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On This Day in History — October 3
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Highlights of October 3
- 2013 — A boat carrying migrants from Libya to Italy sank off the Italian island of Lampedusa, resulting in more than 360 deaths. Read more
- 2008 — The Emergency Economic Stabilization Act of 2008, establishing the Troubled Asset Relief Program, commonly referred to as a bailout of the U.S. financial system, was enacted. Read more
- 2003 — Roy Horn of the American entertainment duo Siegfried & Roy (both pictured) was mauled by a tiger during a performance at the Mirage on the Las Vegas Strip. Read more
- 1992 — Sinéad O'Connor tore up a photograph of Pope John Paul II on live television. Read more
- 1991 — Nadine Gordimer became the first South African to win the Nobel Prize in Literature. Read more
- 1989 — Major Moisés Giroldi of the Panama Defense Forces failed in his attempt to overthrow dictator Manuel Noriega. Read more
- 1981 — A hunger strike by Irish republican prisoners at HM Prison Maze outside Belfast, Northern Ireland, ended after seven months and ten deaths. Read more
- 1963 — Oswaldo López Arellano replaced Honduran president Ramón Villeda Morales in a violent coup, initiating two decades of military rule. Read more
- 1962 — Mercury-Atlas 8, the fifth United States crewed space mission, was launched from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida, carrying astronaut Wally Schirra (pictured). Read more
- 1953 — Vancouver's Holy Rosary Cathedral was dedicated by Archbishop William Mark Duke, fifty-three years after it first opened. Read more
- 1952 — The United Kingdom successfully conducted its first nuclear test, becoming the world's third state with nuclear weapons. Read more
- 1951 — In Major League Baseball, the New York Giants' Bobby Thomson hit the "Shot Heard 'Round the World", a game-winning home run, to win the National League pennant. Read more
- 1951 — The First Battle of Maryang-san, widely regarded as one of the Australian Army's greatest accomplishments during the Korean War, began. Read more
- 1935 — Italian forces under General Emilio De Bono invaded Abyssinia during the opening stages of the Second Italo-Abyssinian War. Read more
- 1849 — American author Edgar Allan Poe was found semi-conscious and delirious in Baltimore under mysterious circumstances; it was the last time he was seen in public before his death four days later. Read more
- 1792 — Spanish forces departed Valdivia to suppress the indigenous Huilliche uprising in southern Chile. Read more
- 1602 — Anglo-Spanish War: An English fleet intercepted and attacked six Spanish ships at the Battle of the Narrow Seas (pictured). Read more
- 1392 — Muhammad VII became the twelfth sultan of the Emirate of Granada. Read more
Events
- 2024 — Bengali, Assamese, Marathi, Pali and Prakrit are accorded the Classical language status by the Government of India Read more
- 2024 — "Thick of It", a single by British Internet personality and rapper KSI featuring Trippie Redd, is released. Read more
- 2023 — Wab Kinew is elected to be the first First Nations Premier of a Canadian province in the 2023 Manitoba general election Read more
- 2022 — Svante Pääbo is awarded the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine. Read more
- 2021 — Eight people are killed in an airplane crash near Milan, Italy. Read more
- 2015 — Forty-two people are killed and 33 go missing in the Kunduz hospital airstrike in Afghanistan. Read more
- 2013 — At least 360 migrants are killed when their boat sinks near the Italian island of Lampedusa. Read more
- 2009 — Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, and Turkey join in the Turkic Council. Read more
- 2008 — The Emergency Economic Stabilization Act of 2008 for the U.S. financial system is signed by President George W. Bush. Read more
- 1995 — O. J. Simpson murder case: O. J. Simpson is acquitted of the murders of Nicole Brown Simpson and Ronald Goldman. Read more
- 1993 — An American attack against a warlord in Mogadishu fails; eighteen US soldiers and over 350 Somalis die. Read more
- 1991 — Nadine Gordimer is announced as the winner of the Nobel Prize in Literature. Read more
- 1990 — The German Democratic Republic is abolished and becomes part of the Federal Republic of Germany; the event is afterwards celebrated as German Unity Day. Read more
- 1989 — A coup in Panama City is suppressed and 11 participants are executed. Read more
- 1986 — TASCC, a superconducting cyclotron at the Chalk River Laboratories in Canada, is officially opened. Read more
- 1985 — The Space Shuttle Atlantis makes its maiden flight, carrying two DSCS-III Satellites on STS-51-J. Read more
- 1981 — The hunger strike at the Maze Prison in Northern Ireland ends after seven months and ten deaths. Read more
- 1963 — A violent coup in Honduras begins two decades of military rule. Read more
- 1962 — Project Mercury: US astronaut Wally Schirra, in Sigma 7, is launched from Cape Canaveral for a six-orbit flight. Read more
- 1957 — The California State Superior Court rules that the book Howl and Other Poems is not obscene. Read more
- 1952 — The United Kingdom successfully tests a nuclear weapon in the Montebello Islands, Western Australia, to become the world's third nuclear power. Read more
- 1951 — Korean War: The First Battle of Maryang San pits Commonwealth troops against communist Chinese troops. Read more
- 1949 — WERD, the first black-owned radio station in the United States, opens in Atlanta. Read more
- 1946 — An American Overseas Airlines Douglas DC-4 crashes near Ernest Harmon Air Force Base in Stephenville, Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada, killing 39. Read more
- 1943 — World War II: German forces murder 92 civilians in Lingiades, Greece. Read more
- 1942 — A German V-2 rocket reaches a record 85 km (46 nm) in altitude. Read more
- 1935 — Second Italo-Abyssinian War: Italy invades Ethiopia. Read more
- 1932 — The Kingdom of Iraq gains independence from the United Kingdom. Read more
- 1929 — The Kingdom of Serbs, Croats and Slovenes is renamed to Yugoslavia by King Alexander I. Read more
- 1919 — Cincinnati Reds pitcher Adolfo Luque becomes the first Latin American player to appear in a World Series. Read more
- 1918 — Tsar Boris III of Bulgaria accedes to the throne. Read more
- 1912 — U.S. forces defeat Nicaraguan rebels at the Battle of Coyotepe Hill. Read more
- 1873 — Chief Kintpuash and companions are hanged for their part in the Modoc War of northern California. Read more
- 1863 — The last Thursday in November is declared as Thanksgiving Day by U.S. President Abraham Lincoln. Read more
- 1862 — American Civil War: The two-day Second Battle of Corinth begins as Confederate forces under General Earl Van Dorn attack Union defenses led by General William Rosecrans around Corinth, Mississippi. Read more
- 1792 — A militia departs from the Spanish stronghold of Valdivia to quell a Huilliche uprising in southern Chile. Read more
- 1789 — George Washington proclaims Thursday November 26, 1789 as Thanksgiving Day. Read more
- 1739 — The Treaty of Niš is signed by the Ottoman Empire and Russia ending the Russian–Turkish War. Read more
- 1712 — The Duke of Montrose issues a warrant for the arrest of Rob Roy MacGregor. Read more
- 1683 — Qing dynasty naval commander Shi Lang receives the surrender of the Tungning kingdom on Taiwan after the Battle of Penghu. Read more
- 1574 — The Siege of Leiden is lifted by the Watergeuzen. Read more
- 1392 — Muhammed VII becomes the twelfth sultan of the Emirate of Granada. Read more
- 1283 — Dafydd ap Gruffudd, the last native Prince of Wales, is hanged, drawn and quartered by the English. Read more
- 610 — A fleet of the Heraclian revolt under Heraclius the Younger reaches Constantinople. Read more
- 382 — Roman Emperor Theodosius I concludes a peace treaty with the Goths and settles them in the Balkans. Read more
- 42 BC — Liberators' civil war: Triumvirs Mark Antony and Octavian fight to a draw Caesar's assassins Brutus and Cassius in the first part of the Battle of Philippi, where Cassius commits suicide believing the battle is lost. Read more
- 52 BC — Gallic Wars: Vercingetorix, leader of the Gauls, surrenders to the Romans under Julius Caesar, ending the siege and battle of Alesia. Read more
- 2457 BC — Gaecheonjeol, Hwanung (환웅) purportedly descended from heaven. South Korea's National Foundation Day. Read more
Born on October 3
- 2004 — Noah Schnapp, American actor Read more
- 2001 — Anton Lundell, Finnish ice hockey player Read more
- 2001 — Max Plath, Australian rugby league player Read more
- 2001 — C. J. Stroud, American football player Read more
- 2000 — CJ Abrams, American baseball player Read more
- 1997 — Jin Boyang, Chinese figure skater Read more
- 1997 — Jonathan Isaac, American basketball player Read more
- 1997 — Bang Chan, Australian singer and record producer based in South Korea Read more
- 1995 — Ayo Edebiri, American actress Read more
- 1995 — Mike Gesicki, American football player Read more
- 1995 — Artem Zub, Russian ice hockey player Read more
- 1994 — Victoria Bosio, Argentinian tennis player Read more
- 1994 — Seth Jones, American ice hockey player Read more
- 1993 — Raffaele Di Gennaro, Italian footballer Read more
- 1991 — Jenny McLoughlin, English sprinter Read more
- 1991 — Aki Takajo, Japanese singer Read more
- 1990 — Johan Le Bon, French cyclist Read more
- 1989 — Nate Montana, American football player Read more
- 1989 — Alex Trimble, Irish singer Read more
- 1988 — Dustin Gazley, American ice hockey player Read more
- 1988 — ASAP Rocky, American rapper and songwriter Read more
- 1988 — Alicia Vikander, Swedish actress Read more
- 1987 — Starley, Australian pop singer Read more
- 1986 — Lewis Brown, New Zealand rugby league player Read more
- 1986 — Jackson Martínez, Colombian footballer Read more
- 1985 — Courtney Lee, American basketball player Read more
- 1984 — Yoon Eun-hye, South Korean singer and actress Read more
- 1984 — Bruno Gervais, Canadian ice hockey player Read more
- 1984 — Jessica Parker Kennedy, Canadian actress Read more
- 1984 — Anthony Le Tallec, French footballer Read more
- 1984 — Chris Marquette, American actor Read more
- 1984 — Gary Neal, American basketball player and coach Read more
- 1984 — Ashlee Simpson, American singer-songwriter and actress Read more
- 1983 — Thiago Alves, Brazilian mixed martial artist Read more
- 1983 — Fred, Brazilian footballer Read more
- 1983 — Mark Giordano, Canadian ice hockey player Read more
- 1983 — Andreas Papathanasiou, Cypriot footballer Read more
- 1983 — Tessa Thompson, American actress Read more
- 1981 — Danny Coid, English footballer Read more
- 1981 — Zlatan Ibrahimović, Swedish footballer Read more
Died on October 3
- 2025 — Patricia Routledge, English actress and singer (born 1929) Read more
- 2024 — Michel Blanc, French actor, writer and director (born 1952) Read more
- 2024 — Pierre Christin, French comics creator and writer (born 1938) Read more
- 2024 — Cid Moreira, Brazilian journalist and television anchor (born 1927) Read more
- 2024 — Mary O'Rourke, Irish politician (born 1937) Read more
- 2023 — Thomas Gambino, American mobster, Gambino crime family (born 1929) Read more
- 2021 — Todd Akin, American politician (born 1947) Read more
- 2021 — Dan Petrescu, Romanian businessman and billionaire (born 1953) Read more
- 2015 — Denis Healey, English soldier and politician, Shadow Chancellor of the Exchequer (born 1917) Read more
- 2015 — Muhammad Nawaz Khan, Pakistani historian and author (born 1943) Read more
- 2015 — Javed Iqbal, Pakistani philosopher and judge (born 1925) Read more
- 2014 — Ewen Gilmour, New Zealand comedian and television host (born 1963) Read more
- 2014 — Benedict Groeschel, American priest, psychologist, and talk show host (born 1933) Read more
- 2014 — Jean-Jacques Marcel, French footballer (born 1931) Read more
- 2014 — Kevin Metheny, American businessman (born 1954) Read more
- 2014 — Ward Ruyslinck, Belgian author (born 1929) Read more
- 2013 — Sari Abacha, Nigerian footballer (born 1978) Read more
- 2013 — Sergei Belov, Russian basketball player and coach (born 1944) Read more
- 2013 — Joan Thirsk, English cryptologist, historian, and academic (born 1922) Read more
- 2012 — Abdul Haq Ansari, Indian theologian and scholar (born 1931) Read more
- 2012 — Robert F. Christy, American physicist and astrophysicist (born 1916) Read more
- 2012 — Albie Roles, English footballer (born 1921) Read more
- 2010 — Ben Mondor, Canadian-American businessman (born 1925) Read more
- 2010 — Abraham Sarmiento, Filipino lawyer and jurist (born 1921) Read more
- 2009 — Vladimir Beekman, Estonian poet and translator (born 1929) Read more
- 2007 — M. N. Vijayan, Indian journalist, author, and academic (born 1930) Read more
- 2006 — Lucilla Andrews, Egyptian-Scottish nurse and author (born 1919) Read more
- 2006 — John Crank, English mathematician and physicist (born 1916) Read more
- 2006 — Peter Norman, Australian runner (born 1942) Read more
- 2006 — Alberto Ramento, Filipino bishop (born 1937) Read more
- 2005 — Ronnie Barker, English actor and screenwriter (born 1929) Read more
- 2005 — Nurettin Ersin, Turkish general (born 1918) Read more
- 2004 — John Cerutti, American baseball player and sportscaster (born 1960) Read more
- 2004 — Janet Leigh, American actress (born 1927) Read more
- 2003 — Florence Stanley, American actress (born 1924) Read more
- 2003 — William Steig, American sculptor, author, and illustrator (born 1907) Read more
- 2002 — Bruce Paltrow, American director, producer, and screenwriter (born 1943) Read more
- 2001 — Costas Hajihristos, Greek actor, director, producer, and screenwriter (born 1921) Read more
- 2000 — Benjamin Orr, American singer-songwriter and bass player (born 1947) Read more
- 1999 — Akio Morita, Japanese businessman, co-founded Sony (born 1921) Read more
Holidays & observances
Christian feast day:
Abd-al-Masih; Christian feast day:
Adalgott; Christian feast day:
Ambrósio Francisco Ferro; Christian feast day:
Blessed Szilárd Bogdánffy; Christian feast day:
Dionysius the Areopagite; Christian feast day:
Ewald the Black and Ewald the Fair; Christian feast day:
John Raleigh Mott (Episcopal Church); Christian feast day:
Gerard of Brogne; Christian feast day:
Hesychius of Sinai; Christian feast day:
Théodore Guérin; Christian feast day:
Maximian of Bagai; Christian feast day:
October 3 (Eastern Orthodox liturgics); 3 October Festival (Leiden, Netherlands); German Unity Day (Germany); Mean Girls Day; Morazán Day (Honduras); National Day, celebrates the independence of Iraq from the United Kingdom in 1932.; National Foundation Day or Gaecheonjeol (South Korea)
Events, births and deaths from Wikipedia contributors, “October 3”, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. Lists are selections; the full record lives at the source.