December 3 facts for kids

This special day, December 3rd, is packed with interesting events from history! From important discoveries and inventions to major world events and the birthdays of famous people, let's explore what makes this date special.

Events That Shaped History

Important Moments from Long Ago (Before 1900)

• 915 – A long time ago, Pope John X crowned Berengar I of Italy as the Holy Roman Emperor. This was a very important title back then!
• 1775 – During the American Revolutionary War, a ship called the Alfred became the first to fly the Grand Union Flag. This flag was an early version of the Stars and Stripes we know today.
• 1800 – In the War of the Second Coalition, French General Jean Victor Marie Moreau won a big battle near Munich. This victory, along with Napoleon Bonaparte's earlier win, helped end the war.
• 1800 – In the 1800 United States presidential election, Thomas Jefferson and Aaron Burr tied in the votes for president. This was a very unusual situation!
• 1818 – The state of Illinois officially joined the United States as the 21st state.
• 1854 – In Australia, over 20 gold miners were killed during the Battle of the Eureka Stockade. This happened in Ballarat, Victoria, during an uprising about mining licenses.
• 1859 – Nigeria got its very first newspaper! It was called Iwe Irohin and was started by a missionary named Henry Townsend.
• 1898 – The first ever all-star game for professional American football took place. The Duquesne Country and Athletic Club beat a team of top players 16–0.

Key Events in the 1900s and Beyond

• 1901 – U.S. President Theodore Roosevelt sent a long message to Congress. He asked them to control the power of big companies, known as "trusts."
• 1904 – A moon of Jupiter called Himalia was discovered by Charles Dillon Perrine at the Lick Observatory in California.
• 1910 – The first modern neon lighting was shown off by Georges Claude at a car show in Paris.
• 1919 – After almost 20 years of work, the huge Quebec Bridge finally opened for traffic. It had faced many challenges during its building.
• 1925 – An agreement was signed between the Irish Free State, Northern Ireland, and the United Kingdom. This made the Partition of Ireland official.
• 1959 – The current flag of Singapore was chosen. This happened six months after Singapore became self-governing.
• 1967 – In South Africa, a team led by Christiaan Barnard performed the first successful heart transplant on a human. This was a huge step in medicine!
• 1971 – The Indo-Pakistani War of 1971 began when Pakistan launched a surprise attack against India.
• 1973 – The Pioneer 10 spacecraft sent back the very first close-up pictures of the giant planet Jupiter.
• 1979 – In Cincinnati, 11 fans tragically died in a crowd crush before a Who concert.
• 1979 – During the Islamic Revolution in Iran, Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini became the first Supreme Leader of Iran.
• 1984 – The terrible Bhopal disaster happened in India. A chemical leak from a factory killed thousands of people and injured many more. It was one of the worst industrial accidents ever.
• 1989 – U.S. President George H. W. Bush and Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev met near Malta. They announced that the Cold War might be ending, bringing hope for peace.
• 1992 – The first ever text message was sent from a computer to a phone! This changed how people communicate.
• 1997 – Representatives from 121 countries signed the Ottawa Treaty in Canada. This treaty aimed to stop the making and use of anti-personnel landmines.
• 1999 – NASA lost contact with its Mars Polar Lander spacecraft just before it was supposed to land on Mars.
• 2012 – A powerful storm called Typhoon Bopha hit the Philippines, sadly killing at least 475 people.
• 2014 – Japan's space agency, JAXA, launched the Hayabusa2 spacecraft. Its mission was to travel to an asteroid and bring back rock samples.
• 2023 – Mount Marapi in Indonesia started erupting. Sadly, 23 people were killed and 12 were injured.

People Born on This Day

Famous People from the Past (Before 1900)

• 1368 – Charles VI of France, a king of France.
• 1447 – Bayezid II, an Ottoman sultan.
• 1590 – Daniel Seghers, a famous Flemish painter.
• 1616 – John Wallis, an English mathematician who did important work in math.
• 1755 – Gilbert Stuart, a well-known American painter.
• 1800 – France Prešeren, a famous Slovenian poet.
• 1826 – George B. McClellan, an American general and politician.
• 1833 – Carlos Finlay, a Cuban doctor who studied diseases.
• 1857 – Joseph Conrad, a famous Polish-born British novelist.
• 1884 – Rajendra Prasad, the first President of India.
• 1886 – Manne Siegbahn, a Swedish physicist who won the Nobel Prize.
• 1895 – Anna Freud, an Austrian-English psychologist.
• 1900 – Richard Kuhn, an Austrian-German biochemist who won the Nobel Prize.

Well-Known People Born in More Recent Times (1901-Present)

• 1907 – Connee Boswell, an American jazz singer.
• 1911 – Nino Rota, an Italian composer who wrote music for movies.
• 1927 – Andy Williams, a popular American singer.
• 1930 – Jean-Luc Godard, a famous French-Swiss film director.
• 1933 – Paul J. Crutzen, a Dutch chemist who won the Nobel Prize.
• 1937 – Bobby Allison, an American race car driver.
• 1948 – Ozzy Osbourne, a famous English singer and songwriter.
• 1949 – Mickey Thomas, an American singer.
• 1951 – Rick Mears, an American race car driver.
• 1952 – Mel Smith, an English comedian and actor.
• 1956 – Ewa Kopacz, a Polish physician and politician who became Prime Minister of Poland.
• 1960 – Daryl Hannah, an American actress.
• 1960 – Julianne Moore, a well-known American actress.
• 1965 – Katarina Witt, a famous German figure skater.
• 1968 – Brendan Fraser, an American actor.
• 1973 – Holly Marie Combs, an American actress.
• 1976 – Mark Boucher, a South African cricketer.
• 1977 – Adam Małysz, a Polish ski jumper.
• 1979 – Daniel Bedingfield, a New Zealand-English singer.
• 1979 – Tiffany Haddish, an American comedian and actress.
• 1980 – Anna Chlumsky, an American actress.
• 1980 – Jenna Dewan, an American actress and dancer.
• 1981 – David Villa, a Spanish footballer.
• 1982 – Michael Essien, a Ghanaian footballer.
• 1985 – Amanda Seyfried, an American actress.
• 1987 – Alicia Sacramone, an American gymnast.
• 1990 – Christian Benteke, a Belgian footballer.
• 1994 – Jake T. Austin, an American actor.
• 1994 – Lil Baby, an American rapper.

People Who Passed Away on This Day

Historical Figures Who Died (Before 1900)

• 311 – Diocletian, a Roman emperor.
• 649 – Birinus, an English bishop and saint.
• 1099 – Saint Osmund, a saint.
• 1154 – Pope Anastasius IV, a pope.
• 1533 – Vasili III of Russia, a Russian ruler.
• 1552 – Francis Xavier, a Spanish missionary and saint.
• 1888 – Carl Zeiss, a German physicist who created optical instruments like lenses.
• 1894 – Robert Louis Stevenson, a famous Scottish novelist who wrote books like Treasure Island.

Notable People Who Died in More Recent Times (1901-Present)

• 1910 – Mary Baker Eddy, an American religious leader who founded Christian Science.
• 1919 – Pierre-Auguste Renoir, a famous French painter and sculptor.
• 1979 – Dhyan Chand, a legendary Indian field hockey player.
• 1981 – Walter Knott, an American farmer who started Knott's Berry Farm.
• 1999 – Scatman John, an American singer.
• 1999 – Madeline Kahn, an American actress and comedian.
• 2000 – Gwendolyn Brooks, an American poet.
• 2003 – David Hemmings, an English actor.
• 2011 – Dev Anand, a famous Indian actor and director.
• 2015 – Scott Weiland, an American singer-songwriter.

Special Days and Holidays

• Christian feast day:
  • Abbo of Auxerre
  • Pope Abraham of Alexandria (Coptic, 6 Koiak))
  • Adrian (Ethernan)
  • Birinus
  • Cassian of Tangier
  • Emma (of Lesum or of Bremen)
  • Francis Xavier
  • Blessed Johann Nepomuk von Tschiderer zu Gleifheim
  • Zephaniah
  • December 3 (Eastern Orthodox liturgics)
• Doctors' Day (Cuba)
• International Day of Persons with Disabilities

See also

In Spanish: 3 de diciembre para niños