This Day in History: April 5

1242: Alexander Nevsky defeats Teutonic Knights in the Battle of the Ice

In the Battle of the Ice, Prince Alexander Nevsky of Novgorod, Russia, led his army to victory against the Teutonic Knights, a Catholic religious order that was expanding into Russian territory. This battle is considered a significant event in Russian history and helped solidify Alexander Nevsky's place as a national hero and saint.

1722: Dutch navigator Jacob Roggeveen discovers Easter Island / Rapa Nui

Jacob Roggeveen, a Dutch explorer, became the first European to discover and land on Easter Island, also known as Rapa Nui, in the southeastern Pacific Ocean. The island is famous for its large stone statues called moai, which were built by the indigenous people centuries before European arrival.

1818: Chile wins decisive victory over Spain in the Battle of Maipú

The Battle of Maipú was a significant battle in the Chilean War of Independence, fought between Chilean patriots led by Bernardo O'Higgins and Argentine General José de San Martín against Spanish royalists. The Chilean forces emerged victorious, with 2,000 Spaniards and 1,000 Chilean patriots dead. The battle is considered a turning point in the war and helped pave the way for Chilean independence.

1847: Birkenhead Park, the first civic public park, opens in Birkenhead, England

Birkenhead Park, designed by Joseph Paxton, was the first publicly funded park in the world. It was built to provide open green space for the rapidly expanding industrial town of Birkenhead, near Liverpool. The park's design inspired the creation of Central Park in New York City and many other urban parks around the world.

1879: Chile declares war on Bolivia and Peru, starting the War of the Pacific

The War of the Pacific was fought between Chile and a military alliance between Bolivia and Peru over disputed territories in the Atacama Desert. The war lasted until 1884 and resulted in Chilean victory and the acquisition of valuable mineral-rich territories. The war had a significant impact on the region's politics and economies and strained relations between Chile and Bolivia and Peru for many years.

1895: Oscar Wilde loses criminal libel case triggered by accusations of homosexuality

Oscar Wilde, a famous Irish playwright and author, was accused of homosexuality by the Marquess of Queensberry, the father of Wilde's lover. Wilde sued for libel, but the trial turned against him, and he was eventually found guilty of gross indecency and sentenced to two years in prison. The trial and its aftermath had a significant impact on public attitudes towards homosexuality in Victorian England.

1951: Ethel and Julius Rosenberg are sentenced to death

Ethel and Julius Rosenberg were American citizens who were accused of spying for the Soviet Union and passing information about nuclear weapons to the Soviet government. Despite controversy and protests over their guilt and the severity of their sentence, they were executed in 1953.

1955: Winston Churchill resigns as U.K. Prime Minister

Sir Winston Churchill was a British politician and statesman who served as the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 1940 to 1945 and again from 1951.