June 3 facts for kids

June 3 is the 154th day of the year (155th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar; 211 days remain until the end of the year.

June 3rd is a day filled with many interesting events throughout history, from ancient times to today. It's a day when important decisions were made, new discoveries happened, and famous people were born or passed away. Let's explore some of the most notable moments from this date!

Historical Events

Early History to 1600s

• 1098 – During the First Crusade, Christian soldiers took control of the city of Antioch (which is now in Turkey) after a long five-month siege.
• 1326 – The Treaty of Novgorod was signed, setting the borders between Russia and Norway in an area called Finnmark.
• 1539 – The Spanish explorer Hernando de Soto claimed the land of Florida for Spain.
• 1608 – Samuel de Champlain arrived at Tadoussac, Quebec in Canada. He began building forts there during his third trip to New France.
• 1621 – The Dutch West India Company received permission to start a colony called New Netherland, which later became part of New York.
• 1665 – James Stuart, Duke of York, who later became King James II of England, led a victory against the Dutch fleet near Lowestoft.

1700s to 1900s

• 1781 – Jack Jouett started his famous midnight ride. He rode to warn Thomas Jefferson and the government of Virginia that British soldiers were planning a surprise attack.
• 1839 – In Humen, China, a Chinese official named Lin Zexu destroyed a huge amount of opium that had been taken from British traders. This event helped start the First Opium War between Britain and China.
• 1844 – Sadly, the very last pair of great auks, a type of large, flightless bird, were killed. This meant the species became extinct.
• 1861 – American Civil War: The Battle of Philippi took place. Union forces defeated Confederate troops in what is now West Virginia.
• 1864 – American Civil War: Another battle, the Battle of Cold Harbor, happened in Hanover County, Virginia. Union forces attacked Confederate soldiers.
• 1889 – The first long-distance electric power transmission line in the United States was finished. It ran about 14 miles (22.5 km) from a power generator at Willamette Falls to downtown Portland, Oregon.

Modern History (1901–Present)

• 1935 – One thousand Canadian workers who were unemployed got on freight cars in Vancouver. They started a protest journey to Ottawa to demand better conditions.
• 1937 – The Duke of Windsor married Wallis Simpson.
• 1940 – World War II: German planes from the Luftwaffe dropped bombs on Paris, France.
• 1942 – World War II: Japan began the Aleutian Islands Campaign by bombing Unalaska Island in Alaska.
• 1943 – In Los Angeles, California, white U.S. Navy sailors and Marines attacked Latino young people in what became known as the five-day Zoot Suit Riots.
• 1950 – Climbers Maurice Herzog and Louis Lachenal became the first people to reach the top of an 8,000-meter mountain. This was a huge achievement in mountain climbing.
• 1965 – NASA launched Gemini 4, their first space mission that lasted for more than one day. During this mission, Ed White became the first American to perform a spacewalk.
• 1973 – A Soviet supersonic passenger plane, the Tupolev Tu-144, crashed near Goussainville, France. This was the first crash of a supersonic passenger aircraft.
• 1979 – A huge oil spill happened at the Ixtoc I oil well in the Gulf of Mexico. It was one of the largest accidental oil spills ever recorded.
• 1980 – An explosive device was set off at the Statue of Liberty in New York.
• 1984 – Operation Blue Star, a military operation, was launched by the Indian government at Harmandir Sahib, also known as the Golden Temple. This is the holiest place for Sikhs in Amritsar, India.
• 1989 – The government of China sent troops to remove protesters from Tiananmen Square after they had been occupying the square for seven weeks.
• 1991 – Mount Unzen in Kyūshū, Japan, erupted, killing 43 people. Many of those who died were researchers or journalists.
• 1992 – Australian Aboriginal land rights were recognized in a court case called Mabo v Queensland (No 2). This case, led by Torres Strait Islander Eddie Mabo, helped overturn the old idea that Australia was terra nullius (empty land) before European settlement.
• 1998 – A high-speed train derailed in Eschede, Germany, due to a mechanical problem. This tragic accident killed 101 people.
• 2006 – The union of Serbia and Montenegro officially ended when Montenegro declared its independence.
• 2012 – A plane carrying 153 people crashed into a neighborhood in Lagos, Nigeria. Everyone on board and six people on the ground died.
• 2015 – An explosion at a gasoline station in Accra, Ghana, killed more than 200 people.

Famous Births

Born Before 1900

• 1726 – James Hutton, a Scottish geologist and doctor. He is often called the "Father of Modern Geology."
• 1770 – Manuel Belgrano, an Argentinian economist, lawyer, and politician. He was a very important figure in Argentina's fight for independence.
• 1808 – Jefferson Davis, an American colonel and politician. He served as the President of the Confederate States of America during the American Civil War.
• 1843 – Frederik VIII of Denmark, who became the King of Denmark.
• 1844 – Garret Hobart, an American lawyer and politician who served as the 24th Vice President of the United States.
• 1865 – George V of the United Kingdom, who became King of the United Kingdom and the British Dominions, and Emperor of India.
• 1873 – Otto Loewi, a German-American scientist who won the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine for his work on how nerves communicate.
• 1877 – Raoul Dufy, a French painter and illustrator known for his bright, colorful works.
• 1899 – Georg von Békésy, a Hungarian-American biophysicist who won the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine for his research on the ear.

Born After 1900

• 1906 – Josephine Baker, a famous French actress, singer, and dancer. She was also a brave operative in the French Resistance during World War II.
• 1910 – Paulette Goddard, a well-known American actress and model.
• 1925 – Tony Curtis, a popular American actor who starred in many films.
• 1926 – Allen Ginsberg, an influential American poet.
• 1931 – Raúl Castro, a Cuban commander and politician who served as the President of Cuba.
• 1942 – Curtis Mayfield, an American singer-songwriter and music producer. He was a very important figure in soul and R&B music.
• 1950 – Suzi Quatro, an American-English singer-songwriter and guitarist, known for her rock music.
• 1951 – Jill Biden, an American educator who is the current First Lady of the United States.
• 1961 – Lawrence Lessig, an American lawyer and academic who founded the Creative Commons, which helps people share creative works legally.
• 1967 – Anderson Cooper, a well-known American journalist and author.
• 1974 – Kelly Jones, a Welsh singer-songwriter and guitarist, famous as the lead singer of the band Stereophonics.
• 1986 – Rafael Nadal, a Spanish tennis player widely considered one of the greatest tennis players of all time.
• 1992 – Mario Götze, a German footballer who scored the winning goal in the 2014 FIFA World Cup final.

Notable Deaths

Passed Away Before 1900

• 1657 – William Harvey, an English physician and scientist. He was the first to describe in detail how blood circulates throughout the body.
• 1861 – Stephen A. Douglas, an American lawyer and politician. He was a key figure in American politics before the Civil War.
• 1875 – Georges Bizet, a famous French composer known for his operas, especially "Carmen."
• 1899 – Johann Strauss II, an Austrian composer and educator, often called "The Waltz King" for his many popular waltzes.

Passed Away After 1900

• 1924 – Franz Kafka, a Czech-Austrian lawyer and author. He is considered one of the most important writers of the 20th century.
• 1963 – Pope John XXIII, who was the head of the Catholic Church.
• 1975 – Eisaku Satō, a Japanese politician who served as the Prime Minister of Japan. He won the Nobel Peace Prize.
• 1989 – Ruhollah Khomeini, an Iranian religious leader and politician who became the first Supreme Leader of Iran.
• 1990 – Robert Noyce, an American physicist and businessman. He was one of the co-founders of the Intel Corporation, a major technology company.
• 1991 – Katia Krafft and Maurice Krafft, a husband-and-wife team of French volcanologists. They were famous for their daring work filming volcanoes up close.
• 2001 – Anthony Quinn, a Mexican-American actor and producer who starred in many classic films.
• 2009 – David Carradine, an American actor, and Koko Taylor, an American blues singer.
• 2016 – Muhammad Ali, an American boxer who is widely regarded as one of the greatest heavyweight boxers of all time. He was also a significant cultural figure.

Special Days and Celebrations

• Martyrs' Day (Uganda) – A day to remember the Uganda Martyrs, who were killed for their Christian faith.
• Mabo Day (Australia) – This day celebrates a landmark legal decision in Australia that recognized the land rights of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples.
• World Bicycle Day – A day to celebrate the bicycle as a simple, affordable, and environmentally friendly way to get around.

See also

In Spanish: 3 de junio para niños