This Day in History: January 5

National Bird Day

No other creature on earth can do the good that birds do. Today many rare bird species are disappearing every year and going extinct. In the wake of the threat to the survival of the birds, the organization AWC – ‘Avian Welfare Coalition’ has declared 5th January as ‘Bird Day’. The science of studying birds is called ‘Ornithology’.

Implementation of Sales Tax (5th January 1957)

The Central Sales Tax Act (CST) came into force in India on this day. Every good and service we use has a sales tax. It is an indirect tax. Everyone in the country is a part of this tax payment. This sales tax was subsumed into GST on 1 July 2017.

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Implementation of 8-hour Working Day and Minimum Wage (5th January 1914)

On January 5, the world’s first 8-hour work and minimum wage system was implemented by pioneering automobile giant, Ford Motor Company on this day. Up to that point, workers organized a large-scale movement for minimum wages and 8 hours-work days. As a result, Ford implemented these policies and all the companies around the world followed suit.

Mamata Banerjee’s Birthday (5th January 1955)

Today is the birthday of one of India’s leading politicians, West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee. Mamata, who entered politics at the age of 15, first worked in the Congress party. In 1997, the Trinamool Congress Party was formed and created a sensation in West Bengal. In 2011, Mamata took power with a stunning majority. He created history by being elected Chief Minister three times as of now.

First Ever ODI in Cricket (5th January 1971)

The first One Day International match in the history of cricket was played on this day. The game was played between Australia and England at the Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG) on this day in 1971.

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A Few More Notable Events on Jan 5th

• Mughal Emperor Shah Jahan was born on this day in 1592. It is known that Shah Jahan built the Taj Mahal in Agra in memory of his wife.
• 5th January is considered as National Screenwriters Day.
• Tamil Nadu’s leading politician, DMK MP Kanimozhi and actress Deepika Padukone are celebrating their birthdays today.