December 3

Historic Events

2024

Martial law is declared in South Korea. ›

2023

Mount Marapi located in West Sumatra, Indonesia begins a sporadic series of eruptions. 23 people were killed, and 12 were injured. ›

2022

Massive power outage after Moore County substation attack that leaves 45,000 people without power for five days, leading to an FBI probe. ›

2014

The Japanese space agency, JAXA, launches the space explorer Hayabusa2 from the Tanegashima Space Center on a six-year round trip mission to an asteroid to collect rock samples. ›

2012

At least 475 people are killed after Typhoon Bopha makes landfall in the Philippines. ›

2009

A suicide bombing at a hotel in Mogadishu, Somalia, kills 25 people, including three ministers of the Transitional Federal Government. ›

2007

Winter storms cause the Chehalis River to flood many cities in Lewis County, Washington, and close a 32-kilometre (20 mi) portion of Interstate 5 for several days. At least eight deaths and billions of dollars in damages are blamed on the floods. ›

2005

XCOR Aerospace makes the first crewed rocket aircraft delivery of U.S. Mail in Kern County, California. ›

1999

In Worcester, Massachusetts, firefighters responded to a fire at the Worcester Cold Storage and Warehouse Co. facility, which takes the lives of 6 firefighters. ›

1997

In Ottawa, Ontario, Canada, representatives from 121 countries sign the Ottawa Treaty prohibiting manufacture and deployment of anti-personnel landmines. The United States, People's Republic of China, and Russia do not sign the treaty, however. ›

1995

Cameroon Airlines Flight 3701 crashes on approach to Douala International Airport in Douala, Cameroon, killing 71 of the 76 people on board. ›

1994

Taiwan holds its first full local elections; James Soong elected as the first and only directly elected Governor of Taiwan, Chen Shui-bian became the first directly elected Mayor of Taipei, Wu Den-yih became the first directly elected Mayor of Kaohsiung. ›

1994

Sony releases the PlayStation game console in Japan. ›

1992

The Greek oil tanker Aegean Sea, carrying 80,000 tonnes of crude oil, runs aground in a storm while approaching A Coruña, Spain, and spills much of its cargo. ›

1992

A test engineer for Sema Group uses a personal computer to send the world's first text message via the Vodafone network to the phone of a colleague. ›

1989

In a meeting off the coast of Malta, U.S. President George H. W. Bush and Soviet General Secretary Mikhail Gorbachev release statements indicating that the Cold War between NATO and the Warsaw Pact may be coming to an end. ›

1984

Bhopal disaster: A methyl isocyanate leak from a Union Carbide pesticide plant in Bhopal, India, kills more than 3,800 people outright and injures 150,000–600,000 others (some 6,000 of whom later died from their injuries) in one of the worst industrial disasters in history. ›

1982

A soil sample is taken from Times Beach, Missouri, that will be found to contain 300 times the safe level of dioxin. ›

1979

In Cincinnati, 11 fans are suffocated in a crush for seats on the concourse outside Riverfront Coliseum before a Who concert. ›

1979

Iranian Revolution: Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini becomes the first Supreme Leader of Iran. ›

1973

Pioneer program: Pioneer 10 sends back the first close-up images of Jupiter. ›

1972

Spantax Flight 275 crashes during takeoff from Tenerife North–Ciudad de La Laguna Airport, killing all 155 people on board. ›

1971

Indo-Pakistani War of 1971: Pakistan launches a pre-emptive strike against India and a full-scale war begins. ›

1967

At Groote Schuur Hospital in Cape Town, South Africa, a transplant team headed by Christiaan Barnard carries out the first heart transplant on a human (53-year-old Louis Washkansky). ›

1965

Soviet Union, Space probe of the Luna program, called Luna 8, is launched, but crashes on the Moon. ›

1960

The musical Camelot debuts at the Majestic Theatre on Broadway. It will become associated with the Kennedy administration. ›

1959

The current flag of Singapore is adopted, six months after Singapore became self-governing within the British Empire. ›

1954

Väinö Linna's war novel The Unknown Soldier (Tuntematon sotilas) is published. ›

1944

Greek Civil War: Fighting breaks out in Athens between the ELAS and government forces supported by the British Army. ›

1938

Nazi Germany issues the Decree on the Utilization of Jewish Property forcing Jews to sell real property, businesses, and stocks at below market value as part of Aryanization. ›

1929

President Herbert Hoover delivers his first State of the Union message to Congress. It is presented in the form of a written message rather than a speech. ›

1925

Final agreement is signed between the Irish Free State, Northern Ireland and the United Kingdom formalizing the Partition of Ireland. ›

1920

Following more than a month of Turkish–Armenian War, the Turkish-dictated Treaty of Alexandropol is concluded. ›

1919

After nearly 20 years of planning and construction, including two collapses causing 89 deaths, the Quebec Bridge opens to traffic. ›

1912

Bulgaria, Greece, Montenegro, and Serbia (the Balkan League) sign an armistice with the Ottoman Empire, temporarily halting the First Balkan War. (The armistice will expire on February 3, 1913, and hostilities will resume.) ›

1910

Modern neon lighting is first demonstrated by Georges Claude at the Paris Motor Show. ›

1904

The Jovian moon Himalia is discovered by Charles Dillon Perrine at California's Lick Observatory. ›

1901

In a State of the Union message, U.S. President Theodore Roosevelt delivers a 20,000-word report to the House of Representatives asking Congress to curb the power of trusts "within reasonable limits". The speech was not delivered in person. ›

1898

The Duquesne Country and Athletic Club defeats an all-star collection of early football players 16–0, in what is considered to be the first all-star game for professional American football. ›

1881

The first issue of Tamperean daily newspaper Aamulehti ("Morning Paper") is published. ›

1859

Nigeria's first newspaper, missionary Henry Townsend's Iwe Irohin, was published. ›

1854

Battle of the Eureka Stockade: More than 20 gold miners at Ballarat, Victoria, are killed by state troopers in an uprising over mining licences. ›

1834

The Zollverein (German Customs Union) begins the first regular census in Germany. ›

1818

Illinois becomes the 21st U.S. state. ›

1800

War of the Second Coalition: Battle of Hohenlinden: French General Jean Victor Marie Moreau decisively defeats the Archduke John of Austria near Munich. Coupled with First Consul Napoleon Bonaparte's earlier victory at Marengo, this will force the Austrians to sign an armistice and end the war. ›

1800

United States presidential election: The Electoral College casts votes for president and vice president that result in a tie between Thomas Jefferson and Aaron Burr. ›

1799

War of the Second Coalition: Battle of Wiesloch: Austrian Lieutenant Field Marshal Anton Sztáray defeats the French at Wiesloch. ›

1775

American Revolution: USS Alfred becomes the first vessel to fly the Continental Union Flag (precursor to the "Stars and Stripes"); the flag is hoisted by John Paul Jones. ›

915

Pope John X crowns Berengar I of Italy as Holy Roman Emperor (probable date). ›