📅 On This Day in History

What Happened on October 3rd in History

60 historical events on this date

1918

Tsar Boris III of Bulgaria accedes to the throne.

Boris III was the Tsar of the Kingdom of Bulgaria from 1918 until his death in 1943.

1918

Tsar Boris III of Bulgaria accedes to the throne.

Boris III was the Tsar of the Kingdom of Bulgaria from 1918 until his death in 1943.

1919

Cincinnati Reds pitcher Adolfo Luque becomes the first Latin American player to appear in a World Series.

The Cincinnati Reds are an American professional baseball team based in Cincinnati. The Reds compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) Central Division....

1919

Cincinnati Reds pitcher Adolfo Luque becomes the first Latin American player to appear in a World Series.

The Cincinnati Reds are an American professional baseball team based in Cincinnati. The Reds compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) Central Division....

1929

The Kingdom of Serbs, Croats and Slovenes is renamed to Yugoslavia by King Alexander I.

The Kingdom of Yugoslavia was a country in Southeast and Central Europe that existed from 1918 until 1941. From 1918 to 1929, it was officially called the Kingdom of Serbs, Croats, and Slovenes and...

1929

The Kingdom of Serbs, Croats and Slovenes is renamed to Yugoslavia by King Alexander I.

The Kingdom of Yugoslavia was a country in Southeast and Central Europe that existed from 1918 until 1941. From 1918 to 1929, it was officially called the Kingdom of Serbs, Croats, and Slovenes and...

1932

The Kingdom of Iraq gains independence from the United Kingdom.

The Hashemite Kingdom of Iraq was the Iraqi state located in the Middle East from 1932 to 1958. It was founded on 23 August 1921 as the Kingdom of Iraq, following the defeat of the Ottoman Empire in...

1932

The Kingdom of Iraq gains independence from the United Kingdom.

The Hashemite Kingdom of Iraq was the Iraqi state located in the Middle East from 1932 to 1958. It was founded on 23 August 1921 as the Kingdom of Iraq, following the defeat of the Ottoman Empire in...

1935

Second Italo-Abyssinian War: Italy invades Ethiopia.

The Second Italo-Ethiopian War, also referred to as the Second Italo-Abyssinian War, was a war of aggression waged by Italy against Ethiopia, which lasted from October 1935 to May 1936. In Ethiopia...

1935

Second Italo-Abyssinian War: Italy invades Ethiopia.

The Second Italo-Ethiopian War, also referred to as the Second Italo-Abyssinian War, was a war of aggression waged by Italy against Ethiopia, which lasted from October 1935 to May 1936. In Ethiopia...

1942

A German V-2 rocket reaches a record 85 km (46 nm) in altitude.

The V-2 rocket, with the development name Aggregat-4 (A4), was the world's first practical, modern ballistic missile and suborbital launch vehicle. The missile, powered by a liquid-propellant rocket...

1942

A German V-2 rocket reaches a record 85 km (46 nm) in altitude.

The V-2 rocket, with the development name Aggregat-4 (A4), was the world's first practical, modern ballistic missile and suborbital launch vehicle. The missile, powered by a liquid-propellant rocket...

1943

World War II: German forces murder 92 civilians in Lingiades, Greece.

World War II, or the Second World War, was a global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies and the Axis powers. Nearly all of the world's countries participated. Tanks and aircraft played major...

1943

World War II: German forces murder 92 civilians in Lingiades, Greece.

World War II, or the Second World War, was a global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies and the Axis powers. Nearly all of the world's countries participated. Tanks and aircraft played major...

1946

An American Overseas Airlines Douglas DC-4 crashes near Ernest Harmon Air Force Base in Stephenville, Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada, killing 39.

American Overseas Airlines (AOA) was an airline that operated between the United States and Europe between 1945 and 1950. It was headquartered in Midtown Manhattan, New York City.

1946

An American Overseas Airlines Douglas DC-4 crashes near Ernest Harmon Air Force Base in Stephenville, Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada, killing 39.

American Overseas Airlines (AOA) was an airline that operated between the United States and Europe between 1945 and 1950. It was headquartered in Midtown Manhattan, New York City.

1949

WERD, the first black-owned radio station in the United States, opens in Atlanta.

WERD was the first radio station owned and programmed by African Americans. The station was established in Atlanta, Georgia on October 3, 1949, broadcasting on 860 AM. The National Black Radio Hall...

1949

WERD, the first black-owned radio station in the United States, opens in Atlanta.

WERD was the first radio station owned and programmed by African Americans. The station was established in Atlanta, Georgia on October 3, 1949, broadcasting on 860 AM. The National Black Radio Hall...

1951

Korean War: The First Battle of Maryang San pits Commonwealth troops against communist Chinese troops.

The First Battle of Maryang-san, also known as the Defensive Battle of Maliangshan, was fought during the Korean War between United Nations Command (UN) forces—primarily Australian, British and...

1951

Korean War: The First Battle of Maryang San pits Commonwealth troops against communist Chinese troops.

The First Battle of Maryang-san, also known as the Defensive Battle of Maliangshan, was fought during the Korean War between United Nations Command (UN) forces—primarily Australian, British and...

1952

The United Kingdom successfully tests a nuclear weapon in the Montebello Islands, Western Australia, to become the world's third nuclear power.

Operation Hurricane was the first test of a British atomic device. A plutonium implosion device was detonated on 3 October 1952 in Main Bay, Trimouille Island, in the Montebello Islands in Western...

1952

The United Kingdom successfully tests a nuclear weapon in the Montebello Islands, Western Australia, to become the world's third nuclear power.

Operation Hurricane was the first test of a British atomic device. A plutonium implosion device was detonated on 3 October 1952 in Main Bay, Trimouille Island, in the Montebello Islands in Western...

1957

The California State Superior Court rules that the book Howl and Other Poems is not obscene.

The Superior Courts of California are the state trial court system of the U.S. state of California. They have general jurisdiction to hear and decide any civil or criminal action which is not...

1957

The California State Superior Court rules that the book Howl and Other Poems is not obscene.

The Superior Courts of California are the state trial court system of the U.S. state of California. They have general jurisdiction to hear and decide any civil or criminal action which is not...

1962

Project Mercury: US astronaut Wally Schirra, in Sigma 7, is launched from Cape Canaveral for a six-orbit flight.

Project Mercury was the first human spaceflight program of the United States, running from 1958 through 1963. An early highlight of the Space Race, its goal was to put a man into Earth orbit and...

1962

Project Mercury: US astronaut Wally Schirra, in Sigma 7, is launched from Cape Canaveral for a six-orbit flight.

Project Mercury was the first human spaceflight program of the United States, running from 1958 through 1963. An early highlight of the Space Race, its goal was to put a man into Earth orbit and...

1963

A violent coup in Honduras begins two decades of military rule.

The 1963 Honduran coup d'état was a military takeover of the Honduran government on 3 October 1963, ten days before a scheduled election. Oswaldo López Arellano replaced Ramón Villeda Morales as...

1963

A violent coup in Honduras begins two decades of military rule.

The 1963 Honduran coup d'état was a military takeover of the Honduran government on 3 October 1963, ten days before a scheduled election. Oswaldo López Arellano replaced Ramón Villeda Morales as...

1981

The hunger strike at the Maze Prison in Northern Ireland ends after seven months and ten deaths.

A five-year protest during the Troubles by Irish republican prisoners in Northern Ireland culminated in a hunger strike in 1981. The protest began as the blanket protest in 1976 when the British...

1981

The hunger strike at the Maze Prison in Northern Ireland ends after seven months and ten deaths.

A five-year protest during the Troubles by Irish republican prisoners in Northern Ireland culminated in a hunger strike in 1981. The protest began as the blanket protest in 1976 when the British...

1985

The Space Shuttle Atlantis makes its maiden flight, carrying two DSCS-III Satellites on STS-51-J.

Space Shuttle Atlantis is a retired Space Shuttle orbiter vehicle which belongs to NASA, the spaceflight and space exploration agency of the United States. Atlantis was manufactured by the Rockwell...

1985

The Space Shuttle Atlantis makes its maiden flight, carrying two DSCS-III Satellites on STS-51-J.

Space Shuttle Atlantis is a retired Space Shuttle orbiter vehicle which belongs to NASA, the spaceflight and space exploration agency of the United States. Atlantis was manufactured by the Rockwell...

1986

TASCC, a superconducting cyclotron at the Chalk River Laboratories in Canada, is officially opened.

Tandem Accelerator Superconducting Cyclotron (TASCC) was a Canadian particle accelerator facility constructed at Chalk River Laboratories on October 3, 1986. TASCC was the world's first Tandem...

1986

TASCC, a superconducting cyclotron at the Chalk River Laboratories in Canada, is officially opened.

Tandem Accelerator Superconducting Cyclotron (TASCC) was a Canadian particle accelerator facility constructed at Chalk River Laboratories on October 3, 1986. TASCC was the world's first Tandem...

1989

A coup in Panama City is suppressed and 11 participants are executed.

The 1989 Panamanian coup d'état attempt was a failed coup d'état which occurred in Panama City on 3 October. The attempt was led by Major Moisés Giroldi, supported by a group of officers who had...

1989

A coup in Panama City is suppressed and 11 participants are executed.

The 1989 Panamanian coup d'état attempt was a failed coup d'état which occurred in Panama City on 3 October. The attempt was led by Major Moisés Giroldi, supported by a group of officers who had...

1990

The German Democratic Republic is abolished and becomes part of the Federal Republic of Germany; the event is afterwards celebrated as German Unity Day.

East Germany, officially the German Democratic Republic (GDR), was a country in Central Europe from its formation on 7 October 1949 until its reunification with West Germany on 3 October 1990. Until...

1990

The German Democratic Republic is abolished and becomes part of the Federal Republic of Germany; the event is afterwards celebrated as German Unity Day.

East Germany, officially the German Democratic Republic (GDR), was a country in Central Europe from its formation on 7 October 1949 until its reunification with West Germany on 3 October 1990. Until...

1991

Nadine Gordimer is announced as the winner of the Nobel Prize in Literature.

Nadine Gordimer was a South African writer and political activist. She received the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1991, recognised as a writer "who through her magnificent epic writing has ... been...

1991

Nadine Gordimer is announced as the winner of the Nobel Prize in Literature.

Nadine Gordimer was a South African writer and political activist. She received the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1991, recognised as a writer "who through her magnificent epic writing has ... been...

1993

An American attack against a warlord in Mogadishu fails; eighteen US soldiers and over 350 Somalis die.

The Battle of Mogadishu, also known as the Black Hawk Down Incident, was part of Operation Gothic Serpent. It was fought on 3–4 October 1993, in Mogadishu, Somalia, between forces of the United...

1993

An American attack against a warlord in Mogadishu fails; eighteen US soldiers and over 350 Somalis die.

The Battle of Mogadishu, also known as the Black Hawk Down Incident, was part of Operation Gothic Serpent. It was fought on 3–4 October 1993, in Mogadishu, Somalia, between forces of the United...

1995

O. J. Simpson murder case: O. J. Simpson is acquitted of the murders of Nicole Brown Simpson and Ronald Goldman.

The People of the State of California v. Orenthal James Simpson was a criminal trial in Los Angeles County Superior Court, in which former NFL player and actor O. J. Simpson was tried and acquitted...

1995

O. J. Simpson murder case: O. J. Simpson is acquitted of the murders of Nicole Brown Simpson and Ronald Goldman.

The People of the State of California v. Orenthal James Simpson was a criminal trial in Los Angeles County Superior Court, in which former NFL player and actor O. J. Simpson was tried and acquitted...

2008

The Emergency Economic Stabilization Act of 2008 for the U.S. financial system is signed by President George W. Bush.

The Emergency Economic Stabilization Act of 2008, also known as the "bank bailout of 2008" or the "Wall Street bailout", was a United States federal law enacted during the Great Recession, which...

2008

The Emergency Economic Stabilization Act of 2008 for the U.S. financial system is signed by President George W. Bush.

The Emergency Economic Stabilization Act of 2008, also known as the "bank bailout of 2008" or the "Wall Street bailout", was a United States federal law enacted during the Great Recession, which...

2009

Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, and Turkey join in the Turkic Council.

Azerbaijan, officially the Republic of Azerbaijan, is a transcontinental landlocked country at the boundary of Western Asia and Eastern Europe. It is a part of the South Caucasus region and is...

2009

Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, and Turkey join in the Turkic Council.

Azerbaijan, officially the Republic of Azerbaijan, is a transcontinental landlocked country at the boundary of Western Asia and Eastern Europe. It is a part of the South Caucasus region and is...

2013

At least 360 migrants are killed when their boat sinks near the Italian island of Lampedusa.

On 3 October 2013, a boat carrying migrants from Libya to Italy sank off the Italian island of Lampedusa. It was reported that the boat had sailed from Misrata, Libya, but that many of the migrants...

2013

At least 360 migrants are killed when their boat sinks near the Italian island of Lampedusa.

On 3 October 2013, a boat carrying migrants from Libya to Italy sank off the Italian island of Lampedusa. It was reported that the boat had sailed from Misrata, Libya, but that many of the migrants...

2015

Forty-two people are killed and 33 go missing in the Kunduz hospital airstrike in Afghanistan.

On 3 October 2015, a United States Air Force AC-130U gunship attacked the Kunduz Trauma Centre operated by Médecins Sans Frontières in the city of Kunduz, in the eponymous province in northern...

2015

Forty-two people are killed and 33 go missing in the Kunduz hospital airstrike in Afghanistan.

On 3 October 2015, a United States Air Force AC-130U gunship attacked the Kunduz Trauma Centre operated by Médecins Sans Frontières in the city of Kunduz, in the eponymous province in northern...

2021

Eight people are killed in an airplane crash near Milan, Italy.

On 3 October 2021, a Romanian private plane crashed into a building in Milan, Lombardy, Italy. All eight occupants of the aircraft were killed, including the Romanian businessman and billionaire Dan...

2021

Eight people are killed in an airplane crash near Milan, Italy.

On 3 October 2021, a Romanian private plane crashed into a building in Milan, Lombardy, Italy. All eight occupants of the aircraft were killed, including the Romanian businessman and billionaire Dan...

2022

Svante Pääbo is awarded the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine.

Svante Pääbo is a Swedish geneticist and Nobel Laureate who specialises in the field of evolutionary genetics. As one of the founders of paleogenetics, he has worked extensively on the Neanderthal...

2022

Svante Pääbo is awarded the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine.

Svante Pääbo is a Swedish geneticist and Nobel Laureate who specialises in the field of evolutionary genetics. As one of the founders of paleogenetics, he has worked extensively on the Neanderthal...

2023

Wab Kinew is elected to be the first First Nations Premier of a Canadian province in the 2023 Manitoba general election

Wabanakwut Kinew is a Canadian politician who has served as the 25th premier of Manitoba since 2023 and the leader of the Manitoba New Democratic Party (NDP) since 2017. Kinew represents Fort Rouge...

2023

Wab Kinew is elected to be the first First Nations Premier of a Canadian province in the 2023 Manitoba general election

Wabanakwut Kinew is a Canadian politician who has served as the 25th premier of Manitoba since 2023 and the leader of the Manitoba New Democratic Party (NDP) since 2017. Kinew represents Fort Rouge...

2024

Bengali, Assamese, Marathi, Pali and Prakrit are accorded the Classical language status by the Government of India

Bengali, also known by its endonym Bangla, is a classical Indo-Aryan language belonging to the Indo-Iranian branch of the Indo-European language family. It is primarily spoken by the Bengali people,...

2024

Bengali, Assamese, Marathi, Pali and Prakrit are accorded the Classical language status by the Government of India

Bengali, also known by its endonym Bangla, is a classical Indo-Aryan language belonging to the Indo-Iranian branch of the Indo-European language family. It is primarily spoken by the Bengali people,...