1800s / 19th century history on the 5th of June
1883 : The first Orient Express departed from Paris for Vienna. The world famous Orient Express long-distance passenger train service operated until 2009.
1900s / 20th century history on the 5th of June
1933 : FDR took United States off the gold standard, a monetary system in which currency is backed by gold, when Congress enacted a joint resolution nullifying the right of creditors to demand payment in gold. The United States had been on a gold standard since 1879, except for the embargo on gold exports during World War I, but bank failures during the Great Depression of the 1930s had frightened the public into hoarding gold, making the policy untenable.
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