In History, Today on September 5

The Great Fire of London, which began on September 2, was finally extinguished after destroying a large part of the city, including 13,200 houses, 87 parish churches, and St. Paul's Cathedral.

Tsar Peter I of Russia imposed a tax on beards as part of his efforts to modernize Russian society and align it more closely with Western European customs.

The First Continental Congress convened in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, with delegates from twelve of the thirteen American colonies, marking a significant step towards American independence.

Sam Houston was elected as the first President of the Republic of Texas, following its independence from Mexico.

The Treaty of Portsmouth was signed, ending the Russo-Japanese War. The treaty was mediated by U.S. President Theodore Roosevelt, who later won the Nobel Peace Prize for his efforts.

The Munich massacre occurred during the Summer Olympics in Munich, West Germany, when members of the Palestinian terrorist group Black September took eleven Israeli Olympic team members hostage and eventually killed them.

Lynette 'Squeaky' Fromme, a follower of Charles Manson, attempted to assassinate U.S. President Gerald Ford in Sacramento, California, but was thwarted by Secret Service agents.

NASA launched the Voyager 1 spacecraft, which would become the first human-made object to enter interstellar space, providing invaluable data about the outer planets and beyond.

Mother Teresa, the Nobel Peace Prize-winning Catholic nun known for her charitable work in India, passed away in Kolkata.

Mandala Airlines Flight 091 crashes in a residential area of Medan, Indonesia, shortly after takeoff, killing 149 people.

The Democratic National Convention begins in Charlotte, North Carolina, where President Barack Obama is nominated for a second term.

A ceasefire agreement is signed between Ukraine and pro-Russian separatists in Minsk, Belarus, to end the conflict in Eastern Ukraine.

Hurricane Irma strengthens to a Category 5 hurricane, becoming one of the strongest hurricanes ever recorded in the Atlantic Ocean.

The New York Times publishes an anonymous op-ed by a senior Trump administration official, describing efforts to resist parts of President Trump's agenda.