September 3 facts for kids

September 3 is the 246th day of the year (247th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar; 119 days remain until the end of the year. September 3rd is a day filled with many interesting events throughout history, from the founding of one of the world's smallest countries to important moments in wars and exciting breakthroughs in science and sports. Many famous people were also born or passed away on this day.

Historical Events

Ancient Times (Before 1600)

• 301 – San Marino, a tiny country and the oldest republic still around today, was founded by Saint Marinus.
• 590 – Pope Gregory I, also known as Gregory the Great, became Pope.
• 1189 – Richard I of England, known as Richard "the Lionheart," was crowned king at Westminster Abbey.
• 1260 – The Mamluk army defeated the Mongols in the Battle of Ain Jalut in Palestine. This was a major defeat for the Mongols and marked the end of their biggest expansion.
• 1411 – The Treaty of Selymbria was signed between the Ottoman Empire and the Republic of Venice, bringing peace between them.

From 1600 to 1900

• 1650 – The Battle of Dunbar took place, opening the way for the New Model Army to reach Edinburgh during the Third English Civil War.
• 1658 – Oliver Cromwell passed away, and his son Richard Cromwell became the new leader of England.
• 1666 – The Royal Exchange building in London burned down during the Great Fire of London.
• 1777 – During the American Revolutionary War, the Flag of the United States was used in battle for the very first time at the Battle of Cooch's Bridge.
• 1783 – The American Revolutionary War officially ended with the signing of the Treaty of Paris by the United States and Great Britain.
• 1838 – Frederick Douglass, who would become a famous fighter against slavery, escaped from being enslaved.
• 1843 – King Otto of Greece was forced to agree to a new constitution after an uprising in Athens.
• 1875 – The first official game of polo was played in Argentina, after being brought there by British ranchers.
• 1878 – A sad event occurred on the River Thames when the crowded boat Princess Alice crashed, leading to many lives lost.
• 1895 – John Brallier became the first openly paid professional American football player. He was paid $10 to play for the Latrobe Athletic Association.

Modern Era (1901–Present)

• 1914 – World War I began for many countries. France, the United Kingdom, New Zealand, and Australia declared war on Germany after Germany invaded Poland. This formed the Allied nations.
• 1916 – During World War I, Leefe Robinson shot down a German airship, the Schütte-Lanz SL 11, over England. This was the first German airship to be shot down on British soil.
• 1925 – The USS Shenandoah, the first American-built rigid airship, was destroyed in a storm over Ohio.
• 1933 – Yevgeniy Abalakov became the first person to reach the highest point in the Soviet Union, Communism Peak (now called Ismoil Somoni Peak).
• 1935 – Sir Malcolm Campbell drove his car at an amazing speed of 304.331 miles per hour on the Bonneville Salt Flats in Utah. He was the first person to drive a car over 300 mph!
• 1939 – World War II: The United Kingdom and France started a naval blockade of Germany, which lasted until the end of the war. This also marked the start of the Battle of the Atlantic.
• 1943 – During World War II, British and Canadian troops landed on the Italian mainland.
• 1945 – China began a three-day celebration after Victory over Japan Day on September 2nd.
• 1950 – "Nino" Farina became the first Formula One Drivers' champion after winning the 1950 Italian Grand Prix.
• 1954 – The People's Liberation Army began shelling the islands of Quemoy, starting the First Taiwan Strait Crisis.
• 1967 – On Dagen H in Sweden, traffic changed from driving on the left side of the road to driving on the right side overnight.
• 1971 – Qatar became an independent country.
• 1976 – The American Viking 2 spacecraft successfully landed on Mars at a place called Utopia Planitia.
• 1981 – The Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women, an international agreement for women's rights, was started by the United Nations.
• 1987 – In Burundi, President Jean-Baptiste Bagaza was removed from power by Major Pierre Buyoya in a coup d'état.
• 2001 – In Belfast, Protestant loyalists began a protest outside Holy Cross, a Catholic primary school for girls.
• 2004 – The Beslan school siege ended with many lives lost, including many children.
• 2010 – UPS Airlines Flight 6 crashed near Nad Al Sheba after taking off from Dubai International Airport.
• 2016 – The U.S. and China, two of the biggest carbon emitters, officially agreed to the Paris global climate agreement.
• 2017 – North Korea conducted its sixth and most powerful nuclear test.

Notable Births

Born Before 1900

• 1568 – Adriano Banchieri, an Italian organist and composer.
• 1695 – Pietro Antonio Locatelli, an Italian violin player and composer.
• 1781 – Eugène de Beauharnais, a French general and politician.
• 1814 – James Joseph Sylvester, an English mathematician.
• 1856 – Louis Sullivan, an American architect who designed many famous buildings.
• 1869 – Fritz Pregl, a Slovenian chemist who won the Nobel Prize in Chemistry.
• 1875 – Ferdinand Porsche, an Austrian-German engineer who founded the famous car company Porsche.
• 1899 – Frank Macfarlane Burnet, an Australian virologist who won the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine.
• 1900 – Urho Kekkonen, the 8th President of Finland.

Born After 1900

• 1905 – Carl David Anderson, an American physicist who won the Nobel Prize in Physics.
• 1913 – Alan Ladd, a well-known American actor.
• 1914 – Dixy Lee Ray, an American biologist and the 17th Governor of Washington.
• 1923 – Glen Bell, an American businessman who founded Taco Bell.
• 1926 – Irene Papas, a famous Greek actress.
• 1934 – Freddie King, an American singer-songwriter and guitarist.
• 1940 – Pauline Collins, an English actress.
• 1942 – Al Jardine, an American singer-songwriter and guitarist, known from The Beach Boys.
• 1947 – Mario Draghi, an Italian banker and economist, who served as Prime Minister of Italy.
• 1955 – Steve Jones, an English singer-songwriter and guitarist from the Sex Pistols.
• 1963 – Malcolm Gladwell, a Canadian journalist and author.
• 1965 – Charlie Sheen, a popular American actor.
• 1971 – Kiran Desai, an Indian-American author.
• 1975 – Redfoo, an American singer-songwriter and dancer.
• 1986 – Shaun White, an American snowboarder and skateboarder, known for his Olympic medals.
• 1988 – Jérôme Boateng, a Ghanaian-German footballer.
• 1993 – Dominic Thiem, an Austrian tennis player.
• 1996 – Joy, a South Korean pop idol and actress.
• 2001 – Kaia Gerber, an American model and actress.
• 2002 – Iman Vellani, a Pakistani-Canadian actress.
• 2003 – Jack Dylan Grazer, an American actor.

Notable Deaths

Passed Away Before 1900

• 1120 – Gerard Thom, who founded the Knights Hospitaller.
• 1402 – Gian Galeazzo Visconti, an important Italian ruler.
• 1592 – Robert Greene, an English author and playwright.
• 1658 – Oliver Cromwell, an English general and politician.
• 1877 – Adolphe Thiers, a French historian and the 2nd President of France.
• 1883 – Ivan Turgenev, a famous Russian author and playwright.

Passed Away After 1900

• 1914 – Albéric Magnard, a French composer.
• 1948 – Edvard Beneš, the 2nd President of Czechoslovakia.
• 1962 – E. E. Cummings, a well-known American poet.
• 1970 – Vince Lombardi, a legendary American football coach.
• 1991 – Frank Capra, an Italian-American director and producer.
• 2001 – Pauline Kael, an American film critic.
• 2005 – William Rehnquist, the 16th Chief Justice of the United States.
• 2007 – Steve Fossett, an American aviator known for his adventurous flights.
• 2012 – Michael Clarke Duncan, an American actor.
• 2015 – Chandra Bahadur Dangi, who held the world record for the shortest man.
• 2017 – Walter Becker, an American musician and songwriter.

Holidays and Celebrations

• Feast of San Marino and the Republic: This day celebrates the founding of the Republic of San Marino in 301.
• Flag Day (Australia): A day to celebrate the national flag of Australia.
• Independence Day (Qatar): Celebrates Qatar becoming independent from the United Kingdom in 1971.
• Levy Mwanawasa Day (Zambia): A day to remember former Zambian President Levy Mwanawasa.
• Merchant Navy Remembrance Day (Canada): A day to honor the Merchant Navy in Canada.
• Merchant Navy Day (United Kingdom): A day to honor the Merchant Navy in the United Kingdom.
• National Welsh Rarebit Day (United States): A fun day to enjoy Welsh Rarebit, a cheesy dish.
• Tokehega Day (Tokelau, New Zealand): A public holiday in Tokelau.

See also

In Spanish: 3 de septiembre para niños