December 3
December 3 is the 337th day of the year (338th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar; 28 days remain until the end of the year.
Events
- 1800 - Battle of Hohenlinden, which was an Austrian Defeat
- 1805 - Lewis and Clark Expedition mark their explorations from the Missouri River overland to the Columbia River on a pine tree.
- 1818 - Illinois becomes the 21st U.S. state.
- 1854 - Eureka Stockade: In what is claimed by many to be the birth of Australian democracy, more than 20 goldminers at Ballarat, Victoria, Australia are killed by state troopers in an uprising over mining licences.
- 1901 - US President Theodore Roosevelt delivers a 20,000-word speech to the House of Representatives asking the Congress to curb the power of trusts "within reasonable limits".
- 1904 - The Jovian moon Himalia is discovered by Charles Dillon Perrine at California's Lick Observatory.
- 1912 - Bulgaria, Greece, Montenegro, and Serbia (the Balkan League) sign an armistice with Turkey, ending the two-month long First Balkan War.
- 1912 - First Balkan War: The Naval Battle of Elli takes place.
- 1917 - After nearly 20 years of planning and construction, the Quebec Bridge opens to traffic.
- 1929 - Great Depression: US President Herbert Hoover announces to the U.S. Congress that the worst effects of the recent stock market crash are behind the nation and the American people have regained faith in the economy.
- 1936 - New York City radio station WQXR is officially founded.
- 1937 - The Dandy, the UK's longest-running comic, is first published.
- 1944 - The Greek Civil War breaks out in a newly-liberated Greece, between communists and royalists.
- 1964 - Berkeley Free Speech Movement: Police arrest over 800 students at the University of California, Berkeley, following their takeover and sit-in at the administration building in protest at the UC Regents' decision to forbid protests on UC property.
- 1967 - At Groote Schuur Hospital in Cape Town, South Africa, a transplant team headed by Christiaan Barnard carries out the first heart transplant on a human (53-year-old Louis Washkansky).
- 1967 - The luxury train 20th Century Limited completes its last run from New York City to Chicago (the train was inaugurated on June 15, 1902).
- 1970 - October Crisis: In Montreal, Quebec, kidnapped British Trade Commissioner James Cross is released by the Front de Libération du Québec terrorist group after being held hostage for 60 days. Police negotiate his release and in return the Canadian government grants five terrorists from the FLQ's Chenier Cell their request for safe passage to Cuba.
- 1971 - Indo-Pakistani War of 1971: India invades East Pakistan and a full scale war begins claiming hundreds of lives.
- 1973 - Pioneer program: Pioneer 10 sends back the first close-up images of Jupiter.
- 1978 - The Southern Crescent passenger train derails at Shipman, Virginia, killing six, injuring 60.
- 1979 - In Cincinnati, Ohio, eleven fans are killed during a stampede for seats before a Who concert at Riverfront Coliseum.
- 1979 - Shadow Traffic begins broadcasts in the New York City metropolitan area.
- 1982 - A soil sample is taken from Times Beach, Missouri that will be found to contain 300 times the safe level of dioxin.
- 1984 - Bhopal Disaster: A methyl isocyanate leak from a Union Carbide pesticide plant in Bhopal, India, kills more than 3,800 people outright and injures 150,000-600,000 others (some 6,000 of whom would later die from their injuries) in one of the worst industrial disasters in history.
- 1989 - Cold War: In a meeting off the coast of Malta, US President George H. W. Bush and Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev release statements indicating that the cold war between their nations may be coming to an end (some commentators from both nations exaggerated the wording and independently declared the Cold War over).
- 1990 - At Detroit Metropolitan Airport, Northwest Airlines Flight 1482 collides with Northwest Airlines Flight 299 on the runway, killing 8 passengers and 4 crew members aboard flight 1482.
- 1992 - UN Security Council Resolution 794 is unanimously passed, approving a coalition of United Nations peacekeepers led by the United States to form UNITAF, tasked with establishing peace and ensuring that humanitarian aid is distributed in Somalia.
- 1992 - The Greek oil tanker Aegean Sea, carrying 80,000 tonnes of crude oil, runs aground in a storm while approaching La Coruña, Spain, and spills much of its cargo.
- 1997 - In Ottawa, Canada, representatives from 121 countries sign a treaty prohibiting manufacture and deployment of anti-personnel landmines. The United States, People's Republic of China, and Russia do not sign the treaty, however.
- 1999 - NASA loses radio contact with the Mars Polar Lander moments before the spacecraft enters the Martian atmosphere.
- 2005 - XCOR Aerospace makes first manned rocket aircraft delivery of US Mail in Mojave, California.
Births
- 1368 - King Charles VI of France (d. 1422)
- 1560 - Jan Gruter, Dutch critic (d. 1627)
- 1596 - Nicolo Amati, Italian violin maker (d. 1684)
- 1684 - Ludvig Holberg, Norwegian historian and writer (d. 1754)
- 1755 - Gilbert Stuart, American painter (d. 1828)
- 1776 - Johann Spurzheim, German neuroscientist (d. 1832)
- 1800 - France Prešeren, Slovenian poet (d. 1849)
- 1826 - George B. McClellan, American Civil War general (d. 1885)
- 1838 - Cleveland Abbe, American meteorologist (d. 1916)
- 1838 - Octavia Hill, British housing and open-space activist (d. 1912)
- 1842 - Ellen Swallow Richards, American scientist (d. 1911)
- 1857 - Joseph Conrad, Polish-born British writer (d. 1924)
- 1875 - Max Meldrum, Scottish-born Australian painter (d. 1955)
- 1880 - Fedor von Bock, German field marshal (d. 1945)
- 1883 - Anton Webern, Austrian composer (d. 1945)
- 1884 - Rajendra Prasad, first President of India (d. 1963)
- 1884 - Walther Stampfli, Member of the Swiss Federal Council (d. 1965)
- 1886 - Manne Siegbahn, Nobel laureate (d. 1978)
- 1887 - Naruhiko, Prince Higashikuni of Japan (d. 1990)
- 1895 - Anna Freud, Austrian-born British psychoanalyst (d. 1982)
- 1899 - Ikeda Hayato, Prime Minister of Japan (d. 1965)
- 1900 - Ulrich Inderbinen, Swiss mountain guide (d. 2004)
- 1900 - Richard Kuhn, Austrian-German biochemist, Nobel laureate (d. 1967)
- 1908 - Edward Underdown, English actor (d. 1989)
- 1911 - Nino Rota, Italian composer (d. 1979)
- 1918 - Abdul Haris Nasution, Indonesian general (d. 2000)
- 1921 - Phyllis Curtin, American soprano
- 1922 - Sven Nykvist, Swedish cinematographer
- 1924 - Roberto Mières, Argentine racing driver
- 1925 - Ferlin Husky, American singer
- 1925 - Kim Dae Jung, South Korean President, Nobel laureate
- 1928 - Andy Williams, American singer
- 1930 - Jean-Luc Godard, French film director
- 1931 - Franz Josef Degenhardt, German author
- 1931 - Jaye P. Morgan, American singer
- 1932 - Corry Brokken, Dutch singer
- 1933 - Paul J. Crutzen, Dutch chemist, Nobel laureate
- 1934 - Viktor Gorbatko, Soviet cosmonaut
- 1937 - Bobby Allison, American race car driver
- 1937 - Binod Bihari Verma, Indian linguist
- 1942 - Alice Schwarzer, German journalist
- 1946 - Joop Zoetemelk, Dutch cyclist
- 1948 - Ozzy Osbourne, English singer
- 1949 - John Akii-Bua, Ugandan athlete (d. 1997)
- 1949 - Heather Menzies, American actress
- 1949 - Mickey Thomas, American singer (Jefferson Starship)
- 1951 - Ray Candy, American professional wrestler (d. 1994)
- 1951 - Riki Chōshū, Japanese professional wrestler
- 1951 - Rick Mears, American race car driver
- 1951 - John and Greg Rice, American twin dwarves and commercial and infomercial actors
- 1952 - Mel Smith, English comedian
- 1953 - Franz Klammer, Austrian skier
- 1955 - Steven Culp, American actor
- 1955 - Warren Jeffs, American convicted polygamist
- 1959 - Eamonn Holmes, Northern Irish TV presenter
- 1960 - Daryl Hannah, American actress
- 1960 - Igor Larionov, Russian ice hockey player
- 1960 - Julianne Moore, American actress
- 1960 - Mike Ramsey, American ice hockey player
- 1963 - Joe Lally, American musician (Fugazi)
- 1963 - Terri Schiavo, center of right to die case (d. 2006)
- 1965 - Steve Harris, American actor
- 1965 - Katarina Witt, German figure skater
- 1968 - Brendan Fraser, American actor
- 1969 - Bill Steer, British guitarist
- 1970 - Paul Byrd, American baseball player
- 1970 - Lindsey Hunter, American basketball player
- 1970 - Christian Karembeu, French footballer
- 1971 - Frank Sinclair, Jamaican footballer
- 1971 - Keegan Connor Tracy, Canadian actress
- 1972 - Bucky Lasek, American skateboarder
- 1973 - Holly Marie Combs, American actress
- 1973 - Super Crazy, Mexican professional wrestler
- 1973 - Sammy Leung, Hong Kong disc jockey
- 1976 - Gary Glover, American baseball player
- 1976 - Byron Kelleher, New Zealand rugby union footballer
- 1976 - Mark Boucher, South African cricketer
- 1976 - Cornelius Griffin, American football player
- 1977 - Chad Durbin, American baseball player
- 1977 - Adam Małysz, Polish ski-jumper
- 1977 - Troy Evans, American football player
- 1978 - Trina, American rapper
- 1979 - Daniel Bedingfield, English singer
- 1979 - Rainbow Sun Francks, Canadian actor
- 1979 - Rock Cartwright, American football player
- 1980 - Anna Chlumsky, American actress
- 1980 - Jenna Dewan, American actress
- 1980 - Jim Sorgi, American football player
- 1981 - Ioannis Amanatidis, Greek footballer
- 1981 - David Villa, Spanish footballer
- 1981 - Tyjuan Hagler, American football player
- 1982 - Michael Essien, Ghanaian footballer
- 1982 - Jaycee Chan, Hong Kong singer and actor
- 1983 - Sherri DuPree, American vocalist
- 1984 - Avraam Papadopoulos, Greek footballer
- 1985 - Amanda Seyfried, American actress
- 1985 - Marcus Darrell Williams, American basketball player
- 1987 - Michael Angarano, American actor
- 1992 - Joseph McManners, English actor
- 1994 - Jake T. Austin American actor
- 2005 - Prince Sverre Magnus of Norway
Deaths
- 1154 - Pope Anastasius IV
- 1265 - Odofredus, Italian jurist
- 1533 - Vasili III, Grand Prince of Moscow (b. 1479)
- 1552 - St Francis Xavier, Jesuit missionary to the East (b. 1506)
- 1610 - Honda Tadakatsu, Japanese general (b. 1548)
- 1706 - Emilie Juliane of Schwarzburg-Rudolstadt, German countess and hymn writer (b. 1637)
- 1765 - Lord John Philip Sackville, British cricketer (b. 1713)
- 1789 - Claude Joseph Vernet, French painter (b. 1714)
- 1815 - John Carroll (priest), first Roman Catholic archbishop in the U.S. (b. 1735)
- 1882 - Archibald Campbell Tait, Archbishop of Canterbury (b. 1811)
- 1888 - Carl Zeiss, German lens maker (b. 1816)
- 1890 - Billy Midwinter, Australian cricketer (b. 1851)
- 1892 - Afanasy Fet, Russian poet (b. 1820)
- 1894 - Robert Louis Stevenson, British writer (b. 1850)
- 1902 - Robert Lawson, New Zealand architect (b. 1833)
- 1910 - Mary Baker Eddy, Discoverer and Founder of Christian Science (b. 1821)
- 1912 - Prudente José de Morais Barros, President of Brazil (b. 1841)
- 1919 - Pierre-Auguste Renoir, French impressionist painter (b. 1841)
- 1934 - Charles James O'Donnell, Irish politician (b. 1849)
- 1941 - Pavel Filonov, Russian painter (b. 1883)
- 1941 - Christian Sinding, Norwegian composer (b. 1856)
- 1949 - Maria Ouspenskaya, Russian-born American actress (b. 1876)
- 1955 - Cow Cow Davenport, American pianist (b. 1894)
- 1967 - Harry Wismer, American original owner of the New York Jets (b. 1913)
- 1969 - Mathias Wieman, German actor (b. 1902)
- 1972 - Bill Johnson, American musician (b. 1872)
- 1973 - Emile Christian, American musician (b. 1895)
- 1979 - Dhyan Chand, Indian field hockey player (b. 1905)
- 1980 - Oswald Mosley, British politician (b. 1896)
- 1981 - Walter Knott, American farmer (b. 1889)
- 1984 - Vladimir Abramovich Rokhlin, Russian mathematician (b. 1919)
- 1993 - Lewis Thomas, American physician and essayist (b. 1913)
- 1994 - Elizabeth Glaser, AIDS activist (b. 1947)
- 1995 - Gerard John Schaefer, American serial killer (b. 1946)
- 1996 - Georges Duby, French historian (b. 1919)
- 1999 - Scatman John, American singer (b. 1942)
- 1999 - Madeline Kahn, American actress (b. 1942)
- 1999 - Jarl Wahlström, 12th General of The Salvation Army (b. 1918)
- 2000 - Gwendolyn Brooks, American poet (b. 1917)
- 2000 - Hoyt Curtin, American songwriter (b. 1922)
- 2002 - Glenn Quinn, Irish actor (b. 1970)
- 2003 - David Hemmings, English actor (b. 1941)
- 2004 - Shiing-Shen Chern, Chinese mathematician (b. 1911)
- 2005 - Herb Moford, American baseball player (b. 1928)
- 2006 - Logan Whitehurst, American musician (b. 1977)
Holidays and observances
- International Day of Disabled Persons
- International Day of the Basque language
- Feast day of the following saints in the Roman Catholic Church (per the Roman Catholic Calendar of Saints):
- Memorial of Saint Francis Xavier
- Saint Birinus
- In the Traditional Catholic Calendar it is the Feast day of:
- Other commemorations:
- Celebrated as Advocates Dayin India in the memory of Rajendra Prasad,First President and an eminent lawayer