1. On August 5, 1779, a militia of soldiers led by Captain Caleb Rodney of Delaware successfully attacked a British camp on the outskirts of present-day Caldwell, New Jersey during the American Revolutionary War. The victory boosted morale among the Patriots and helped turn the tide in their favor.
2. Delaware achieved statehood on December 7, 1787, but on August 5 of that year, it became the first state to officially ratify the United States Constitution. The state's quick action helped ensure the document's adoption by the required nine states.
3. August 5, 1895 marked the opening of the Delaware State Fair, an annual event that draws hundreds of thousands of visitors to Harrington each year. The fair includes agricultural exhibits, carnival rides, concerts, and other attractions.
4. On August 5, 1945, Delawarean Lieutenant Colonel Paul W. Tibbets piloted the B-29 bomber Enola Gay on its mission to drop the first atomic bomb on Hiroshima, Japan, as part of the U.S. effort to end World War II. Tibbets hailed from Quesquehanna Hundred near Wilmington and was stationed at Wendover Army Air Field in Utah at the time.
5. Delaware native Caesar Rodney is perhaps best known for his horseback ride to Philadelphia in 1776 to cast the deciding vote in favor of American independence. However, on August 5, 1777, Rodney was appointed as a brigadier general in the Continental Army, an honor in recognition of his service and leadership during the Revolutionary War.