136 things happened on 3 February, from AD 6 to 2016. UK stories come first, then the rest of the world.
1830 · 196 years ago
Great Britain, France and Russia signed the London Protocol, an agreement that recognised Greece as a fully independent country. Greece had been part of the Ottoman Empire, which was centred in what is now Turkey. The Greeks had fought for their freedom in th…
UK history first: stories from England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.
UK story
Great Britain, France and Russia signed the London Protocol, an agreement that recognised Greece as a fully independent country. Greece had been part of the Ottoman Empire, which was centred in what is now Turkey. The Greeks had fought for their freedom in the Greek War of Independence, which broke out in 1821. The protocol also set out Greece's northern border.
UK story
Prime Minister Harold Macmillan made a famous speech to the Parliament of South Africa in Cape Town. He said that 'the wind of change is blowing through this continent'. His words showed that Britain would no longer stand in the way of independence for many of its colonies in Africa. He also made clear that Britain disagreed with some of South Africa's own policies, such as apartheid.
UK story
Emperor Henry III declared Drogo of Hauteville to be count of all Apulian and Calabrian Normans.
UK story
Mudéjar revolt: King James I of Aragon entered the formerly Muslim-held city of Murcia following its surrender three days earlier.
UK story
Battle of São Vicente takes place off Portuguese Brazil where three English warships led by navigator Edward Fenton fight off three Spanish galleons sinking one in the process.
UK story
American Revolutionary War: British forces seize the Dutch-owned Caribbean island Sint Eustatius.
UK story
A British military force, under Brigadier-General Sir Samuel Auchmuty captures the Spanish Empire city of Montevideo, now the capital of Uruguay.
UK story
World War II: Free French and British forces began the Battle of Keren to capture the strategic town of Keren in Italian East Africa.
Portuguese explorer Bartolomeu Dias landed at Mossel Bay after sailing round the Cape of Good Hope. He was the first European navigator to sail round the southern tip of Africa. He also showed the best route for ships heading south. Later, Vasco da Gama used his discoveries to open a sea route between Europe and Asia.
In the Dutch Republic, prices for some tulip bulbs had climbed to amazingly high levels. Tulips were new and fashionable, and prices shot up from 1634 before suddenly collapsing in February 1637. Tulip mania is often called the first recorded 'bubble' in history. In a bubble, prices rise far above what things are really worth, then crash.
The colony of Massachusetts became the first place in the Americas to issue paper money. Massachusetts Bay was an English settlement on the east coast of North America, in New England. Its first settlements grew up around Salem and Boston. Paper money, sometimes called notes or bills, is a form of money that people can use instead of coins.
The Fifteenth Amendment became part of the United States Constitution. It says no citizen can be denied the vote because of their race, or because they were once enslaved. It was the last of three changes made after the American Civil War to give freed slaves equal rights. Sadly, some states later found unfair ways to stop Black people from voting.
The Soviet Union's Luna 9 became the first spacecraft to make a soft landing on the Moon. This means it touched down gently instead of crashing. It was also the first spacecraft to send back pictures from the Moon's surface. Luna 9 had no crew on board and was part of the Soviet Union's Luna programme.
Steve Jobs, the co-founder of Apple, bought Pixar from Lucasfilm and launched it as an independent computer animation studio. He became its chairman. Pixar went on to make hugely successful computer-animated feature films. It is now part of the Walt Disney Company and is based in Emeryville, California.
The Space Shuttle Discovery lifted off at night from the Kennedy Space Center with Eileen Collins as its pilot. She was the first woman to pilot a Space Shuttle, and she later became the first woman to command one. On the mission, Discovery met up with Russia's space station, Mir. During the flight, Michael Foale became the first UK-born astronaut to go on a spacewalk.
Ramon Berenguer III, Count of Barcelona, and Douce I, Countess of Provence, marry, uniting the fortunes of those two states.
Sultan Mehmed II inherits the throne of the Ottoman Empire.
The Portuguese navy defeats a joint fleet of the Ottoman Empire, the Republic of Venice, the Sultan of Gujarat, the Mamlûk Burji Sultanate of Egypt, the Zamorin of Calicut, and the Republic of Ragusa at the Battle of Diu in Diu, India.
The House of Assembly of Barbados meets for the first time.
During the Battle of Fraustadt Swedish forces defeat a superior Saxon-Polish-Russian force by deploying a double envelopment.
Spain–United States relations are first established.
Militia led by General Benjamin Lincoln crush the remnants of Shays' Rebellion in Petersham, Massachusetts.
The Territory of Illinois is created by the 10th United States Congress.
Argentine War of Independence: José de San Martín and the Mounted Grenadiers Regiment defeated Spanish royalist forces in the Battle of San Lorenzo (depicted).
The Argentine Confederation was defeated in the Platine War by an alliance consisting of Brazil, Uruguay and the Argentine provinces of Entre Ríos and Corrientes.
Moldavia and Wallachia formally united, creating the Romanian United Principalities.
The Sixteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution is ratified, authorizing the Federal government to impose and collect an income tax.
World War I: The American entry into World War I begins when diplomatic relations with Germany are severed due to its unrestricted submarine warfare.
The Twin Peaks Tunnel in San Francisco, California begins service as the longest streetcar tunnel in the world at 11,920 feet (3,630 meters) long.
A revolt against the military dictatorship of Portugal breaks out at Porto.
The Communist Party of Indochina, the Communist Party of Annam and the Communist League of Indochina merged to form the Communist Party of Vietnam.
World War II: During the Gilbert and Marshall Islands campaign, U.S. Army and Marine forces seize Kwajalein Atoll from the defending Japanese garrison.
World War II: The United States and the Philippine Commonwealth begin a month-long battle to retake Manila from Japan.
Founding of the Benelux Economic Union, creating a testing ground for a later European Economic Community.
Space Shuttle program: STS-41-B is launched using Space Shuttle Challenger.
Doctor John Buster and a research team at Harbor-UCLA Medical Center in the United States announce history's first embryo transfer, from one woman to another resulting in a live birth.
After a stroke two weeks previously, South African President P. W. Botha resigns as leader of the National Party, but stays on as president for six more months.
Space Shuttle program: STS-60 is launched, carrying Sergei Krikalev, the first Russian cosmonaut to fly aboard the Shuttle.
An edition of L'Homme qui marche I, a bronze sculpture by Swiss sculptor Alberto Giacometti, was sold for £65 million, setting the record for the most expensive sculpture sold at auction.
Every answer is somewhere on this page. Have a go, then check!
In which year did this happen: “Harold Macmillan gives his 'Wind of Change' speech”?
A: 1960. 1960 — that’s 66 years ago. Find it on the page
In which year did this happen: “Britain, France and Russia recognise Greece as independent”?
A: 1830. 1830 — that’s 196 years ago. Find it on the page
Which of these happened first?
B: Britain, France and Russia recognise Greece as independent. 1960: Harold Macmillan gives his 'Wind of Change' speech · 1830: Britain, France and Russia recognise Greece as independent · 1986: Steve Jobs buys Pixar and sets it up as an animation studio Find it on the page
“Elizabeth Blackwell” happened in 1821. How many years ago was that?
C: 205 years. 2026 − 1821 = 205. Find it on the page
Famous people whose birthday is 3 February.
UK story
Elizabeth Blackwell was an English-born doctor who became the first woman to earn a medical degree in the United States. She was also the first woman on the Medical Register of the General Medical Council in the United Kingdom. She worked hard to help women train in medicine in both countries. An award called the Elizabeth Blackwell Medal is named after her.
UK story
Gideon Mantell was an English doctor, geologist and palaeontologist, a scientist who studies fossils. In 1822 he found the first fossil teeth of Iguanodon, and later much of its skeleton. His efforts to piece together what Iguanodon looked like and how it lived began the scientific study of dinosaurs. He also studied the rocks of southern England.
Well-known people who died on 3 February.
Festivals, holidays and saints’ days celebrated on 3 February somewhere in the world.
Setsubun, which means 'seasonal division', is a Japanese festival held the day before the start of spring in the old calendar. Its traditions are meant to chase away bad luck and evil spirits. People throw beans at homes, temples and shrines. Some eat a whole uncut sushi roll while facing the year's luckiest direction.
Content note: these entries mention things like war, violence, deaths, disasters or crime. They are part of history, but they can be upsetting. Grown-ups and teachers: you may want to read them first. They come straight from Wikipedia and have not been rewritten for children.
Stories with a heading have been written for young readers by A Day in the Past, using the linked articles as sources. Other entries show text from Wikipedia’s “February 3” page and its “On this day” feed, written by Wikipedia contributors and shared under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 licence. Each “Read more” link goes to the article an entry is based on. Photos are credited under each picture. Spotted a mistake? Please tell us.