On May 5, 1994, the first episode of the popular television sitcom 'Friends' was aired, which would go on to become a cultural phenomenon.

On May 5, 1981, the Irish hunger striker Bobby Sands died after 66 days without food, drawing international attention to the political situation in Northern Ireland.

On May 5, 1961, astronaut Alan Shepard became the first American in space, completing a 15-minute suborbital flight aboard the Freedom 7.