Today is February 5th: Discover the holidays and historical events that took place on this date.

February 5 marks the Day of the State Special Transport Service in Ukraine. On this day in 1597, 26 Christians known as the "Japanese Martyrs of Nagasaki" were crucified in Japan. In 1918, Bolshevik forces began their assault on Pechersk in Kyiv. By 1919, the Sich Riflemen had definitively left the capital during the invasion of Soviet occupiers. In 1946, the "Treaty between the USSR and the Polish Republic on the Soviet-Polish State Border" came into effect. In 2009, Somali pirates released the vessel "Faina," which had a crew of 17 Ukrainian sailors on board. In 2023, Russian missiles struck the historic center of Kharkiv, partially destroying the building of the Beketov National University of Urban Economy.

Holidays and Commemorative Dates on February 5

February 5 is the Day of the State Special Transport Service in Ukraine.

Worldwide, it is World Read Aloud Day (celebrated on the first Wednesday of February).

Additionally, today is Erudite Day and World Nutella Day.

February 5 in History

On February 5, 1597, in the Japanese city of Nagasaki, 26 Christians known as the "Japanese Martyrs of Nagasaki" were crucified. In 1862, the Pope canonized them.

The attempt to spread Christianity in Japan began in the 1540s. By this time, the Catholic Church had already gained experience with successful missions in other Asian countries, primarily carried out alongside Spanish and Portuguese colonizers. Initially, missionaries experienced success in Japan, gathering around 100,000 believers without facing resistance from the imperial government. Japan's leadership believed that Christians would be beneficial, reducing the influence of Buddhist monks in the country and promoting maritime trade with Spain and Portugal. However, over time, the experiences of neighboring Asian states led Japanese emperors to reconsider their lenient attitude towards the foreigners. The Spaniards had successfully seized power in the Philippines, converting a significant portion of the population to Christianity. Consequently, in 1565 and 1568, Emperor Ogimachi issued two successive edicts banning Catholicism. However, this did not yield significant results. In the 1580s, Imperial Regent Toyotomi Hideyoshi took charge. He is traditionally regarded as one of the most outstanding samurais in Japanese history and the unifier of Japan. This is true, but Hideyoshi also became one of the most ruthless persecutors of Christians.

Initially, he was relatively amicable towards Christians and Europeans in general. He even sent a delegation of Japanese youths to Europe. However, during the process of unifying Japan, he encountered a province with a predominantly Christian population that refused to "submit to a pagan" and looked to the Jesuits for guidance. This was the first "warning." The second, according to legend, was a conversation between a military commander and the captain of a Spanish vessel. The captain naïvely explained to the high-ranking Japanese official how the King of Spain managed to expand his empire so significantly (referring to the South American colonies). He detailed that the Spaniards first sent missionaries to new territories to convert the people to their faith, followed by conquistadors with an army. The newly converted population supported the invaders rather than their existing authorities. Allegedly, at that moment, the samurai realized the connection between religion and colonization. Subsequently, in 1587, he ordered the expulsion of all Christians from Japan. Of course, this did not happen immediately. In various parts of the empire, Christians continued to live, and churches existed. However, opposition from the country's leadership intensified and escalated into brutal forms.

The 26 martyrs became victims of the so-called "San Felipe Incident," which occurred in 1596. The Spanish vessel "San Felipe" encountered a series of storms, lost control, and eventually ran aground off the Japanese coast. Among those on board were Franciscan missionaries (four Spaniards, a Mexican, and a Portuguese). They were accused of violating Hideyoshi's edict on the expulsion of Christians from Japan and were executed. Local Catholics—Jesuits, Franciscans, and ministers of Japanese churches—who arrived on the ship were also executed. Christians were paraded through the streets of Nagasaki, a town founded by missionaries. They were then crucified to intimidate locals who had not left the country and had not renounced their faith. The effect, of course, was the opposite—local believers gathered the bloodied garments of the slain and immediately began to refer to the crucified as martyrs and saints, attributing numerous miracles to them.

The struggle against the spread of Christianity in Japan continued for about half a century, resulting in an increasing number of martyrs. The final decline of the Catholic Church in Japan began when Japanese authorities brutally suppressed a Christian uprising on the Shimabara Peninsula in 1637 (killing thousands, and according to some sources, tens of thousands of rebellious peasants). After this, the country adopted a strict isolationist policy—sakoku (cutting off all ties with Portugal and the Netherlands, prohibiting foreigners from entering Japan, and Japanese citizens from leaving the country, etc.).

On February 5, 1918, the Bolshevik forces, led by Muravyov, began their assault on Pechersk in Kyiv. Read more.

On February 5, 1919, under the pressure of the Bolshevik army, the defenders of the Ukrainian People's Republic—the Sich Riflemen corps—finally left Kyiv. Read more.

On February 5, 1946, the "Treaty between the USSR and the Polish Republic on the Soviet-Polish State Border" came into effect. Read more.

On February 5, 1992, Ukraine established diplomatic relations with Norway.

On February 5, 2009, Somali pirates released the vessel "Faina," which had a crew of 17 Ukrainian sailors. Read more.

On February 5, 2023, Russians launched missile strikes with S-300 on the historic center of Kharkiv in the morning. The strike targeted the building of the Beketov National University of Urban Economy. Read more.

Church Holiday on February 5

On February 5, the memory of martyr Agatha is honored. Read more.

Folk Signs

Frost on this day indicates an early and warm spring, as well as a dry summer.

If there is no snow on February 5, there will be no precipitation in the summer.

What Not to Do on February 5

Do not argue—especially within the family.