September 3 is the 246th day of the year (247th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. There are 119 days remaining until the end of the year.
Events
- 36 BC – In the Battle of Naulochus, Marcus Vipsanius Agrippa, admiral of Octavian, defeats Sextus Pompeius, son of Pompey, thus ending Pompeian resistance to the Second Triumvirate.
- 301 – San Marino, one of the smallest nations in the world and the world's oldest republic still in existence, is founded by Saint Marinus.
- 590 – Consecration of Pope Gregory I (Gregory the Great).
- 863 – Major Byzantine victory at the Battle of Lalakaon against an Arab raid.
- 1189 – Richard I of England (a.k.a. Richard "the Lionheart") is crowned at Westminster.
- 1260 – The Mamluks defeat the Mongols at the Battle of Ain Jalut in Palestine, marking their first decisive defeat and the point of maximum expansion of the Mongol Empire.
- 1650 – Third English Civil War: in the Battle of Dunbar, English Parliamentarian forces led by Oliver Cromwell defeat an army loyal to King Charles II of England and led by David Leslie, Lord Newark.
- 1651 – Third English Civil War: Battle of Worcester – Charles II of England is defeated in the last main battle of the war.
- 1658 – Richard Cromwell becomes Lord Protector of England
- 1666 – The Royal Exchange burns down in the Great Fire of London
- 1777 – American Revolutionary War: during the Battle of Cooch's Bridge, the Flag of the United States is flown in battle for the first time.
- 1783 – American Revolutionary War: the war ends with the signing of the Treaty of Paris by the United States and the Kingdom of Great Britain.
- 1798 – The week long battle of St. George's Caye begins between Spain and Britain off the coast of Belize.
- 1802 – William Wordsworth composes the sonnet Composed upon Westminster Bridge, September 3, 1802.
- 1803 – English scientist John Dalton begins using symbols to represent the atoms of different elements.
- 1812 – 24 settlers are killed in the Pigeon Roost Massacre in Indiana.
- 1838 – Future abolitionist Frederick Douglass escapes from slavery.
- 1855 – American Indian Wars: in Nebraska, 700 soldiers under United States General William S. Harney avenge the Grattan Massacre by attacking a Sioux village and killing 100 men, women and children.
- 1861 – American Civil War: Confederate General Leonidas Polk invades neutral Kentucky, prompting the state legislature to ask for Union assistance.
- 1870 – Franco-Prussian War: the Siege of Metz begins, resulting in a decisive Prussian victory on October 23.
- 1874 – The congress of the state of México elevates Naucalpan to the category of Villa, with the title of "Villa de Juárez".
- 1875 – The first official game of Polo is played in Argentina after being introduced by British Ranchers.
- 1878 – Over 640 die when the crowded pleasure boat Princess Alice collides with the Bywell Castle in the River Thames.
- 1895 – John Brallier became the first openly professional American football player, when he was paid $10 by David Berry, to play for the Latrobe Athletic Association in a 12-0 win over the Jeanette Athletic Association.
- 1914 – William, Prince of Albania leaves the country after just six months due to opposition to his rule.
- 1925 – USS Shenandoah (ZR-1), the United States' first American-built rigid airship, was destroyed in a squall line over Noble County, Ohio. Fourteen of her 42-man crew perished, including her commander, Zachary Lansdowne.
- 1933 – Yevgeniy Abalakov is the first man to reach the highest point in the Soviet Union, Communism Peak (now called Ismoil Somoni Peak and situated in Tajikistan) (7495 m).
- 1935 – Sir Malcolm Campbell reaches a speed of 304.331 miles per hour on the Bonneville Salt Flats in Utah, becoming the first person to drive an automobile over 300 mph
- 1939 – World War II: France, the United Kingdom, New Zealand and Australia declare war on Germany after the invasion of Poland, forming the Allies.
- 1939 – World War II: The United Kingdom and France begin a naval blockade of Germany that lasts until the end of the war. This also marks the beginning of the Battle of the Atlantic.
- 1941 – The Holocaust: Karl Fritzsch, deputy camp commandant of the Auschwitz concentration camp, experiments with the use of Zyklon B in the gassing of Soviet POWs.
- 1942 – World War II: In response to news of its coming liquidation, Dov Lopatyn leads an uprising in the Ghetto of Lakhva, in present-day Belarus.
- 1943 – World War II: The Allied invasion of Italy begins on the same day that U.S. General Dwight D. Eisenhower and Italian Marshal Pietro Badoglio sign an armistice aboard the Royal Navy battleship HMS Nelson off Malta.
- 1944 – Holocaust: diarist Anne Frank and her family are placed on the last transport train from the Westerbork transit camp to the Auschwitz concentration camp, arriving three days later.
- 1945 – Three-day celebration was held in China, following the Victory over Japan Day on September 2.
- 1950 – "Nino" Farina becomes the first Formula One Drivers' champion after winning the 1950 Italian Grand Prix.
- 1951 – The first long-running American television soap opera, Search for Tomorrow, airs its first episode on the CBS network.
- 1954 – The People's Liberation Army begins shelling the Republic of China-controlled islands of Quemoy, starting the First Taiwan Strait Crisis.
- 1954 – The German U-Boat U-505 begins its move from a specially constructed dock to its final site at Chicago's Museum of Science and Industry.
- 1967 – Dagen H in Sweden: traffic changes from driving on the left to driving on the right overnight.
- 1971 – Qatar becomes an independent state
- 1976 – Viking program: The American Viking 2 spacecraft lands at Utopia Planitia on Mars.
- 1987 – In a coup d'état in Burundi, President Jean-Baptiste Bagaza is deposed by Major Pierre Buyoya.
- 1994 – Sino-Soviet Split: Russia and the People's Republic of China agree to de-target their nuclear weapons against each other.
- 1997 – Vietnam Airlines Flight 815 (Tupolev TU-134) crashes on approach into Phnom Penh airport, killing 64.
- 1999 – An 87-automobile pile-up happens on Highway 401 freeway just East of Windsor, Ontario, Canada after an unusually thick fog from Lake St. Clair.
- 2001 – In Belfast, Protestant loyalists begin a picket of Holy Cross, a Catholic primary school for girls. For the next 11 weeks, riot police escort the schoolchildren and their parents through hundreds of protesters, some of whom hurl missiles and abuse. The protest sparks fierce rioting and grabs world headlines.
- 2004 – Beslan school hostage crisis – day 3: the Beslan hostage crisis ends with the deaths of over 300 people, more than half of which are children.
Births
- 1034 – Emperor Go-Sanjō of Japan (d. 1073)
- 1499 – Diane de Poitiers, French mistress of Henry II of France (d. 1566)
- 1568 – Adriano Banchieri, Italian composer (d. 1634)
- 1675 – Paul Dudley, American jurist (d. 1751)
- 1693 – Charles Radclyffe, English politician (d. 1746)
- 1695 – Pietro Locatelli, Italian composer (d. 1764)
- 1710 – Abraham Trembley, Swiss naturalist (d. 1784)
- 1724 – Guy Carleton, 1st Baron Dorchester, English soldier and politician, Governor General of Canada (d. 1808)
- 1760 – James Wilson, Scottish revolutionary (d. 1820)
- 1781 – Eugène de Beauharnais, French son of Alexandre de Beauharnais (d. 1824)
- 1810 – Paul Kane, Canadian painter (d. 1871)
- 1811 – John Humphrey Noyes, American activist (d. 1886)
- 1820 – George Hearst, American businessman and politician (d. 1891)
- 1841 – Tom Emmett, English cricketer (d. 1904)
- 1849 – Sarah Orne Jewett, American author (d. 1909)
- 1851 – Olga Constantinovna of Russia (d. 1926)
- 1854 – Charles Tatham, American fencer (d. 1939)
- 1856 – Robert Stewart, South African cricketer (d. 1913)
- 1856 – Louis Sullivan, American architect, designed the Carson, Pirie, Scott and Company Building (d. 1924)
- 1869 – Fritz Pregl, Slovenian chemist, Nobel Prize laureate (d. 1930)
- 1875 – Ferdinand Porsche, Austrian-German engineer and businessman, founded Porsche (d. 1951)
- 1880 – George Bretz, Canadian lacrosse player
- 1880 – Gwynne Evans, American swimmer and water polo player (d. 1965)
- 1882 – Johnny Douglas, English cricketer and boxer (d. 1930)
- 1887 – Frank Christian, American trumpet player (d. 1973)
- 1887 – Manfred Toeppen, American water polo player (d. 1968)
- 1893 – Andrey Dikiy, Russian American writer, historian, emigre politician and journalist (d. 1977)
- 1897 – Sally Benson, American screenwriter (d. 1972)
- 1899 – Frank Macfarlane Burnet, Australian biologist, Nobel Prize laureate (d. 1985)
- 1900 – Percy Chapman, English cricketer (d. 1961)
- 1900 – Urho Kekkonen, Finnish politician, 8th President of Finland (d. 1986)
- 1901 – Eduard van Beinum, Dutch conductor (d. 1959)
- 1905 – Carl David Anderson, American physicist, Nobel Prize laureate (d. 1991)
- 1905 – John Mills, New Zealand cricketer (d. 1972)
- 1907 – Loren Eiseley, American anthropologist, philosopher, and author (d. 1977)
- 1908 – Lev Semenovich Pontryagin, Russian mathematician (d. 1988)
- 1910 – Kitty Carlisle, American actress and singer (d. 2007)
- 1910 – Maurice Papon, French civil servant (d. 2007)
- 1911 – Bernard Mammes, American cyclist (d. 2000)
- 1913 – Alan Ladd, American actor (d. 1964)
- 1914 – Dixy Lee Ray, American politician, 17th Governor of Washington (d. 1994)
- 1914 – Memphis Slim, American singer, pianist, and composer (d. 1988)
- 1915 – Knut Nystedt, Norwegian composer
- 1916 – Eddie Stanky, American baseball player (d. 1999)
- 1918 – Helen Wagner, American actress (d. 2010)
- 1920 – Les Medley, English footballer (d. 2001)
- 1920 – Tereska Torres, French author (d. 2012)
- 1921 – Thurston Dart, English pianist and conductor (d. 1971)
- 1921 – Marguerite Higgins, American journalist (d. 1966)
- 1923 – Glen Bell, American businessman, founded Taco Bell (d. 2010)
- 1923 – Mort Walker, American cartoonist
- 1925 – Bengt Lindström, Swedish painter (d. 2008)
- 1925 – Shoista Mullojonova, Tajikistani singer (d. 2010)
- 1925 – Hank Thompson, American singer-songwriter and guitarist (d. 2007)
- 1926 – Anne Jackson, American actress
- 1926 – Uttam Kumar, Bengali actor and singer (d. 1980)
- 1926 – Alison Lurie, American author
- 1926 – Irene Papas, Greek actress and singer
- 1928 – Gaston Thorn, Luxembourg politician, 8th Prime Minister of Luxembourg (d. 2007)
- 1929 – Whitey Bulger, American mobster
- 1929 – Carlo Clerici, Swiss cyclist (d. 2007)
- 1929 – Armand Vaillancourt, Canadian sculptor and painter
- 1930 – Cherry Wilder, New Zealand author (d. 2002)
- 1931 – Albert DeSalvo, American serial killer (d. 1973)
- 1931 – Dick Motta, American basketball coach
- 1931 – Guy Spitaels, Belgian politician, 7th Minister-President of the Walloon Region (d. 2012)
- 1932 – Eileen Brennan, American actress
- 1933 – Basil Butcher, Guyanese cricketer
- 1933 – Tompall Glaser, American singer (Tompall & the Glaser Brothers)
- 1934 – Freddie King, American singer-songwriter and guitarist (d. 1976)
- 1935 – Helmut Clasen, Canadian motorcycle racer
- 1936 – Pilar Pallete, Peruvian actress
- 1936 – Zine El Abidine Ben Ali, Tunisian politician, 2nd President of Tunisia
- 1938 – Caryl Churchill, English playwright
- 1938 – Ryōji Noyori, Japanese chemist, Nobel Prize laureate
- 1939 – Vladimir Bakulin, Kazakhstani wrestler (d. 2012)
- 1940 – Pauline Collins, English actress
- 1940 – Eduardo Galeano, Uruguayan journalist
- 1941 – Sergei Dovlatov, Russian-American journalist and author (d. 1990)
- 1942 – Al Jardine, American guitarist, singer, and composer (The Beach Boys)
- 1942 – John Shrapnel, English actor
- 1943 – Frank Lister, English footballer
- 1943 – Valerie Perrine, American actress
- 1945 – Finn Bergesen, Norwegian civil servant and businessman (d. 2012)
- 1945 – George Biondo, American bass player and songwriter (Steppenwolf)
- 1947 – Eric Bell, Irish guitarist and songwriter (Thin Lizzy and The Noel Redding Band)
- 1947 – Kjell Magne Bondevik, Norwegian minister and politician, 7th Prime Minister of Norway
- 1948 – Don Brewer, American singer-songwriter and drummer (Grand Funk Railroad and Terry Knight and the Pack)
- 1948 – Fotis Kouvelis, Greek lawyer and politician
- 1948 – Levy Mwanawasa, Zambian lawyer and politician, 3rd President of Zambia (d. 2008)
- 1949 – José Pekerman, Argentine footballer and coach
- 1949 – Patriarch Peter VII of Alexandria (d. 2004)
- 1950 – Doug Pinnick, American singer-songwriter and bass player (King's X)
- 1951 – Denys Hobson, South African cricketer
- 1952 – Şehrazat, Turkish singer-songwriter, producer, and composer
- 1953 – Jean-Pierre Jeunet, French director
- 1955 – Steve Jones, English singer-songwriter, guitarist, and actor (Sex Pistols, The Professionals, and Neurotic Outsiders)
- 1956 – Pat McGeown, Irish activist (d. 1996)
- 1957 – Garth Ancier, American businessman
- 1957 – Earl Cureton, American basketball player
- 1957 – Steve Schirripa, American actor
- 1959 – Merritt Butrick, American actor (d. 1989)
- 1962 – Costas Mandylor, Australian actor
- 1963 – Mubarak Ghanim, Emirati footballer
- 1963 – Malcolm Gladwell, Canadian journalist and author
- 1963 – Amber Lynn, American porn actress and model
- 1964 – Adam Curry, American-Dutch businessman and television host, co-founded mevio
- 1964 – Spike Feresten, American screenwriter
- 1964 – Thomas Mikal Ford, American actor
- 1964 – Junaid Jamshed, Pakistani singer-songwriter and poet (Vital Signs)
- 1964 – Holt McCallany, American actor
- 1964 – Nigel Rhodes, English actor
- 1965 – Charlie Sheen, American actor
- 1966 – Vladimir Ryzhkov, Russian politician
- 1967 – Chris Gatling, American basketball player
- 1969 – Noah Baumbach, American director
- 1969 – John Fugelsang, American actor
- 1969 – Marianna Komlos, Canadian bodybuilder, model, and wrestler (d. 2004)
- 1970 – Jeremy Glick, American businessman, passenger United Airlines Flight 93 (d. 2001)
- 1970 – George Lynch, American basketball player
- 1970 – Gareth Southgate, English footballer
- 1971 – Kiran Desai, Indian-American author
- 1971 – Chabeli Iglesias, Spanish journalist
- 1971 – Trevor St. John, American actor
- 1972 – Christine Boudrias, Canadian speed skater
- 1972 – Natalia Estrada, Spanish model and actress
- 1972 – Bob Evans, American professional wrestler and trainer
- 1972 – Martin Straka, Czech ice hockey player
- 1973 – Norihiko Hibino, Japanese saxophonist and composer
- 1973 – Jennifer Paige, American singer-songwriter
- 1973 – Damon Stoudamire, American basketball player
- 1973 – Zita Urbonaitė, Lithuanian cyclist (d. 2008)
- 1974 – Clare Kramer, American actress
- 1974 – Rahul Sanghvi, Indian cricketer
- 1975 – Redfoo, American singer-songwriter, producer, and dancer (LMFAO)
- 1975 – Cristobal Huet, French ice hockey player
- 1975 – Daniel Chan, Hong Kong singer-songwriter and actor
- 1976 – Ashley Jones, American actress
- 1976 – Jevon Kearse, American football player
- 1976 – Vivek Oberoi, Indian actor
- 1976 – Raheem Morris, American football coach
- 1977 – Rui Marques, Angolan footballer
- 1977 – Olof Mellberg, Swedish footballer
- 1977 – Nate Robertson, American baseball player
- 1978 – Terje Bakken, Norwegian singer-songwriter (Windir) (d. 2004)
- 1978 – John Curtis, English footballer
- 1978 – Paul Moor, English bowler
- 1978 – Michal Rozsival, Czech ice hockey player
- 1978 – Nick Wechsler, American actor
- 1979 – Tiffany Chapman, English actress
- 1979 – Júlio César Soares Espíndola, Brazilian footballer
- 1979 – Tomo Miličević, Bosnian-American guitarist (30 Seconds to Mars)
- 1980 – B.G., American rapper and actor
- 1980 – Daniel Ruben Bilos, Argentinian footballer
- 1980 – Jason McCaslin, Canadian singer-songwriter, bass player, and producer (Sum 41 and The Operation M.D.)
- 1980 – Jennie Finch, American softball player
- 1980 – Justin Halpern, American author
- 1981 – Fearne Cotton, English radio and television host
- 1982 – Sarah Burke, Canadian skier (d. 2012)
- 1982 – Andrew McMahon, American singer-songwriter and pianist (Something Corporate and Jack's Mannequin)
- 1982 – Kaori Natori, Japanese singer (Spontania)
- 1982 – Tiago Rannow, Brazilian footballer
- 1983 – Augusto Farfus, Brazilian race car driver
- 1983 – Nicky Hunt, English footballer
- 1983 – Marcus McCauley, American football player
- 1983 – Valdas Vasylius, Lithuanian basketball player
- 1983 – Christine Woods, American actress
- 1984 – Garrett Hedlund, American actor
- 1984 – Seo In-Young, South Korean singer, dancer, and model (Jewelry)
- 1985 – Scott Carson, English footballer
- 1985 – Yūki Kaji, Japanese voice actor and singer
- 1985 – Kelvin Wilson, English footballer
- 1986 – Shaun White, American snowboarder and skateboarder
- 1987 – Chris Fountain, English actor
- 1987 – Modibo Maïga, Malian footballer
- 1987 – James Neal, Canadian ice hockey player
- 1988 – Jérôme Boateng, Ghanaian-German footballer
- 1988 – Marine Debauve, French gymnast
- 1988 – Hana Makhmalbaf, Iranian director and producer
- 1993 – Rina Koike, Japanese actress and model
Deaths
- 264 – Sun Xiu, Chinese emperor (b. 235)
- 863 – Umar al-Aqta, Arab emir of Malatya
- 1402 – Gian Galeazzo Visconti, Italian son of Galeazzo II Visconti (b. 1351)
- 1420 – Robert Stewart, Duke of Albany (b. 1340)
- 1467 – Eleanor of Portugal, Holy Roman Empress (b. 1434)
- 1592 – Robert Greene, English author (b. 1558)
- 1634 – Edward Coke, English judge and politician (b. 1552)
- 1653 – Claudius Salmasius, French scholar (b. 1588)
- 1658 – Oliver Cromwell, English military leader and politician (b. 1599)
- 1662 – William Lenthall, English politician (b. 1591)
- 1720 – Henri de Massue, Earl of Galway, French soldier and diplomat (b. 1648)
- 1729 – Jean Hardouin, French scholar (b. 1646)
- 1766 – Archibald Bower, Scottish historian (b. 1686)
- 1808 – John Montgomery, American politician (b. 1722)
- 1857 – John McLoughlin, Canadian businessman (b. 1784)
- 1860 – Aleksey Khomyakov, Russian poet (b. 1804)
- 1866 – Konstantin Flavitsky, Russian painter (b. 1830)
- 1883 – Ivan Turgenev, Russian novelist and playwright (b. 1818)
- 1886 – William W. Snow, American politician (b. 1812)
- 1893 – James Harrison, Scottish-Australian publisher, journalist, politician, and engineer (b. 1816)
- 1903 – Joseph Skipsey, English poet and songwriter (b. 1832)
- 1906 – Mihály Kolossa, Hungarian-Slovene writer (b. 1846)
- 1914 – Albéric Magnard, French composer (b. 1865)
- 1929 – John Bigham, 1st Viscount Mersey, English jurist and politician (b. 1840)
- 1936 – Nikita Balieff, Armenian puppeteer, director, and writer (b. 1876 or 1877)
- 1948 – Edvard Beneš, Czech politician, 2nd President of Czechoslovakia (b. 1884)
- 1954 – Marika Kotopouli, Greek actress (b. 1887)
- 1961 – Robert E. Gross, American businessman (b. 1897)
- 1962 – E. E. Cummings, American poet (b. 1894)
- 1963 – Louis MacNeice, Irish poet (b. 1907)
- 1964 – Stewart Holbrook, American lumberjack, and historian (b. 1893)
- 1967 – Mohammed bin Awad bin Laden, Yemeni-Saudi Arabian businessman (b. 1903)
- 1967 – James Dunn, American actor (b. 1905)
- 1967 – Francis Ouimet, American golfer (b.1893)
- 1968 – Isabel Withers, American actress (b. 1896)
- 1969 – John Lester, American cricketer (b. 1871)
- 1970 – Vince Lombardi, American football coach (b. 1913)
- 1970 – Alan Wilson, American singer-songwriter, guitarist, and composer (Canned Heat) (b. 1943)
- 1974 – Harry Partch, American composer (b. 1901)
- 1978 – Karin Molander, Swedish actress (b. 1889)
- 1980 – Dirch Passer, Danish actor (b. 1926)
- 1980 – Duncan Renaldo, American actor (b. 1904)
- 1981 – Alec Waugh, English author (b. 1898)
- 1983 – Ellie Lambeti, Greek actress (b. 1926)
- 1985 – Johnny Marks, American songwriter (b. 1909)
- 1986 – Beryl Markham, English-Kenyan horse trainer, adventurer, and writer (b. 1902)
- 1987 – Morton Feldman, American composer (b. 1926)
- 1989 – Gaetano Scirea, Italian footballer (b. 1953)
- 1991 – Frank Capra, American director (b. 1897)
- 1994 – James Thomas Aubrey, Jr., American television executive (b. 1918)
- 1994 – Major Lance, American singer (b. 1939)
- 1994 – Billy Wright, English footballer (b. 1924)
- 1996 – Emily Kngwarreye, Australian painter (b. 1910)
- 2000 – Edward Anhalt, American screenwriter (b. 1914)
- 2001 – Pauline Kael, American critic (b. 1919)
- 2001 – Thuy Trang, Vietnamese-American actress (b. 1973)
- 2002 – Kenneth Hare, Canadian climatologist and academic (b. 1919)
- 2002 – W. Clement Stone, American businessman, philanthropist, and author (b. 1902)
- 2003 – Paul Jennings Hill, American murderer (b. 1954)
- 2003 – Rudolf Leiding, German businessman (db. 1914)
- 2005 – R. S. R. Fitter, English botanist and author (b. 1913)
- 2005 – William Rehnquist, American lawyer and jurist, 16th Chief Justice of the United States (b. 1924)
- 2007 – Carter Albrecht, American keyboardist and guitarist (Edie Brickell & New Bohemians and Sorta) (b. 1973)
- 2007 – Syd Jackson, New Zealand activist and trade unionist (b. 1939)
- 2007 – Steve Ryan, American actor (b. 1947)
- 2007 – Jane Tomlinson, English charity campaigner (b. 1964)
- 2008 – Donald Blakeslee, American pilot (b. 1917)
- 2010 – Noah Howard, American saxophonist (b. 1943)
- 2010 – Robert Schimmel, American comedian (b. 1950)
- 2012 – Griselda Blanco, Colombian-American drug lord (b. 1943)
- 2012 – Harold Dunaway, American race car driver (b. 1933)
- 2012 – Michael Clarke Duncan, American actor (b. 1957)
- 2012 – Mahmoud El-Gohary, Egyptian footballer and coach (b. 1938)
- 2012 – Ottó Foky, Hungarian animator (b. 1927)
- 2012 – Sun Myung Moon, South Korean religious leader, author, and activist, founder of the Unification Church (b. 1920)
- 2012 – Ola Vincent, Nigerian economist and banker (b. 1925)
Holidays and observances
External links