On This Day in History January 5 ​Historical Events​ The corpse of Charles the Bold, Duke of Burgundy, is discovered after the Battle of Nancy ​1477 Battle of Nancy: Swiss Confederacy led by René II decisively defeats the Duchy of Burgundy, 7,000+ killed including the Duke of Burgundy Charles the Bold. ​1781 British naval expedition led by Benedict Arnold burns Richmond, Virginia. ​1919 German Workers' Party forms, precursor to the National Socialist German Workers' Party. ​1930 Mao Zedong writes the essay "A Single Spark Can Start a Prairie Fire" to criticize cadres not creating rural revolutionary base areas. ​1949 US President Harry Truman labels his administration the "Fair Deal". More Historical Events ​Famous Birthdays​ ​King C. Gillette​ ​1855 - 1932 ​George Reeves​ ​1914 - 1959 ​Walter Mondale​ ​1928 - 2021 ​Marilyn Manson​ ​56th Birthday Also Juan Carlos I (87) and Diane Keaton (79) More Famous Birthdays ​Famous Deaths​ ​Elizabeth of Russia​ ​1709 - 1762 ​Amelia Earhart​ ​1897 - 1939 More Famous Deaths ​Gillette, The Billionaire Shaving Pioneer​ Safety razor pioneer King Camp Gillette, a billionaire who offered a former President a million dollars to join him in a business venture, was born on this day. Gillette the Razor King