On this day: February 5
Columbus Stranded on Jamaica After February 1504 Landing
On 5 February 1504 Christopher Columbus and his crew landed on Jamaica and were subsequently stranded there for over a year after damage to their ships and deteriorating relations with indigenous groups and among the crew.
Landmark 1974 Lawsuit Marks First Documented U.S. Case Over Nonconsensual Human Experimentation
On February 5, 1974, a federal suit filed in New York accused the U.S. government of conducting nonconsensual radiation experiments on servicemen and civilians—one of the earliest documented legal challenges in the United States explicitly alleging human experimentation without informed consent.
The 1891 Trial in Kiev Often Cited as the First Modern ‘Ritual Murder’ Case
On February 5, 1891, a high-profile trial in Kiev accused Jewish community members of murdering a Christian boy in a case framed as a ritual killing—an event that crystallized the blood libel in late 19th-century Eastern Europe and contributed to anti-Jewish violence and legal scrutiny.
First U.S. Televised Murder Trial Begins in 1954
On February 5, 1954, a U.S. courtroom permitted television cameras for the first time in a murder trial, marking a contentious shift in how high‑profile criminal proceedings would be presented to the public.
First Electric Traffic Light Installed in Cleveland, 1914
On February 5, 1914, Cleveland introduced the first electric traffic signal, a two-color electric light mounted at an intersection to manage growing automobile and streetcar traffic—an early step toward modern traffic control.
First U.S. Murder Trial Broadcast on Television Begins
On February 5, 1954, the United States recorded its first televised murder trial when California courts allowed limited camera access, marking a contentious shift toward broadcasting courtroom proceedings to the public.
First Confirmed U.S. Lawsuit Over Human Experimentation Filed
On February 5, 1974, a lawsuit alleging nonconsensual human experimentation was filed in the United States, marking the first confirmed civil case to challenge medical experiments on patients without informed consent.
First Electric Traffic Light Installed in Cleveland, 1914
On February 5, 1914, Cleveland, Ohio, saw the installation of what is commonly cited as the first electric traffic light — a two-sided signal mounted outside the Willard Hotel to manage increasingly busy downtown streets.