About the day » Sunday May 5, 1872Calender converter

• Anna Sophia Maria Hofland, Rotterdam († 1950)
• Adriaan Tramper, Krabbendijke († 1873)
• Aagje HOF, Harenkarspel
• Adriana Korporaal, Papendrecht († 1900)
• Aaltje Kraaijeveld, Sliedrecht, Zuid-Holland, Nederland († 1872)
• Adelaïde Decuypere, Hooglede,8830,West-Vlaanderen,België
• Akke Willems Keizer, Vrouwenparochie, Het Bildt, Friesland, Nederland († 1932)
• Aloisius Monsy, Langemark
• Aartjen Blankespoor, Katwijk († 1906)
• Anna Kristina Jonsdotter, Kyrkbolandet, Frostviken, Sweden († 1872)

• Antonie Wijnand van Westering (0), Tiel, Gelderland, Nederland
• Alberdina Haatjes Smid (83), Leek
• Puit, de (0)
• Barend Mastenbroek (52), Blokzijl {OV}
• Alberdina Haaitjes Smit (Smid) (83), Leek
• Alberdina Haatjes Smit (83), Leek, Groningen, Nederland
• Aagje van het Wout (0), Alphen aan de Rijn,Alphen aan de Rijn,Zuid-Holland,Nederland
• Aagje van 't Wout (0), Alphen aan den Rijn, Zuid-Holland, Nederland
• Alberdina Haaitjes Smit (83), Leek
• Alberdinba Haatjes Smid (83), Leek

• 1864 » Nellie Bly, American journalist and author († 1922)
• 1865 » Helen Maud Merrill, American litterateur and poet († 1943)
• 1866 » Thomas B. Thrige, Danish businessman († 1938)
• 1869 » Fabián de la Rosa, Filipino painter and educator († 1937)
• 1869 » Hans Pfitzner, German composer and conductor († 1949)
• 1874 » Thomas Bavin, New Zealand-Australian politician, 24th Premier of New South Wales († 1941)
• 1882 » Sylvia Pankhurst, English women's suffrage movement leader and socialist activist († 1960)
• 1883 » Anna Johnson Pell Wheeler, American mathematician († 1966)
• 1883 » Archibald Wavell, 1st Earl Wavell, English general and politician, 43rd Governor-General of India († 1950)
• 1884 » Chief Bender, American baseball player and coach († 1954)

• 1833 » Sophia Campbell, English-Australian painter (b. 1777)
• 1855 » Sir Robert Inglis, 2nd Baronet, English politician (b. 1786)
• 1859 » Peter Gustav Lejeune Dirichlet, German mathematician and academic (b. 1805)
• 1860 » Jean-Charles Prince, Canadian bishop (b. 1804)
• 1883 » John O'Shanassy, Irish-Australian politician, 2nd Premier of Victoria (b. 1818)
• 1892 » August Wilhelm von Hofmann, German chemist and academic (b. 1818)
• 1896 » Silas Adams, American lawyer and politician (b. 1839)
• 1902 » Bret Harte, American short story writer and poet (b. 1836)
• 1907 » Şeker Ahmed Pasha, Turkish soldier and painter (b. 1841)
• 1913 » Henry Moret, French painter (b. 1856)

• Koning Willem III (Huis van Oranje-Nassau) was from 1849 till 1890 sovereign of the Netherlands (also known as Koninkrijk der Nederlanden)
• In The Netherlands , there was from January 4, 1871 to July 6, 1872 the cabinet Thorbecke III, with Mr. J.R. Thorbecke (liberaal) as prime minister.
• From July 6, 1872 till August 27, 1874 the Netherlands had a cabinet De Vries - Fransen van de Putte with the prime ministers Mr. G. de Vries Azn. (liberaal) and I.D. Fransen van de Putte (liberaal).
• The Netherlands had about 4.0 million citizens.
• February 22 » The Prohibition Party holds its first national convention in Columbus, Ohio, nominating James Black as its presidential nominee.
• March 1 » Yellowstone National Park is established as the world's first national park.
• March 5 » George Westinghouse patents the air brake.
• July 18 » The Ballot Act 1872 in the United Kingdom introduced the requirement that parliamentary and local government elections be held by secret ballot.
• September 18 » King Oscar II accedes to the throne of Sweden–Norway.
• November 29 » American Indian Wars: The Modoc War begins with the Battle of Lost River.

The temperature on May 5, 1872 was about 14.8 °C. There was 0.2 mm of rain. The air pressure was 16 kgf/m² and came mainly from the southwest. The atmospheric humidity was 78%.