On This Day — March 3

Famous events, births, and deaths from March 3 in history, plus the public holidays, religious observances, sports, and national days happening on this date today.

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53 events · 165 births · 91 deaths recorded for March 3.

🕰️ Notable Events on March 3

2017 — Nintendo releases the hybrid video game console Nintendo Switch worldwide to critical acclaim. Wikipedia ↗
2013 — A bomb blast in Karachi, Pakistan, kills at least 45 people and injured 180 others in a predominately Shia Muslim area. Wikipedia ↗
2005 — James Roszko murders four Royal Canadian Mounted Police constables during a drug bust at his property in Rochfort Bridge, Alberta, then commits suicide. This is the deadliest peace-time incident for the RCMP since 1885 and the North-West Rebellion. Wikipedia ↗
2005 — Steve Fossett becomes the first person to fly an airplane non-stop around the world solo without refueling. Wikipedia ↗
2005 — Margaret Wilson is elected as Speaker of the New Zealand House of Representatives, beginning a period lasting until August 23, 2006 where all the highest political offices (including Elizabeth II as Head of State), were occupied by women, making New Zealand the first country for this to occur. Wikipedia ↗
1997 — The tallest free-standing structure in the Southern Hemisphere, Sky Tower in downtown Auckland, New Zealand, opens after two-and-a-half years of construction. Wikipedia ↗
1991 — An amateur video captures the beating of Rodney King by Los Angeles police officers. Wikipedia ↗
1986 — The Australia Act 1986 commences, causing Australia to become fully independent from the United Kingdom. Wikipedia ↗
1985 — Arthur Scargill declares that the National Union of Mineworkers' national executive voted to end the longest-running industrial dispute in Great Britain without any peace deal over pit closures. Wikipedia ↗
1985 — A magnitude 8.3 earthquake strikes the Valparaíso Region of Chile, killing 177 and leaving nearly a million people homeless. Wikipedia ↗
1980 — The USS Nautilus is decommissioned and stricken from the Naval Vessel Register. Wikipedia ↗
1974 — Turkish Airlines Flight 981 crashes at Ermenonville near Paris, France killing all 346 aboard. Wikipedia ↗
1972 — Mohawk Airlines Flight 405 crashes as a result of a control malfunction and insufficient training in emergency procedures. Wikipedia ↗
1969 — Apollo program: NASA launches Apollo 9 to test the lunar module. Wikipedia ↗
1958 — Nuri al-Said becomes Prime Minister of Iraq for the eighth time. Wikipedia ↗
1953 — A De Havilland Comet (Canadian Pacific Air Lines) crashes in Karachi, Pakistan, killing 11. Wikipedia ↗
1951 — Jackie Brenston, with Ike Turner and his band, records "Rocket 88", often cited as "the first rock and roll record", at Sam Phillips's recording studios in Memphis, Tennessee. Wikipedia ↗
1945 — World War II: American and Filipino troops recapture Manila. Wikipedia ↗
1945 — World War II: The RAF accidentally bombs the Bezuidenhout area of The Hague, Netherlands, killing 511 people. Wikipedia ↗
1944 — The Order of Nakhimov and Order of Ushakov are instituted in USSR as the highest naval awards. Wikipedia ↗
1943 — World War II: In London, 173 people are killed in a crush while trying to enter an air-raid shelter at Bethnal Green tube station. Wikipedia ↗
1942 — World War II: Ten Japanese warplanes raid Broome, Western Australia, killing more than 100 people. Wikipedia ↗
1940 — Five people are killed in an arson attack on the offices of the communist newspaper Flamman in Luleå, Sweden. Wikipedia ↗
1939 — In Bombay, Mohandas Gandhi begins a hunger strike in protest at the autocratic rule in British India. Wikipedia ↗
1938 — Oil is discovered in Saudi Arabia. Wikipedia ↗
1931 — The United States adopts The Star-Spangled Banner as its national anthem. Wikipedia ↗
1924 — The fourteenth-century Islamic caliphate is abolished when Caliph Abdülmecid II of the Ottoman Empire is deposed. The last remnant of the old regime gives way to the reformed Turkey of Kemal Atatürk. Wikipedia ↗
1924 — The Free State of Fiume is annexed by the Kingdom of Italy. Wikipedia ↗
1923 — TIME magazine is published for the first time. Wikipedia ↗
1918 — Russia signs the Treaty of Brest-Litovsk, agreeing to withdraw from World War I, and conceding German control of the Baltic States, Belarus and Ukraine. It also conceded Turkish control of Ardahan, Kars and Batumi. Wikipedia ↗
1913 — Thousands of women march in a suffrage parade in Washington, D.C. Wikipedia ↗
1910 — Rockefeller Foundation: John D. Rockefeller Jr. announces his retirement from managing his businesses so that he can devote all his time to philanthropy. Wikipedia ↗
1904 — Kaiser Wilhelm II of Germany becomes the first person to make a sound recording of a political document, using Thomas Edison's phonograph cylinder. Wikipedia ↗
1885 — The American Telephone & Telegraph Company is incorporated in New York. Wikipedia ↗
1878 — The Russo-Turkish War ends with Bulgaria regaining its independence from the Ottoman Empire according to the Treaty of San Stefano; a few months afterwards the Congress of Berlin stripped its status to a vassal principality of the Ottoman Empire. Wikipedia ↗
1875 — Georges Bizet's opera Carmen receives its première at the Opéra-Comique in Paris. Wikipedia ↗
1875 — The first ever organized indoor game of ice hockey is played in Montreal, Quebec, Canada as recorded in the Montreal Gazette. Wikipedia ↗
1873 — Censorship in the United States: The U.S. Congress enacts the Comstock Law, making it illegal to send any "obscene, lewd, or lascivious" books through the mail. Wikipedia ↗
1865 — Opening of The Hongkong and Shanghai Banking Corporation, the founding member of the HSBC Group. Wikipedia ↗
1861 — Alexander II of Russia signs the Emancipation Manifesto, freeing serfs. Wikipedia ↗
1859 — The two-day Great Slave Auction, the largest such auction in United States history, concludes. Wikipedia ↗
1857 — Second Opium War: France and the United Kingdom declare war on China. Wikipedia ↗
1849 — The Territory of Minnesota was created. Wikipedia ↗
1845 — Florida is admitted as the 27th U.S. state. Wikipedia ↗
1820 — The U.S. Congress passes the Missouri Compromise. Wikipedia ↗
1799 — The Russo-Ottoman siege of Corfu ends with the surrender of the French garrison. Wikipedia ↗
1779 — American Revolutionary War: The Continental Army is routed at the Battle of Brier Creek near Savannah, Georgia. Wikipedia ↗
1776 — American Revolutionary War: The first amphibious landing of the United States Marine Corps begins the Battle of Nassau. Wikipedia ↗
1585 — The Olympic Theatre, designed by Andrea Palladio, is inaugurated in Vicenza. Wikipedia ↗
1575 — Indian Mughal Emperor Akbar defeats Bengali army at the Battle of Tukaroi. Wikipedia ↗
1284 — The Statute of Rhuddlan incorporates the Principality of Wales into England. Wikipedia ↗
724 — Empress Genshō abdicates the throne in favor of her nephew Shōmu who becomes emperor of Japan. Wikipedia ↗
473 — Gundobad (nephew of Ricimer) nominates Glycerius as emperor of the Western Roman Empire. Wikipedia ↗

🎂 Notable Births on March 3

1998 — Jayson Tatum, American college basketball player Wikipedia ↗
1997 — Camila Cabello, Cuban-American singer Wikipedia ↗
1994 — Umika Kawashima, Japanese singer and actress Wikipedia ↗
1993 — Gabriela Cé, Brazilian tennis player Wikipedia ↗
1993 — Nicole Gibbs, American tennis player Wikipedia ↗
1993 — James Roberts, Australian rugby league player Wikipedia ↗
1991 — Anri Sakaguchi, Japanese actress Wikipedia ↗
1991 — Cho-rong, South Korean singer Wikipedia ↗
1990 — Vladimir Janković, Greek-Serbian basketball player Wikipedia ↗
1989 — Erwin Mulder, Dutch footballer Wikipedia ↗
1988 — Teodora Mirčić, Serbian tennis player Wikipedia ↗
1988 — Michael Morrison, English footballer Wikipedia ↗
1988 — Jan-Arie van der Heijden, Dutch footballer Wikipedia ↗
1988 — Max Waller, English cricketer Wikipedia ↗
1987 — Jesús Padilla, Mexican footballer Wikipedia ↗
1986 — Jed Collins, American football player Wikipedia ↗
1986 — Stacie Orrico, American singer-songwriter Wikipedia ↗
1986 — Mehmet Topal, Turkish footballer Wikipedia ↗
1985 — Sam Morrow, Northern Irish footballer Wikipedia ↗
1984 — Valerio Bernabò, Italian rugby player Wikipedia ↗
1984 — Santonio Holmes, American football player Wikipedia ↗
1984 — Alexander Semin, Russian ice hockey player Wikipedia ↗
1983 — Ashley Hansen, Australian footballer Wikipedia ↗
1983 — Sarah Poewe, South African swimmer Wikipedia ↗
1982 — Jessica Biel, American actress, singer, and producer Wikipedia ↗
1982 — Colton Orr, Canadian ice hockey player Wikipedia ↗
1982 — Brent Tate, Australian rugby league player Wikipedia ↗
1981 — David Bailey, American basketball player Wikipedia ↗
1981 — Julius Malema, South African politician Wikipedia ↗
1981 — Emmanuel Pappoe, Ghanaian footballer Wikipedia ↗
1980 — Mason Unck, American football player Wikipedia ↗
1979 — Albert Jorquera, Spanish footballer Wikipedia ↗
1978 — Matt Diaz, American baseball player Wikipedia ↗
1978 — Ashwin Madia, American soldier, lawyer, and politician Wikipedia ↗
1977 — Ronan Keating, Irish singer-songwriter and actor Wikipedia ↗
1977 — Stéphane Robidas, Canadian ice hockey player Wikipedia ↗
1977 — Buddy Valastro, American chef and television host Wikipedia ↗
1976 — Fraser Gehrig, Australian footballer Wikipedia ↗
1976 — Isabel Granada, Filipino-Spanish actress (d. 2017) Wikipedia ↗
1976 — Keit Pentus-Rosimannus, Estonian politician, 28th Estonian Minister of Foreign Affairs Wikipedia ↗
1974 — David Faustino, American actor, producer, and screenwriter Wikipedia ↗
1973 — Xavier Bettel, Luxembourger lawyer and politician, Prime Minister of Luxembourg Wikipedia ↗
1973 — Matthew Marsden, English actor and martial artist Wikipedia ↗
1972 — Darren Anderton, English footballer and sportscaster Wikipedia ↗
1971 — Charlie Brooker, English journalist, producer, and author Wikipedia ↗
1971 — Tyler Florence, American chef and author Wikipedia ↗
1970 — Julie Bowen, American actress Wikipedia ↗
1970 — Inzamam-ul-Haq, Pakistani cricketer and coach Wikipedia ↗
1968 — Brian Cox, English keyboard player and physicist Wikipedia ↗
1968 — Brian Leetch, American ice hockey player Wikipedia ↗
1966 — Tone Lōc, American rapper, producer, and actor Wikipedia ↗
1966 — Timo Tolkki, Finnish guitarist, songwriter, and producer Wikipedia ↗
1965 — Dragan Stojković, Serbian footballer and manager Wikipedia ↗
1964 — Raúl Alcalá, Mexican cyclist Wikipedia ↗
1964 — Laura Harring, Mexican-American model and actress, Miss USA 1985 Wikipedia ↗
1964 — Glenn Kulka, Canadian ice hockey player and wrestler Wikipedia ↗
1963 — Martín Fiz, Spanish runner Wikipedia ↗
1963 — Khaltmaagiin Battulga, 5th President of Mongolia Wikipedia ↗
1962 — Glen E. Friedman, American photographer Wikipedia ↗
1962 — Jackie Joyner-Kersee, American heptathlete and long jumper Wikipedia ↗
1962 — Herschel Walker, American football player and mixed martial artist Wikipedia ↗
1961 — Mary Page Keller, American actress and producer Wikipedia ↗
1961 — John Matteson, American biographer Wikipedia ↗
1961 — Perry McCarthy, English race car driver Wikipedia ↗
1961 — Fatima Whitbread, English javelin thrower Wikipedia ↗
1960 — Neal Heaton, American baseball player and coach Wikipedia ↗
1959 — Ira Glass, American radio host and producer Wikipedia ↗
1959 — Duško Vujošević, Montenegrin basketball player and coach Wikipedia ↗
1958 — Miranda Richardson, English actress Wikipedia ↗
1957 — Stephen Budiansky, American historian, journalist, and author Wikipedia ↗
1957 — Thom Hoffman, Dutch actor and photographer Wikipedia ↗
1956 — Zbigniew Boniek, Polish footballer and manager Wikipedia ↗
1956 — John Fulton Reid, New Zealand cricketer Wikipedia ↗
1955 — Darnell Williams, English-American actor and director Wikipedia ↗
1954 — Keith Fergus, American golfer Wikipedia ↗
1954 — John Lilley, American singer-songwriter and guitarist Wikipedia ↗
1954 — Édouard Lock, Moroccan-Canadian dancer and choreographer Wikipedia ↗
1953 — Robyn Hitchcock, English singer-songwriter and guitarist Wikipedia ↗
1953 — Zico, Brazilian footballer and coach Wikipedia ↗
1952 — Rudy Fernandez, Filipino actor and producer (d. 2008) Wikipedia ↗
1951 — Andy Murray, Canadian ice hockey player and coach Wikipedia ↗
1951 — Heizō Takenaka, Japanese economist and politician Wikipedia ↗
1949 — Ron Chernow, American historian, journalist, and author Wikipedia ↗
1949 — Bonnie J. Dunbar, American engineer, academic, and astronaut Wikipedia ↗
1949 — Jesse Jefferson, American baseball player (d. 2011) Wikipedia ↗
1947 — Clifton Snider, American author, poet, and critic Wikipedia ↗
1947 — Jennifer Warnes, American singer-songwriter and producer Wikipedia ↗
1946 — John Virgo, English snooker player and sportscaster Wikipedia ↗
1945 — George Miller, Australian director, producer, and screenwriter Wikipedia ↗
1945 — Hattie Winston, American actress Wikipedia ↗
1941 — Mike Pender, English singer-songwriter and guitarist Wikipedia ↗
1940 — Germán Castro Caycedo, Colombian author and journalist Wikipedia ↗
1940 — Perry Ellis, American fashion designer, founded Perry Ellis (d. 1986) Wikipedia ↗
1940 — Jean-Paul Proust, French-Monacan police officer and politician, 21st Minister of State of Monaco (d. 2010) Wikipedia ↗
1940 — Owen Spencer-Thomas, English minister and journalist Wikipedia ↗
1939 — Larry Burkett, American author and radio host (d. 2003) Wikipedia ↗
1939 — M. L. Jaisimha, Indian cricketer (d. 1999) Wikipedia ↗
1935 — Mal Anderson, Australian tennis player Wikipedia ↗
1935 — Michael Walzer, American philosopher and academic Wikipedia ↗
1935 — Zhelyu Zhelev, Bulgarian philosopher and politician, 2nd President of Bulgaria (d. 2015) Wikipedia ↗
1934 — Peter Brooke, Baron Brooke of Sutton Mandeville, English politician, Secretary of State for Northern Ireland Wikipedia ↗
1934 — Jimmy Garrison, American bassist and educator (d. 1976) Wikipedia ↗
1930 — Ion Iliescu, Romanian engineer and politician, 2nd President of Romania Wikipedia ↗
1927 — Pierre Aubert, Swiss lawyer and politician (d. 2016) Wikipedia ↗
1926 — James Merrill, American poet and playwright (d. 1995) Wikipedia ↗
1924 — Tomiichi Murayama, Japanese soldier and politician, 52nd Prime Minister of Japan Wikipedia ↗
1923 — Barney Martin, American police officer and actor (d. 2005) Wikipedia ↗
1923 — Doc Watson, American bluegrass singer-songwriter and musician (d. 2012) Wikipedia ↗
1922 — Nándor Hidegkuti, Hungarian footballer and manager (d. 2002) Wikipedia ↗
1921 — Diana Barrymore, American actress (d. 1960) Wikipedia ↗
1920 — Julius Boros, American golfer and accountant (d. 1994) Wikipedia ↗
1920 — James Doohan, Canadian-American actor and soldier (d. 2005) Wikipedia ↗
1920 — Ronald Searle, English-French soldier and illustrator (d. 2011) Wikipedia ↗
1918 — Arthur Kornberg, American biochemist and academic, Nobel Prize laureate (d. 2007) Wikipedia ↗
1917 — Sameera Moussa, Egyptian physicist and academic (d. 1952) Wikipedia ↗
1916 — Paul Halmos, Hungarian-American mathematician (d. 2006) Wikipedia ↗
1914 — Asger Jorn, Danish painter and sculptor (d. 1973) Wikipedia ↗
1913 — Margaret Bonds, American pianist and composer (d. 1972) Wikipedia ↗
1913 — Harold J. Stone, American actor (d. 2005) Wikipedia ↗
1911 — Jean Harlow, American actress (d. 1937) Wikipedia ↗
1911 — Hugues Lapointe, Canadian lawyer and politician, 22nd Lieutenant Governor of Quebec (d. 1982) Wikipedia ↗
1906 — Artur Lundkvist, Swedish poet and critic (d. 1991) Wikipedia ↗
1903 — Vasily Kozlov, Belarusian general and politician (d. 1967) Wikipedia ↗
1901 — Claude Choules, English-Australian soldier (d. 2011) Wikipedia ↗
1900 — Edna Best, British stage and film actress, appeared on early television in 1938 (d. 1974) [1] Wikipedia ↗
1900 — Ruby Dandridge, African-American film and radio actress (d. 1987) [2] Wikipedia ↗
1898 — Emil Artin, Austrian-German mathematician and academic (d. 1962) Wikipedia ↗
1895 — Ragnar Frisch, Norwegian economist and academic, Nobel Prize laureate (d. 1973) Wikipedia ↗
1895 — Matthew Ridgway, American general (d. 1993) Wikipedia ↗
1893 — Beatrice Wood, American illustrator and potter (d. 1998) Wikipedia ↗
1891 — Damaskinos of Athens, Greek archbishop (d. 1949) Wikipedia ↗
1887 — Lincoln J. Beachey, American pilot (d. 1915) Wikipedia ↗
1883 — Cyril Burt, English psychologist and geneticist (d. 1971) Wikipedia ↗
1883 — Paul Marais de Beauchamp, French zoologist (d. 1977) Wikipedia ↗
1882 — Charles Ponzi, Italian businessman (d. 1949) Wikipedia ↗
1880 — Florence Auer, American actress and screenwriter (d. 1962) Wikipedia ↗
1880 — Yōsuke Matsuoka, Japanese politician, Japanese Minister of Foreign Affairs (d. 1946) Wikipedia ↗
1873 — William Green, American union leader and politician (d. 1952) Wikipedia ↗
1871 — Maurice Garin, Italian-French cyclist (d. 1957) Wikipedia ↗
1869 — Henry Wood, English conductor (d. 1944) Wikipedia ↗
1868 — Émile Chartier, French philosopher and journalist (d. 1951) Wikipedia ↗
1866 — Fred A. Busse, American lawyer and politician, 39th Mayor of Chicago (d. 1914) Wikipedia ↗
1860 — John Montgomery Ward, American baseball player and manager (d. 1925) Wikipedia ↗
1847 — Alexander Graham Bell, Scottish-American engineer and academic, invented the telephone (d. 1922) Wikipedia ↗
1845 — Georg Cantor, Russian-German mathematician and philosopher (d. 1918) Wikipedia ↗
1841 — John Murray, Canadian-Scottish oceanographer and biologist (d. 1914) Wikipedia ↗
1839 — Jamsetji Tata, Indian businessman, founded Tata Group (d. 1904) Wikipedia ↗