On This Day in History — August 3

Highlights of August 3

• 2019 — A mass shooting occurred at a Walmart in El Paso, Texas, killing 23 people and injuring 22 others. Read more
• 2009 — The last vessels involved in Taurus 09, a Royal Navy training deployment covering 20,400 miles (32,800 km), returned to HMNB Devonport, England. Read more
• 2005 — Mauritanian president Maaouya Ould Sid'Ahmed Taya was overthrown in a military coup while he attended the funeral of King Fahd of Saudi Arabia. Read more
• 1997 — The Sky Tower, then the tallest free-standing structure in the Southern Hemisphere at 328 m (1,076 ft), opened in Auckland, New Zealand. Read more
• 1975 — A privately chartered Boeing 707 (aircraft involved pictured) struck a mountain peak and crashed near Agadir, Morocco, killing 188. Read more
• 1971 — Fighting Dinosaurs, a fossil specimen featuring a Velociraptor and a Protoceratops in combat, was unearthed in the Djadochta Formation of Mongolia. Read more
• 1940 — World War II: Italian forces began a conquest of British Somaliland, capturing the region in 16 days. Read more
• 1936 — African-American athlete Jesse Owens won the first of his four gold medals at the Berlin Olympics, dashing Nazi leaders' hopes of Aryan domination at the games. Read more
• 1929 — Jiddu Krishnamurti (pictured), believed by some Theosophists to be a likely candidate for the messianic "World Teacher", dissolved the Order of the Star, the organisation established to support him. Read more
• 1913 — An agricultural workers' strike in Wheatland degenerated into a riot, becoming one of the first major farm-labor confrontations in California. Read more
• 1903 — Macedonian rebels in Kruševo established a republic, which existed for ten days before Ottoman forces destroyed the town. Read more
• 1857 — Indian Rebellion: An eight-day siege of a fortified outbuilding in Arrah occupied by 68 defenders against more than 10,000 men ended when a relief party dispersed the besiegers. Read more
• 1460 — James II of Scotland (pictured) was killed by an exploding cannon at Roxburgh Castle. Read more
• 1347 — Hundred Years' War: The French town of Calais capitulated to English forces after an eleven-month siege, ending the Crécy campaign. Read more
• 1057 — Pope Stephen IX was crowned as pope. Read more

Events

• 2023 — Major floods hit parts of Slovenia. Read more
• 2019 — Six hundred protesters, including opposition leader Lyubov Sobol, are arrested in an election protest in Moscow, Russia. Read more
• 2019 — Twenty-three people are killed and 22 injured in a mass shooting at a Walmart in El Paso, Texas. Read more
• 2018 — Two burka-clad men kill 29 people and injure more than 80 in a suicide attack on a Shia mosque in eastern Afghanistan.
• 2014 — A 6.1 magnitude earthquake kills at least 617 people and injures more than 2,400 in Yunnan, China. Read more
• 2014 — The genocide of Yazidis by ISIL begins. Read more
• 2010 — Widespread rioting erupts in Karachi, Pakistan, after the assassination of a local politician, leaving at least 85 dead and at least 17 billion Pakistani rupees (US$200 million) in damage. Read more
• 2007 — Former deputy director of the Chilean secret police Raúl Iturriaga is captured after having been on the run following a conviction for kidnapping. Read more
• 2005 — President of Mauritania Maaouya Ould Sid'Ahmed Taya is overthrown in a military coup while attending the funeral of King Fahd in Saudi Arabia. Read more
• 2004 — The pedestal of the Statue of Liberty reopens after being closed since the September 11 attacks. Read more
• 1997 — Oued El-Had and Mezouara massacre in Algeria: A total of 116 villagers killed, 40 in Oued El-Had and 76 in Mezouara. Read more
• 1997 — Sky Tower in downtown Auckland, New Zealand opens after two-and-a-half years of construction, becoming the tallest free-standing structure in the Southern Hemisphere at the time. Read more
• 1981 — Senegalese opposition parties, under the leadership of Mamadou Dia, launch the Antiimperialist Action Front – Suxxali Reew Mi. Read more
• 1977 — Tandy Corporation announces the TRS-80, one of the world's first mass-produced personal computers. Read more
• 1975 — A privately chartered Boeing 707 strikes a mountain peak and crashes near Agadir, Morocco, killing 188. Read more
• 1972 — The United States Senate ratifies the Anti-Ballistic Missile Treaty. Read more
• 1960 — Niger gains independence from France. Read more
• 1959 — Portugal's state police force PIDE fires upon striking workers in Bissau, Portuguese Guinea, killing over 50 people. Read more
• 1958 — The world's first nuclear submarine, the USS Nautilus, becomes the first vessel to complete a submerged transit of the geographical North Pole. Read more
• 1949 — The Basketball Association of America and the National Basketball League finalize the merger that would create the National Basketball Association. Read more
• 1948 — Whittaker Chambers accuses Alger Hiss of being a communist and a spy for the Soviet Union. Read more
• 1946 — Santa Claus Land, the world's first themed amusement park, opens in Santa Claus, Indiana, United States. Read more
• 1940 — World War II: Italian forces begin the invasion of British Somaliland. Read more
• 1936 — Jesse Owens wins the 100 metre dash, defeating Ralph Metcalfe, at the Berlin Olympics. Read more
• 1936 — A fire wipes out Kursha-2 in the Meshchera Lowlands, Ryazan Oblast, Russia, killing 1,200 and leaving only 20 survivors. Read more
• 1921 — Major League Baseball Commissioner Kenesaw Mountain Landis confirms the ban of the eight Chicago Black Sox, the day after they were acquitted by a Chicago court. Read more
• 1914 — World War I: Germany declares war against France, while Romania declares its neutrality. Read more
• 1907 — Judge Kenesaw Mountain Landis fines Standard Oil of Indiana a record $29.4 million for illegal rebating to freight carriers; the conviction and fine are later reversed on appeal. Read more
• 1903 — Macedonian rebels in Kruševo proclaim the Kruševo Republic, which exists for only ten days before Ottoman Turks lay waste to the town. Read more
• 1900 — The Firestone Tire and Rubber Company is founded. Read more
• 1889 — An Anglo-Egyptian army defeats a Mahdist-Sudanese army in the battle of Toski. Read more
• 1859 — The American Dental Association is founded in Niagara Falls, New York. Read more
• 1852 — Harvard University wins the first Boat Race between Yale University and Harvard. The race is also known as the first ever American intercollegiate athletic event. Read more
• 1829 — The Treaty of Lewistown is signed by the Shawnee and Seneca peoples, exchanging land in Ohio for land west of the Mississippi River. Read more
• 1811 — First ascent of Jungfrau, third highest summit in the Bernese Alps by brothers Johann Rudolf and Hieronymus Meyer. Read more
• 1795 — Treaty of Greenville is signed, ending the Northwest Indian War in the Ohio Country. Read more
• 1778 — The theatre La Scala in Milan is inaugurated with the première of Antonio Salieri's Europa riconosciuta. Read more
• 1692 — British-Dutch forces under William III defending the city of Brussels fight an inconclusive battle at Steenkerque against a French army under the duke of Luxembourg, with both sides suffering heavy casualties. Read more
• 1678 — Robert LaSalle builds the Le Griffon, the first known ship built on the Great Lakes. Read more
• 1645 — Thirty Years' War: The Second Battle of Nördlingen sees French forces defeating those of the Holy Roman Empire. Read more
• 1601 — Long War: Austria captures Transylvania in the Battle of Goroszló. Read more
• 1527 — The first known letter from North America is sent by John Rut while at St. John's, Newfoundland. Read more
• 1492 — Christopher Columbus sets sail from Palos de la Frontera, Spain. Read more
• 1347 — The city of Calais surrenders after a protracted siege to the English following the English defeat of a French relief fleet in the battle of Crotoy. It will remain in English hands for more than 200 years. Read more
• 1342 — The Siege of Algeciras commences during the Spanish Reconquista. Read more
• 1057 — Frederick of Lorraine elected as Pope Stephen IX. Read more
• 1031 — Olaf II of Norway is canonized as Saint Olaf by Grimketel, the English Bishop of Selsey. Read more
• 908 — Battle of Eisenach: An invading Hungarian force defeats an East Frankish army under Duke Burchard of Thuringia. Read more
• 881 — Battle of Saucourt-en-Vimeu: Louis III of France defeats the Vikings, an event celebrated in the poem Ludwigslied. Read more
• 435 — Deposed Ecumenical Patriarch of Constantinople Nestorius, considered the originator of Nestorianism, is exiled by Roman Emperor Theodosius II to a monastery in Egypt. Read more
• 8 — Roman Empire general Tiberius defeats the Dalmatae on the river Bosna. Read more

Born on August 3

• 1999 — Zach Wilson, American football player Read more
• 1999 — Brahim Díaz, Spanish-Moroccan footballer Read more
• 1999 — Yoo Yeon-jung, South Korean singer Read more
• 1997 — Luis Robert Jr., Cuban baseball player Read more
• 1996 — Alec Bohm, American baseball player Read more
• 1996 — Bokondji Imama, Canadian ice hockey player Read more
• 1996 — Derwin James, American football player Read more
• 1995 — Zac Gallen, American baseball player Read more
• 1995 — Victoria Kan, Russian tennis player Read more
• 1994 — Kwon Alexander, American football player Read more
• 1994 — Esther Earl, American author, vlogger, and online personality (died 2010) Read more
• 1994 — Younghoe Koo, South Korean-born American football player Read more
• 1992 — Gamze Bulut, Turkish runner Read more
• 1992 — Gesa Felicitas Krause, German runner Read more
• 1992 — Karlie Kloss, American fashion model Read more
• 1990 — Jourdan Dunn, English model Read more
• 1990 — Kang Min-kyung, South Korean singer Read more
• 1989 — Jules Bianchi, French racing driver (died 2015) Read more
• 1989 — Tyrod Taylor, American football player Read more
• 1989 — Nick Viergever, Dutch footballer Read more
• 1987 — Kim Hyung-jun, South Korean singer and dancer Read more
• 1986 — Charlotte Casiraghi, Monégasque journalist, co-founded Ever Manifesto Read more
• 1986 — Darya Domracheva, Belarusian biathlete Read more
• 1985 — Georgina Haig, Australian actress Read more
• 1985 — Brent Kutzle, American bass player and producer Read more
• 1985 — Ats Purje, Estonian footballer Read more
• 1985 — Sonny Bill Williams, New Zealand rugby player and boxer Read more
• 1984 — Yasin Avcı, Turkish footballer Read more
• 1984 — Sunil Chhetri, Indian footballer Read more
• 1984 — Ryan Lochte, American swimmer Read more
• 1983 — Ryan Carter, American ice hockey player Read more
• 1982 — Kaspar Kokk, Estonian skier Read more
• 1982 — Jesse Lumsden, Canadian bobsledder and football player Read more
• 1981 — Fikirte Addis, Ethiopian fashion designer Read more
• 1981 — Pablo Ibáñez, Spanish footballer Read more
• 1980 — Nadia Ali, Libyan-American singer-songwriter Read more
• 1980 — Dominic Moore, Canadian ice hockey player Read more
• 1980 — Hannah Simone, Canadian television host and actress Read more
• 1979 — Evangeline Lilly, Canadian actress Read more
• 1978 — Joi Chua, Singaporean singer-songwriter and actress Read more

Died on August 3

• 2025 — Loni Anderson, American actress (born 1945) Read more
• 2024 — Yamini Krishnamurthy, Indian dancer (born 1940) Read more
• 2023 — Mark Margolis, American actor (born 1939) Read more
• 2023 — Bram Moolenaar, Dutch software engineer (born 1961) Read more
• 2022 — Jackie Walorski, American politician (born 1963) Read more
• 2020 — John Hume, Northern Irish politician (born 1937) Read more
• 2015 — Robert Conquest, English-American historian, poet, and academic (born 1917) Read more
• 2015 — Mel Farr, American football player and businessman (born 1944) Read more
• 2015 — Coleen Gray, American actress (born 1922) Read more
• 2015 — Margot Loyola, Chilean singer-songwriter and guitarist (born 1918) Read more
• 2015 — Johanna Quandt, German businesswoman (born 1926) Read more
• 2015 — Jef Murray, American artist and author (born 1960) Read more
• 2014 — Miangul Aurangzeb, Pakistani captain and politician, 19th Governor of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (born 1928) Read more
• 2014 — Edward Clancy, Australian cardinal (born 1923) Read more
• 2014 — Dorothy Salisbury Davis, American author (born 1916) Read more
• 2014 — Kenny Drew, Jr., American pianist and composer (born 1958) Read more
• 2014 — Lydia Yu-Jose, Filipino political scientist and academic (born 1944) Read more
• 2013 — John Coombs, English-Monegasque race car driver and businessman (born 1922) Read more
• 2013 — Jack English Hightower, American lawyer and politician (born 1926) Read more
• 2013 — Jack Hynes, Scottish-American soccer player and manager (born 1920) Read more
• 2012 — Frank Evans, American baseball player, coach, and manager (born 1921) Read more
• 2012 — Martin Fleischmann, Czech-English chemist and academic (born 1927) Read more
• 2012 — Paul McCracken, American economist and academic (born 1915) Read more
• 2012 — John Pritchard, American basketball player (born 1927) Read more
• 2012 — George Shanard, American politician and agribusinessman (born 1926) Read more
• 2011 — William Sleator, American author (born 1945) Read more
• 2011 — Bubba Smith, American football player and actor (born 1945) Read more
• 2010 — Bobby Hebb, American singer-songwriter (born 1938) Read more
• 2009 — Nikolaos Makarezos, Greek soldier and politician, Deputy Prime Minister of Greece (born 1919) Read more
• 2008 — Skip Caray, American sportscaster (born 1939) Read more
• 2008 — Erik Darling, American singer-songwriter (born 1933) Read more
• 2008 — Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn, Russian novelist, dramatist and historian, Nobel Prize laureate (born 1918) Read more
• 2007 — John Gardner, English author (born 1926) Read more
• 2007 — Peter Thorup, Danish singer-songwriter, guitarist, and producer (born 1948) Read more
• 2006 — Arthur Lee, American singer-songwriter, guitarist, and producer (born 1945) Read more
• 2006 — Elisabeth Schwarzkopf, German-English soprano and actress (born 1915) Read more
• 2005 — Françoise d'Eaubonne, French author and poet (born 1920) Read more
• 2004 — Henri Cartier-Bresson, French photographer and painter (born 1908) Read more
• 2003 — Roger Voudouris, American singer-songwriter and guitarist (born 1954) Read more
• 2001 — Christopher Hewett, English actor and director (born 1922) Read more

Holidays & observances

Anniversary of the Killing of Pidjiguiti (Guinea-Bissau); Armed Forces Day (Equatorial Guinea); Christian feast day: Blessed Augustin Kažotić; Christian feast day: George Freeman Bragg, W. E. B. Du Bois (Episcopal Church); Christian feast day: Lydia of Thyatira; Christian feast day: Myrrhbearers (Lutheran Church); Christian feast day: Nicodemus; Christian feast day: Olaf II of Norway (Translation of the relic); Christian feast day: Stephen (Discovery of the relic); Christian feast day: Waltheof of Melrose; Christian feast day: August 3 (Eastern Orthodox liturgics); Flag Day (Venezuela); Independence Day, celebrates the independence of Niger from France in 1960. Arbor Day (Niger); National Guard Day (Venezuela)

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