Did you know
Notable Deaths on December 3
88 people
311 – 2024
December 3 has seen 88 notable figures pass away throughout recorded history — from 311 – 2024. Below are the most significant names who died on this date.
By thisDay.info Editorial Team · — Wikipedia
1888 — Carl Zeiss
German physicist and lens maker, created the optical instrument (born 1816)
Did you know
Zeiss gathered a group of gifted practical and theoretical opticians and glass makers to reshape most aspects of optical instrument production
Did you know
Carl Zeiss was a German scientific instrument maker, optician and businessman
Did you know
His collaboration with Ernst Abbe revolutionized optical theory and practical design of microscopes
Did you know
Their quest to extend these advances brought Otto Schott into the enterprises to revolutionize optical glass manufacture
Roman emperor (born 244)
Year 311 (CCCXI) was a common year starting on Monday of the Julian calendar. At the time, it was known as the Year of the Consulship of Valerius and Maximinus. The denomination 311 for this year has been used since the…
Read More
311
649
937
978
Saxon countess and Saint
Emma of Lesum or Emma of Stiepel was a countess popularly venerated as a saint for her good works. She was married to Liudger of Saxony. She is also the first female inhabitant of Bremen to be known by name.
Read More
1038
Osmund, Count of Sées, was a Norman noble and clergyman. Following the Norman conquest of England, he served as Lord Chancellor and as the second bishop of Salisbury, or Old Sarum.
Read More
1099
Pope Anastasius IV, born Corrado Demetri della Suburra, was head of the Catholic Church and ruler of the Papal States from 8 July 1153 to his death in 1154. He is the most recent pope to take the name "Anastasius" upon…
Read More
1154
1265
Duke of Wroclaw
Henry III the White, a member of the Silesian Piasts, was Duke of Silesia at Wrocław from 1248 until his death, as co-ruler with his brother Władysław.
Read More
1266
1309
Countess of Leicester (born 1282)
Maud de Chaworth was an English noblewoman and wealthy heiress. She was the only child of Patrick de Chaworth. Sometime before 2 March 1297, she married Henry, 3rd Earl of Lancaster, by whom she had seven children.
Read More
1322
1532
Vasili III Ivanovich was Grand Prince of Moscow and all Russia from 1505 until his death in 1533.
Read More
1533
French scholar and academic (born 1470)
Jean Tixier de Ravisi was a French Renaissance humanist scholar and professor of rhetoric. He was born in Ravisi, which is near the commune of Saint-Saulge in the central province of Nivernais. His works, which are…
Read More
1542
Spanish missionary and saint (born 1506)
Francis Xavier, venerated as Saint Francis Xavier, was a Navarrese cleric and missionary. He co-founded the Society of Jesus and, as a representative of the Portuguese Empire, led the first Christian mission to Japan.
Read More
1552
Duke of Parma (born 1545)
Alexander Farnese was an Italian noble and military leader, who was Duke of Parma, Piacenza and Castro from 1586 to 1592, as well as Governor of the Spanish Netherlands from 1578 to 1592. Nephew to King Philip II of…
Read More
1592
Japanese general and daimyō (born 1548)
Honda Tadakatsu , also called Honda Heihachirō was a Japanese samurai, general, and daimyo of the late Sengoku through early Edo periods, who served Tokugawa Ieyasu.
Read More
1610
2nd Earl of Salisbury (born 1591)
William Cecil, 2nd Earl of Salisbury,, known as Viscount Cranborne from 1605 to 1612, was an English peer, nobleman, and politician.
Read More
1668
Viscountess Ranelagh, British scientist (born 1615)
Katherine Jones, Viscountess Ranelagh, also known as Lady Ranelagh, was an Anglo-Irish scientist in seventeenth-century Ireland and England. She was also a political and religious philosopher, and a member of many…
Read More
1691
Emilie Juliane was a German countess and hymn writer.
Read More
1706
Walloon musician and composer (born 1685)
Henri-Guillaume Hamal was a Walloon musician, musical director and composer.
Read More
1752
English cricketer and politician (born 1713)
Lord John Philip Sackville was the second son of Lionel Sackville, 1st Duke of Dorset. He was a keen cricketer who was closely connected with the sport in Kent.
Read More
1765
French painter (born 1714)
Claude-Joseph Vernet was a French painter. His son Carle Vernet and daughter Marguerite Émilie Chalgrin were also painters.
Read More
1789
American archbishop (born 1735)
John Carroll was an American Catholic prelate who served as the nation's first Catholic bishop, overseeing the Diocese of Baltimore, then the only diocese in the nascent United States, from 1789 to 1815. He became…
Read More
1815
German emigrant to Australia (born 1827)
Edward Thonen was a German emigrant to Australia, and one of the miners involved in the Eureka Rebellion in Ballarat, Victoria. He was captain of one of the miners' divisions. When soldiers stormed the Stockade on 3…
Read More
1854
American general (born 1798)
Samuel Cooper was an American military officer, who served in the Second Seminole War and the Mexican–American War in the United States Army. Although little-known today, Cooper was technically the highest-ranking…
Read More
1876
Scottish-English archbishop (born 1811)
Archibald Campbell Tait was an Archbishop of Canterbury in the Church of England and theologian. He was the first Scottish priest to become Archbishop of Canterbury and thus, head of the Church of England.
Read More
1882
English-Australian cricketer (born 1851)
William Evans Midwinter was a cricketer who played four Test matches for England, sandwiched between eight for Australia. He was the only cricketer to have played for Australia and England in Test matches against each…
Read More
1890
Russian author and poet (born 1820)
Afanasy Afanasyevich Fet, later known as Shenshin, was a Russian poet regarded as the finest master of lyric verse in Russian literature.
Read More
1892
Scottish novelist, poet, and essayist (born 1850)
Robert Louis Stevenson was a Scottish novelist, essayist, poet and travel writer. He is best known for the novels Treasure Island (1883), Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde (1886), and Kidnapped (1886) and for the…
Read More
1894
New Zealand architect, designed the Otago Boys' High School and Knox Church (born 1833)
Robert Arthur Lawson was one of New Zealand's pre-eminent 19th century architects. The Dictionary of New Zealand Biography states that he did more than any other designer to shape the face of the Victorian era…
Read More
1902
American water polo player (born 1869)
David Hey Bratton was an American water polo player and competition swimmer who competed for the New York Athletic Club and represented the United States at the 1904 Summer Olympics in St. Louis, Missouri.
Read More
1904
American religious leader and author, founded Christian Science (born 1821)
Mary Baker Eddy was an American religious leader and author, who in 1879 founded The Church of Christ, Scientist, the Mother Church of the Christian Science movement. She also founded The Christian Science Monitor in…
Read More
1910
Brazilian lawyer and politician, 3rd President of Brazil (born 1841)
Prudente José de Morais Barros was a Brazilian lawyer and politician who served as the third president of Brazil from 1894 to 1898. Morais was elected in 1894, being the first civilian president of the country, the…
Read More
1912
English-French cricketer (born 1879)
Harold Gwyer Garnett was an English-born first-class cricketer who played for Lancashire County Cricket Club and Argentina. He was killed during World War I in the fighting at Cambrai, France. A wicketkeeper, in 152…
Read More
1917
French painter and sculptor (born 1841)
Pierre-Auguste Renoir was a French artist who was a leading painter in the development of the Impressionist style. It has been said that, as a celebrator of beauty and especially feminine sensuality, "Renoir is the…
Read More
1919
American farmer and politician (born 1830)
Ezra Morgan Meeker was an American pioneer who traveled the Oregon Trail by ox-drawn wagon as a young man, migrating from Iowa to the Pacific Coast. Later in life he worked to memorialize the Trail, repeatedly retracing…
Read More
1928
Irish lawyer and politician (born 1849)
Charles James O'Cahan O'Donnell was an Irish colonial administrator in the British Raj, and later a member of the Parliament of the United Kingdom.
Read More
1934
Princess Victoria was the fourth child and second daughter of King Edward VII and Queen Alexandra and the younger sister of King George V.
Read More
1935
Australian politician, 20th Premier of Tasmania (born 1861)
William Bispham Propsting, CMG was an Australian lawyer and politician. He served as premier of Tasmania from 1903 to 1904. He was a member of the parliament of Tasmania for over 35 years and also served terms as…
Read More
1937
Russian painter and poet (born 1883)
Pavel Nikolayevich Filonov was a Russian avant-garde painter, art theorist, and poet.
Read More
1941
Russian-American actress and educator (born 1876)
Maria Alekseyevna Ouspenskaya was a Russian actress and acting teacher. She achieved success as a stage actress as a young woman in Russia, and as an older woman in Hollywood films. She was twice nominated for the…
Read More
1949
Czech lawyer and politician (born 1913)
Rudolf Margolius was a Czech lawyer and economist, Deputy Minister for Foreign Trade, Czechoslovakia (1949–1952), and a co-defendant in the Slánský trial in November 1952.
Read More
1952
Indian author, poet, and playwright (born 1908)
Manik Bandyopadhyay [alias Banerjee] is an Indian author regarded as one of the major figures of 20th century Bengali literature. During a lifespan of 48 years and 28 years of literary career, battling with epilepsy…
Read More
1956
Russian sculptor, photographer, and graphic designer (born 1891)
Aleksander Mikhailovich Rodchenko was a Russian and Soviet artist, sculptor, photographer, and graphic designer. He was one of the founders of constructivism and Russian design; he was married to the artist Varvara…
Read More
1956
American football player and sportscaster (born 1913)
Harry Wismer was an American sports broadcaster and the founder of the Titans of New York franchise in the American Football League (AFL).
Read More
1967
American bassist (born 1872)
William Manuel "Bill" Johnson was an American jazz musician who played banjo and double bass; he is considered the father of the "slap" style of double bass playing.
Read More
1972
American trombonist, cornet player, and composer (born 1895)
Emile Joseph Christian, sometimes spelled Emil Christian, was an American early jazz trombonist; he also played cornet and string bass. He also wrote a number of tunes, including "Meet Me at the Green Goose", "Satanic…
Read More
1973
President of Mexico, 1952–1958 (born 1889)
Adolfo Tomás Ruiz Cortines was a Mexican politician who served as President of Mexico from 1952 to 1958. A member of the Institutional Revolutionary Party (PRI), he previously served as Governor of Veracruz and…
Read More
1973
Indian field hockey player and coach (born 1905)
Major Dhyan Chand was an Indian field hockey player. He is widely regarded as the greatest field hockey player in history. He was known for his extraordinary ball control and goal-scoring feats, in addition to earning…
Read More
1979
English lieutenant, fascist, and politician, Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster (born 1896)
Sir Oswald Ernald Mosley, 6th Baronet, was a British politician who rose to fame during the 1920s and 1930s when, disillusioned with mainstream politics, he turned to fascism. He was the Member of Parliament (MP) for…
Read More
1980
American farmer, founded Knott's Berry Farm (born 1889)
Walter Marvin Knott was an American farmer and businessman who founded the Knott's Berry Farm amusement park in Buena Park, California, introduced and mass-marketed the boysenberry, and founded the Knott's Berry Farm…
Read More
1981
Finnish actor (born 1897)
Toivo Joel Rinne was a prolific Finnish actor of stage and screen. Among his most memorable film parts is the title role in the Inspector Palmu movie series, which started in 1960s Komisario Palmun erehdys, and…
Read More
1981
Azerbaijani-Russian mathematician and academic (born 1919)
Vladimir Abramovich Rokhlin was a Soviet mathematician, who made numerous contributions in algebraic topology, geometry, measure theory, probability theory, ergodic theory and entropy theory.
Read More
1984
Spanish basketball player (born 1962)
Fernando Martín Espina was a Spanish professional basketball player who was considered to be one of the best Spanish basketball players ever. Martín was 2.06 m tall, and he played primarily at the center and power…
Read More
1989
American businessman, founded the Country Music Association (born 1914)
Connie Barriot Gay was an American music entrepreneur who is renowned as a "founding father" and "major force" in country music. He is credited with coining the country music genre, which had previously been called…
Read More
1989
American physician, etymologist, and academic (born 1913)
Lewis Thomas was an American physician, poet, etymologist, essayist, administrator, educator, policy advisor, and biologist. He was a longtime contributor to The New England Journal of Medicine, and his essays were…
Read More
1993
French historian and author (born 1919)
Georges Duby was a French historian who specialised in the social and economic history of the Middle Ages. He ranks among the most influential medieval historians of the twentieth century and was one of France's most…
Read More
1996
Canadian pianist and conductor (born 1936)
Pierre Hétu was a conductor and pianist. He studied music from 1955–57 at the Conservatoire de musique du Québec à Montréal with Germaine Malépart (piano) and at the University of Montreal with Jean Papineau-Couture…
Read More
1998
1999
American singer-songwriter and pianist (born 1942)
John Paul Larkin, known professionally under the alias Scatman John, was an American musician. A prolific jazz pianist and vocalist for several decades, he rose to prominence in 1994 through his fusion of scat singing…
Read More
1999
American actress, comedian, and singer (born 1942)
Madeline Gail Kahn was an American actress, comedian, and singer. She was known for her comedic roles in films directed by Peter Bogdanovich and Mel Brooks, including What's Up, Doc? (1972), Young Frankenstein (1974),…
Read More
1999
Polish footballer (born 1934)
Horst Lothar Mahseli was a Polish footballer who is best remembered for his 1950s performances in both Legia Warsaw and the Poland national team.
Read More
1999
Finnish 12th General of The Salvation Army (born 1918)
Jarl Holger Wahlström was the 12th General of The Salvation Army (1981–86).
Read More
1999
American poet and educator (born 1917)
Gwendolyn Elizabeth Brooks was an American poet, author, and teacher. Her work often dealt with the personal celebrations and struggles of ordinary people in her community. She won the Pulitzer Prize for Poetry on May…
Read More
2000
American composer and producer (born 1922)
Hoyt Stoddard Curtin was an American composer, music producer and the primary musical director for Hanna-Barbera from its beginnings with The Ruff and Reddy Show from 1957 to 1965, and again from 1972 to 1986 until his…
Read More
2000
American illustrator (born 1906)
Adrienne Adams was an American children's book illustrator as well as an artist and writer of children's books. She won two Caldecott Honors and in 1973 she was awarded the Rutgers Award for overall contributions to…
Read More
2002
Irish-American actor (born 1970)
Glenn Martin Christopher Francis Quinn was an Irish actor, best known for his portrayal of Mark Healy on the 1990s family sitcom Roseanne and his role as the half-demon Allen Francis Doyle on Angel, a spin-off series of…
Read More
2002
English actor (born 1941)
David Leslie Edward Hemmings was an English actor, director, and producer of film and television. Originally trained as a boy soprano in operatic roles, he began appearing in films as a child actor in the 1950s. He…
Read More
2003
Indian historian, publisher and writer (born 1921)
Sita Ram Goel was an Indian Hindu nationalist writer, and publisher known for his literature pertaining to Hinduism and Hindu nationalism in the late twentieth century. He was one of the founders of Voice of India.
Read More
2003
Chinese-American mathematician and academic (born 1911)
Shiing-Shen Chern was a Chinese-born American mathematician and poet. He made fundamental contributions to differential geometry and topology. He has been called the "father of modern differential geometry" and is…
Read More
2004
American admiral (born 1912)
Frederick Lincoln "Dick" Ashworth was a United States Navy officer who served as the weaponeer on the B-29 Bockscar that dropped a Fat Man atomic bomb on Nagasaki, Japan on 9 August 1945 during World War II.
Read More
2005
American baseball player (born 1928)
Herbert Moford was an American right-handed pitcher in Major League Baseball for the St. Louis Cardinals (1955), Detroit Tigers (1958), Boston Red Sox (1959) and New York Mets (1962). He was born in Brooksville,…
Read More
2005
Finnish pop/schlager singer (born 1964)
Kirsi Hannele Sirén, better known by her stage name Kikka, was a Finnish pop/schlager singer. She was known for her sexpot image and suggestive, double entendre-filled songs. Kikka's best-known songs were "Mä haluun…
Read More
2005
Australian cartoonist and actor (born 1948)
James Lawrence Kemsley OAM was an Australian cartoonist who was notable for producing the comic strip Ginger Meggs between 1984 and 2007.
Read More
2007
Polish-American psychologist and author (born 1923)
Robert Bolesław Zajonc was a Polish social psychologist who is known for his decades of work on a wide range of social and cognitive processes. One of his most important contributions to social psychology is the…
Read More
2008
Brazilian actress and journalist (born 1959)
Leila Lopes was a Brazilian actress, journalist and television presenter, known for her appearance in TV Globo telenovelas and later for entering the pornographic film industry.
Read More
2009
Irish-born British soldier and actor (born 1919)
Richard Andrew Palethorpe-Todd was a British actor known for his leading man roles of the 1950s. He received a Golden Globe Award for Most Promising Newcomer – Male, and an Academy Award for Best Actor nomination and a…
Read More
2009
Azerbaijani poet and author (born 1927)
Abdumalik Bahori was a children's poet and the first Tajikistani fiction writer. He was born into a middle-class family who worked in the silk producing industry. He graduated from Leninabad Pedagogical Institute in…
Read More
2010
2011
Iraqi-Lebanese archbishop (born 1938)
Jules Mikhael Al-Jamil was a Syriac Catholic prelate who served as an auxiliary bishop for the Patriarchate of Antioch from 1986 until his death in 2012.
Read More
2012
Puerto Rican-American lawyer and politician (born 1929)
Herman Badillo was an American lawyer and politician who served as borough president of The Bronx and United States Representative, and ran for Mayor of New York City. He was the first Puerto Rican elected to these…
Read More
2014
Jamaican singer and pianist (born 1934)
Gladstone Anderson, also known by his nickname "Gladdy", was a Jamaican pianist, keyboard player, and singer, who played a major part in the island's musical history, playing a key role in defining the ska sound and the…
Read More
2015
American singer-songwriter (born 1967)
Scott Richard Weiland was an American singer and songwriter. He was best known as the lead vocalist of the rock band Stone Temple Pilots from 1989 to 2003 and again from 2008 to 2013, recording six albums with them.…
Read More
2015
Norwegian journalist and war historian (born 1920)
Ragnar Leif Ulstein MM was a Norwegian journalist, writer and resistance member. He wrote several documentary books from the Second World War, including surveys of the SOE group Norwegian Independent Company 1,…
Read More
2019
Somali politician (born 1944)
Mohamed Ali Yusuf Gaagaab was a Somali politician. He served as acting Vice President of Puntland from 10 October 2004 to 8 January 2005, and later he was appointed Minister of Finance of Puntland beginning on 25…
Read More
2024
Advertisement
Notable deaths
Who died on December 3?
Carl Zeiss — German optician and optical instrument maker
FeaturedCarl Zeiss
Death year1888
Known forIn 1846 he founded his workshop, which is still in business as Zeiss
Deaths on this date88 (311 – 2024)
Explore December 3
Jump between the main pages for this date to compare events, people, and the daily quiz.
Also on December 3 in History
2024
Martial law is declared in South Korea. Wikipedia →
2023
Mount Marapi located in West Sumatra, Indonesia begins a sporadic series of eruptions. 23 people were killed, and 12 were injured. Wikipedia →
2022
See all events on December 3
Massive power outage after Moore County substation attack that leaves 45,000 people without power for five days, leading to an FBI probe. Wikipedia →
Advertisement