1. On August 5, 1774, the First Continental Congress convened in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. This meeting brought together delegates from twelve of the thirteen colonies to discuss grievances against the British government and to plan a response to the Coercive Acts, which were designed to punish Massachusetts for the Boston Tea Party.

2. August 5, 1929, marked the opening ceremony of the Saint Francis Dam in Los Angeles County, California. The dam was constructed by William Mulholland and was intended to provide a reliable water source for the city of Los Angeles. However, less than a year after its completion, the dam collapsed, resulting in one of the largest civil engineering disasters in US history.

3. On August 5, 1875, Mary McLeod Bethune was born in Mayesville, South Carolina. Bethune would go on to become a prominent educator and civil rights activist, and in 1935, she founded the National Council of Negro Women. She also served as a special advisor to President Franklin D. Roosevelt and was a key figure in the establishment of the National Youth Administration.

4. The Battle of Long Island, which was fought during the American Revolutionary War, began on August 5, 1776. The battle took place on Long Island, near Brooklyn Heights, and was the first major engagement of the war after the signing of the Declaration of Independence. Despite being outnumbered and outflanked, British forces were able to secure a victory, forcing General George Washington and his troops to retreat to Manhattan.

5. August 5, 1985, marked the day of the worst airline disaster in US history up to that point. Delta Air Lines Flight 191 crashed while attempting to land at Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport, killing all 137 passengers and crew members on board as well as one person on the ground. The crash was later attributed to wind shear, which caused the plane to lose altitude rapidly during its approach.