# What happened on January 3 in history?

**Date:** January 3  
**Events recorded:** 54  
**Years spanned:** 69 – 2026  
**Full page:** https://thisday.info/events/january/3/

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## Featured Event

**2026** — The United States conducts airstrikes across northern Venezuela, including the capital Caracas and captures Venezuelan president Nicolás Maduro and first lady Cilia Flores.

[Read more on Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States)

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## Events on this date

- **69** — The Roman legions on the Rhine refuse to declare their allegiance to Galba, instead proclaiming their legate, Aulus Vitellius, as emperor. ([Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/AD_69))
- **250** — Emperor Decius orders everyone in the Roman Empire (except Jews) to make sacrifices to the Roman gods. ([Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Decius))
- **1521** — Pope Leo X excommunicates Martin Luther in the papal bull Decet Romanum Pontificem. ([Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pope_Leo_X))
- **1653** — By the Coonan Cross Oath, the Eastern Church in India cuts itself off from colonial Portuguese tutelage. ([Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Coonan_Cross_Oath))
- **1749** — Benning Wentworth issues the first of the New Hampshire Grants, leading to the establishment of Vermont. ([Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Benning_Wentworth))
- **1749** — The first issue of Berlingske, Denmark's oldest continually operating newspaper, is published. ([Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Berlingske))
- **1777** — American Revolutionary War: American forces under General George Washington defeat British forces at the Battle of Princeton, helping boost patriot morale. ([Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/American_Revolutionary_War))
- **1815** — Austria, the United Kingdom, and France form a secret defensive alliance against Prussia and Russia. ([Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Prussia))
- **1833** — Captain James Onslow, in the Clio, reasserts British sovereignty over the Falkland Islands. ([Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Reassertion_of_British_sovereignty_over_the_Falkland_Islands_(1833)))
- **1848** — Joseph Jenkins Roberts is sworn in as the first president of Liberia. ([Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Joseph_Jenkins_Roberts))
- **1861** — American Civil War: Delaware votes not to secede from the United States. ([Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/American_Civil_War))
- **1868** — Meiji Restoration in Japan: The Tokugawa shogunate is abolished; agents of Satsuma and Chōshū seize power. ([Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Meiji_Restoration))
- **1870** — Construction work begins on the Brooklyn Bridge in New York, United States. ([Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brooklyn_Bridge))
- **1871** — In the Battle of Bapaume, an engagement in the Franco-Prussian War, General Louis Faidherbe's forces bring about a Prussian retreat. ([Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Bapaume_(1871)))
- **1885** — Sino-French War: Beginning of the Battle of Núi Bop. ([Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sino-French_War))
- **1911** — A magnitude 7.7 earthquake destroys the city of Almaty in Russian Turkestan. ([Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1911_Kebin_earthquake))
- **1911** — A gun battle in the East End of London leaves two dead. It sparked a political row over the involvement of then-Home Secretary Winston Churchill. ([Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Siege_of_Sidney_Street))
- **1913** — An Atlantic coast storm sets the lowest confirmed barometric pressure reading (955.0 mb (28.20 inHg)) for a non-tropical system in the continental United States. ([Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/January_1913_Atlantic_coast_storm))
- **1913** — First Balkan War: Greece completes its capture of the eastern Aegean island of Chios, as the last Ottoman forces on the island surrender. ([Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/First_Balkan_War))
- **1920** — Over 640 are killed after a magnitude 6.4 earthquake strikes the Mexican states Puebla and Veracruz. ([Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1920_Xalapa_earthquake))
- **1933** — Minnie D. Craig becomes the first woman elected as Speaker of the North Dakota House of Representatives, the first woman to hold a Speaker position anywhere in the United States. ([Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Minnie_D._Craig))
- **1944** — World War II: US flying ace Major Greg "Pappy" Boyington is shot down in his Vought F4U Corsair by Captain Masajiro Kawato flying a Mitsubishi A6M Zero. ([Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/World_War_II))
- **1946** — Popular Canadian American jockey George Woolf suffers a concussion during a freak racing accident; he dies from the injury the following day. The annual George Woolf Memorial Jockey Award is created to honor him. ([Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Canadian_Americans))
- **1947** — Proceedings of the U.S. Congress are televised for the first time. ([Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_Congress))
- **1949** — The Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas, the central bank of the Philippines, is established. ([Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bangko_Sentral_ng_Pilipinas))
- **1953** — Frances P. Bolton and her son, Oliver from Ohio, become the first mother and son to serve simultaneously in the U.S. Congress. ([Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Frances_P._Bolton))
- **1956** — A fire damages the top part of the Eiffel Tower. ([Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eiffel_Tower))
- **1957** — The Hamilton Watch Company introduces the first electric watch. ([Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hamilton_Watch_Company))
- **1958** — The West Indies Federation is formed. ([Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/West_Indies_Federation))
- **1959** — Alaska is admitted as the 49th U.S. state. ([Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alaska))
- **1961** — Cold War: After a series of economic retaliations against one another, the United States severs diplomatic relations with Cuba. ([Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cold_War))
- **1961** — The SL-1 nuclear reactor, near Idaho Falls, Idaho, is destroyed by a steam explosion in the only reactor incident in the United States to cause immediate fatalities. ([Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SL-1))
- **1961** — A protest by agricultural workers in Baixa de Cassanje, Portuguese Angola, turns into a revolt, opening the Angolan War of Independence, the first of the Portuguese Colonial Wars. ([Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Baixa_de_Cassanje))
- **1961** — Aero Flight 311 crashes into the forest in Kvevlax, Finland, killing 25 people. ([Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aero_Flight_311))
- **1962** — Pope John XXIII excommunicates Fidel Castro. ([Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pope_John_XXIII))
- **1976** — The International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights, adopted by the United Nations General Assembly, comes into force. ([Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/International_Covenant_on_Economic%2C_Social_and_Cultural_Rights))
- **1977** — Apple Computer is incorporated. ([Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Apple_Inc.))
- **1987** — Varig Flight 797 crashes near Akouré in the Ivory Coast, resulting in 50 deaths. ([Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Varig_Flight_797))
- **1990** — United States invasion of Panama: Manuel Noriega, former leader of Panama, surrenders to American forces. ([Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_invasion_of_Panama))
- **1992** — CommutAir Flight 4821 crashes on approach to Adirondack Regional Airport, in Saranac Lake, New York, killing two people. ([Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/CommutAir_Flight_4821))
- **1993** — In Moscow, Russia, George H. W. Bush and Boris Yeltsin sign the second Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty (START). ([Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/George_H._W._Bush))
- **1994** — Baikal Airlines Flight 130 crashes near Mamoney, Irkutsk, Russia, resulting in 125 deaths. ([Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Baikal_Airlines_Flight_130))
- **1999** — The Mars Polar Lander is launched by NASA. ([Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mars_Polar_Lander))
- **2002** — Israeli–Palestinian conflict: Israeli forces seize the Palestinian freighter Karine A in the Red Sea, finding 50 tons of weapons. ([Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Israeli%E2%80%93Palestinian_conflict))
- **2004** — Flash Airlines Flight 604 crashes into the Red Sea, resulting in 148 deaths, making it one of the deadliest aviation accidents in Egyptian history. ([Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flash_Airlines_Flight_604))
- **2009** — The first block of the blockchain of the decentralized payment system Bitcoin, called the Genesis block, is established by the creator of the system, Satoshi Nakamoto. ([Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Payment_system))
- **2015** — Boko Haram militants destroy the entire town of Baga in north-east Nigeria, starting the Baga massacre and killing as many as 2,000 people. ([Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Boko_Haram))
- **2016** — In response to the execution of Nimr al-Nimr, Iran ends its diplomatic relations with Saudi Arabia. ([Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nimr_al-Nimr))
- **2018** — For the first time in history, all five major storm surge gates in the Netherlands are closed simultaneously in the wake of a storm.
- **2019** — Chang'e 4 makes the first soft landing on the far side of the Moon, deploying the Yutu-2 lunar rover. ([Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chang'e_4))
- **2020** — Iranian General Qasem Soleimani is killed by an American airstrike near Baghdad International Airport, igniting global concerns of a potential armed conflict. ([Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Qasem_Soleimani))
- **2023** — Singapore's Jurong Bird Park permanently closes. ([Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jurong_Bird_Park))
- **2024** — At least 91 people are killed in bombings in Kerman, Iran, during a ceremony commemorating the assassination of Iranian General Qasem Soleimani four years earlier. ([Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2024_Kerman_bombings))
- **2026** — The United States conducts airstrikes across northern Venezuela, including the capital Caracas and captures Venezuelan president Nicolás Maduro and first lady Cilia Flores. ([Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States))

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## Notable births on January 3

- **2004** — **Carlos Baleba** — Cameroonian footballer ([Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carlos_Baleba))
- **2004** — **Toby Collyer** — English footballer ([Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Toby_Collyer))
- **2004** — **Habib Diarra** — Senegalese footballer ([Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Habib_Diarra))
- **2003** — **Kyle Rittenhouse** — American conservative personality ([Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kyle_Rittenhouse))
- **2003** — **Greta Thunberg** — Swedish environmental activist ([Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Greta_Thunberg))
- **2003** — **Alan Virginius** — French footballer ([Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alan_Virginius))
- **2002** — **Nico González** — Spanish footballer ([Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nico_Gonz%C3%A1lez_(footballer%2C_born_2002)))
- **2001** — **Deni Avdija** — Israeli-Serbian basketball player ([Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Deni_Avdija))
- **2000** — **Leandro Barreiro** — Luxembourgish  footballer ([Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Leandro_Barreiro))
- **2000** — **João Mário** — Portuguese footballer ([Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jo%C3%A3o_M%C3%A1rio_(footballer%2C_born_2000)))

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## Notable deaths on January 3

- **2025** — **Jeff Baena** — American filmmaker (born 1977) ([Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jeff_Baena))
- **2025** — **Brenton Wood** — American R&B singer-songwriter and keyboard player (born 1941) ([Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brenton_Wood))
- **2025** — **Niko Lekishvili** — Georgian politician (born 1947) ([Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Niko_Lekishvili))
- **2023** — **Elena Huelva** — Spanish cancer activist and influencer (born 2002) ([Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Elena_Huelva))
- **2021** — **Eric Jerome Dickey** — American author (born 1961) ([Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eric_Jerome_Dickey))
- **2020** — **Qasem Soleimani** — Iranian major general, commander of the Iranian Quds Force (born 1957) ([Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Qasem_Soleimani))
- **2019** — **Herb Kelleher** — American businessman, co-founder of Southwest Airlines (born 1931) ([Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Herb_Kelleher))
- **2018** — **Colin Brumby** — Australian composer (born 1933) ([Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Colin_Brumby))
- **2017** — **H. S. Mahadeva Prasad** — Indian politician (born 1958) ([Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/H._S._Mahadeva_Prasad))
- **2016** — **Paul Bley** — Canadian-American pianist and composer (born 1932) ([Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paul_Bley))

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## About this page

This is a machine-readable Markdown summary of [thisday.info/events/january/3/](https://thisday.info/events/january/3/).  
Historical data is sourced from [Wikipedia/Wikimedia](https://www.wikipedia.org) under [CC BY-SA](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/).  
Editorial framing and site content © thisday.info.