This Day in History: 0000-12-05

5 Dec – Christopher Columbus became the first European to set foot on Hispanola, thus “discovering” the New World (1492).
5 Dec – Frederick the Great’s Prussian armies routed Austrian forces more than twice their number at the Battle of Leuthen, thus securing the province of Silesia (1757).
5 Dec – Former US President John Quincy Adams took his seat in the US House of Representatives, becoming the only US President to serve in the House after leaving Executive Office (1831).
5 Dec – Utah ratified the 21st amendment, becoming the 36th state to do so and ending Prohibition (1933).