Martin Lings, English author and scholar (b. 1909)
Martin Lings (24 January 1909 – 12 May 2005), also known as Abū Bakr Sirāj ad-Dīn, was an English writer, scholar, and philosopher. A student of the Swiss metaphysician Frithjof Schuon and an authority on the work of William Shakespeare, he is best known as the author of Muhammad: His Life Based on the Earliest Sources, first published in 1983 and still in print.

2005May, 12
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Events on 2005
- 24Apr
Pope Benedict XVI
Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger is inaugurated as the 265th Pope of the Roman Catholic Church taking the name Pope Benedict XVI. - 25Apr
European Union
Bulgaria and Romania sign accession treaties to join the European Union. - 17Aug
Israeli disengagement from Gaza
The first forced evacuation of settlers, as part of Israeli disengagement from Gaza, starts. - 24Oct
Effects of Hurricane Wilma in Florida
Hurricane Wilma makes landfall in Florida resulting in 35 direct 26 indirect fatalities and causing $20.6B USD in damage. - 30Oct
Bombing of Dresden in World War II
The rebuilt Dresden Frauenkirche (destroyed in the firebombing of Dresden during World War II) is reconsecrated after a thirteen-year rebuilding project.