist group al-Shabaab took control of most of the port city of Kismayo in Somalia.

The United Nations Security Council votes to impose sanctions on Iran due to its refusal to suspend its uranium enrichment program, marking a significant moment in the international community's efforts to curb nuclear proliferation.

The Civil Partnership Act 2004 came into effect in the United Kingdom, allowing same-sex couples to obtain legal recognition of their relationships.

The United Nations Climate Change Conference was held in Buenos Aires, Argentina.

The United States officially withdrew from the Anti-Ballistic Missile Treaty, a 1972 agreement between the U.S. and the Soviet Union that limited the use of missile defense systems to prevent an arms race in strategic ballistic missiles.

Ukraine held a referendum in which 90% of voters approved independence from the Soviet Union, leading to the formal dissolution of the USSR later that month.

The Rolling Stones held a free concert at Altamont Speedway in California, which became infamous for the violence that occurred, including the stabbing death of a concertgoer.

The American Federation of Labor and the Congress of Industrial Organizations merged to form the AFL-CIO, the largest federation of unions in the United States.

The Great Smog of London began, lasting until December 9, causing severe air pollution and leading to the deaths of thousands of people.

Flight 19, a group of five TBM Avenger torpedo bombers on a training flight, disappeared over the Bermuda Triangle, contributing to the legend of the mysterious area.

The 21st Amendment to the United States Constitution was ratified, repealing the 18th Amendment and effectively ending Prohibition in the United States.

The French captured the West African city of Ouagadougou in the Franco-Dahomean War.

The first issue of The (San Francisco) Call newspaper was published.

The Brooklyn Theater fire occurred, resulting in the deaths of at least 278 people.

In his State of the Union address to Congress, President James K. Polk reaffirms the validity of U.S. territorial claims after the Mexican-American War and urges the admission of California and New Mexico as states.

Former U.S. President and Founding Father, James Monroe, is honored by a resolution of Congress to have his remains moved from New York City to the capital of his home state, Virginia.

In London, Britain issues a declaration effectually repealing the Stamp Act, which imposed taxes on paper goods in the American colonies.

King Manuel I of Portugal issues an edict mandating that all Jews convert to Christianity or leave the country.

Christopher Columbus became the first European to set foot on the island of Hispaniola, which is now divided into Haiti and the Dominican Republic.

The Treaty of Brétigny, which concluded the first phase of the Hundred Years' War, was formally ratified and went into effect. This treaty was signed between King Edward III of England and King John II of France. As part of the treaty, England was granted extensive lands in France, greatly expanding its territories.

Lothair III, Holy Roman Emperor, Emperor of the Holy Roman Empire, passed away. His death marked the end of a contentious reign characterized by factional conflict within the Empire and ongoing disputes with the papacy.

Cicero delivers the fourth and final Catilinarian Oration, a series of speeches given by the Roman statesman Marcus Tullius Cicero, exposing the conspiracy of Lucius Sergius Catilina to overthrow the Roman Republic.