July 3 facts for kids

July 3 is the 184th day of the year (185th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar; 181 days remain until the end of the year.

July 3rd is a special day in history, filled with many important events, births of famous people, and notable passings. From ancient battles that shaped empires to the founding of cities and the invention of groundbreaking machines, this date has seen a lot of action! It's also a day when many interesting people, from emperors to rock stars, were born or passed away. Let's explore some of the most exciting moments and people connected to July 3rd.

Events

Early History (Before 1600)

• 324 – In the Battle of Adrianople, Constantine I defeated Licinius, who then ran away to Byzantium. This was a big step in Constantine becoming the sole Roman Emperor.
• 987 – Hugh Capet became the King of France. He was the first king from the Capetian dynasty, a family that ruled France for a very long time, until the French Revolution in 1792.
• 1035 – William the Conqueror became the Duke of Normandy. He was a powerful leader who later became King of England.

Later History (1601–1900)

• 1608 – Samuel de Champlain founded Québec City in Canada. This was an important step in the history of North America.
• 1754 – During the French and Indian War, George Washington had to surrender Fort Necessity to French forces. This was an early event in the conflict.
• 1767 – Pitcairn Island was found by Midshipman Robert Pitcairn during a trip led by Philip Carteret.
• 1767 – Adresseavisen, Norway's oldest newspaper that is still printed today, published its first edition.
• 1775 – In the American Revolutionary War, George Washington took charge of the Continental Army in Cambridge, Massachusetts. This was a key moment for the American forces.
• 1778 – During the American Revolutionary War, Native American groups allied with Britain attacked the Wyoming Valley, causing many deaths.
• 1819 – The first savings bank in the United States, The Bank for Savings in the City of New-York, opened its doors.
• 1839 – The first state normal school (a type of teacher training college), which is now Framingham State University, opened in Lexington, Massachusetts with just three students.
• 1848 – Governor-General Peter von Scholten declared that all remaining slaves in the Danish West Indies were free.
• 1863 – In the American Civil War, the last day of the Battle of Gettysburg ended with a famous attack called Pickett's Charge.
• 1866 – The Austro-Prussian War was decided at the Battle of Königgrätz. This battle allowed Prussia to become the main power among German states, leaving Austria out.
• 1884 – Dow Jones & Company published its first stock average, which helps people track how the stock market is doing.
• 1886 – Karl Benz showed off the Benz Patent-Motorwagen, which was the very first car built specifically to be an automobile.
• 1886 – The New-York Tribune became the first newspaper to use a linotype machine. This machine made printing much faster by setting type automatically, instead of by hand.
• 1890 – Idaho became the 43rd U.S. state.
• 1898 – A Spanish naval group was defeated by an American group in the Battle of Santiago de Cuba.

Modern Times (1901–Present)

• 1913 – At the Great Reunion of 1913, veterans from both sides of the reenacted Pickett's Charge. When they reached the famous "high-water mark," Union and Confederate survivors shook hands as a sign of friendship.
• 1938 – The Mallard steam locomotive set a world speed record in England, reaching about 125.88 miles per hour (202.58 km/h).
• 1938 – U.S. President Franklin D. Roosevelt dedicated the Eternal Light Peace Memorial and lit the eternal flame at Gettysburg Battlefield.
• 1940 – During World War II, the Royal Navy attacked the French naval group in Algeria to stop it from falling under German control.
• 1944 – World War II: The Minsk Offensive pushed German troops out of the city of Minsk.
• 1952 – The Constitution of Puerto Rico was approved by the United States Congress.
• 1952 – The SS United States began its first journey to Southampton. During this trip, the ship broke the speed record for crossing the Atlantic, taking the Blue Riband from the RMS Queen Mary.
• 1967 – The Aden Emergency: The Battle of the Crater took place, where British soldiers took back the Crater district after a police mutiny.
• 1970 – The Troubles: The "Falls Curfew" began in Belfast, Northern Ireland, a period of strict restrictions.
• 1970 – Dan-Air Flight 1903 crashed into a mountain in Spain, sadly killing all 112 people on board.
• 1973 – David Bowie announced that he was retiring his famous stage character, Ziggy Stardust, during his last show of the Ziggy Stardust Tour.
• 1979 – U.S. President Jimmy Carter signed the first order for secret help to those fighting against the pro-Soviet government in Kabul.
• 1988 – The United States Navy warship USS Vincennes accidentally shot down Iran Air Flight 655 over the Persian Gulf, killing all 290 people on board.
• 1988 – The Fatih Sultan Mehmet Bridge in Istanbul, Turkey, was finished. It's the second bridge connecting Europe and Asia over the Bosphorus.
• 1996 – British Prime Minister John Major announced that the Stone of Scone, an important Scottish artifact, would be returned to Scotland.
• 2013 – President of Egypt Mohamed Morsi was removed from office by the military after many days of protests. The president of the Supreme Constitutional Court, Adly Mansour, became the acting president.

Births

Famous People Born Before 1900

• 1423 – Louis XI of France, a king known for strengthening France.
• 1518 – Li Shizhen, a famous Chinese doctor and scientist.
• 1738 – John Singleton Copley, an important American painter.
• 1854 – Leoš Janáček, a well-known Czech composer.
• 1860 – Charlotte Perkins Gilman, an American writer and sociologist who wrote about women's rights.
• 1870 – R. B. Bennett, who became the 11th Prime Minister of Canada.
• 1878 – George M. Cohan, an American songwriter, actor, and dancer, famous for Broadway shows.
• 1883 – Franz Kafka, a famous Czech-Austrian author.
• 1886 – Raymond A. Spruance, an American admiral during World War II.

Famous People Born After 1900

• 1906 – George Sanders, a British actor.
• 1909 – Stavros Niarchos, a very rich Greek shipping owner.
• 1930 – Pete Fountain, a famous American clarinet player.
• 1935 – Harrison Schmitt, an American geologist and astronaut who walked on the Moon.
• 1937 – Tom Stoppard, a famous Czech-English playwright and screenwriter.
• 1940 – Lamar Alexander, an American politician who was the United States Secretary of Education.
• 1940 – Jerzy Buzek, a Polish engineer and politician who became the Prime Minister of Poland.
• 1941 – Gloria Allred, a well-known American lawyer and activist.
• 1943 – Judith Durham, an Australian folk-pop singer.
• 1943 – Kurtwood Smith, an American actor.
• 1947 – Dave Barry, a popular American journalist and author.
• 1947 – Betty Buckley, an American actress and singer.
• 1951 – Richard Hadlee, a famous New Zealand cricketer.
• 1952 – Laura Branigan, an American singer-songwriter.
• 1956 – Montel Williams, an American talk show host.
• 1958 – Charlie Higson, an English actor and author.
• 1960 – Vince Clarke, an English musician and producer.
• 1962 – Tom Cruise, a very famous American actor and producer.
• 1964 – Yeardley Smith, an American actress, known as the voice of Lisa Simpson.
• 1965 – Connie Nielsen, a Danish-American actress.
• 1970 – Audra McDonald, an American actress and singer.
• 1970 – Teemu Selänne, a famous Finnish ice hockey player.
• 1971 – Julian Assange, an Australian journalist who founded WikiLeaks.
• 1971 – Benedict Wong, an English actor.
• 1980 – Olivia Munn, an American actress and television host.
• 1987 – Sebastian Vettel, a German race car driver and multiple Formula 1 champion.

Deaths

Notable People Who Passed Away Before 1900

• 1503 – Pierre d'Aubusson, a Grand Master of the Knights of Rhodes.
• 1642 – Marie de' Medici, the Queen of France.
• 1672 – Francis Willughby, an English scientist who studied birds and fish.
• 1863 – Little Crow, an important Native American tribal leader.
• 1881 – Hasan Tahsini, an Albanian astronomer and philosopher.

Notable People Who Passed Away After 1900

• 1904 – Theodor Herzl, an Austrian journalist who is considered the father of modern Zionism.
• 1908 – Joel Chandler Harris, an American journalist and author.
• 1916 – Hetty Green, a very successful American businesswoman and financier.
• 1935 – André Citroën, a French engineer who founded the Citroën Company, known for making cars.
• 1937 – Jacob Schick, an American inventor who created the electric razor.
• 1969 – Brian Jones, an English guitarist and songwriter, a founding member of The Rolling Stones.
• 1971 – Jim Morrison, an American singer-songwriter, famous as the lead singer of The Doors.
• 1986 – Rudy Vallée, an American singer and actor.
• 1989 – Jim Backus, an American actor and voice artist.
• 1993 – Don Drysdale, a famous American baseball player.
• 1994 – Lew Hoad, a great Australian tennis player.
• 1995 – Pancho Gonzales, a famous American tennis player.
• 2001 – Mordecai Richler, a Canadian author and screenwriter.
• 2012 – Andy Griffith, a beloved American actor and singer.

Holidays and observances

• Christian feast day:
  • Anatolius of Constantinople
  • Anatolius of Laodicea
  • Dathus
  • Germanus of Man
  • Gurthiern
  • Heliodorus of Altino
  • Mucian
  • Peregrina Mogas Fontcuberta
  • Pope Leo II
  • Thomas the Apostle
  • July 3 (Eastern Orthodox liturgics)
• Emancipation Day (United States Virgin Islands)
• Independence Day, celebrates the liberation of Minsk from Nazi occupation by Soviet troops in 1944 (Belarus)
• The start of the Dog Days according to the Old Farmer's Almanac but not according to established meaning in most European cultures
• Women's Day (Myanmar)

Images for kids

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  A friendly robot!

See also

A friendly robot!

In Spanish: 3 de julio para niños