1602
424 years ago
UK story
Anglo-Spanish War: The English navy defeated a Spanish–Portuguese fleet off Sesimbra, Portugal, and captured a carrack.
On this day: 3 June
129 things happened on 3 June, from AD 350 to 2025. UK stories come first, then the rest of the world.
In the UK 7
UK history first: stories from England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.
1665
361 years ago
UK story
James Stuart, Duke of York (later to become King James II of England), defeats the Dutch fleet off the coast of Lowestoft.
1781
245 years ago
UK story
American Revolutionary War: Jack Jouett rode 40 miles (64 km) to warn Thomas Jefferson and the Virginia legislature of British cavalry who had been sent to capture them.
1892
134 years ago
UK story
Liverpool F.C. (stadium pictured), one of England's most successful football clubs, was founded.
1917
109 years ago
UK story
A socialist convention in Leeds, United Kingdom, called for an end to the First World War and the establishment of Workers' and Soldiers' Delegates across the country.
1937
89 years ago
UK story
Half a year after abdicating the British throne, Edward, Duke of Windsor, married American socialite Wallis Simpson in a private ceremony in France.
2012
14 years ago
UK story
The pageant for the Diamond Jubilee of Elizabeth II takes place on the River Thames.
Around the world 26
AD 350
1,676 years ago
The Roman usurper Nepotianus, of the Constantinian dynasty, proclaims himself Roman emperor, entering Rome at the head of a group of gladiators.
1098
928 years ago
After a five-month siege during the First Crusade, the Crusaders seize Antioch.
1140
886 years ago
The French scholar Peter Abelard is found guilty of heresy.
1326
700 years ago
The Treaty of Novgorod established the border between Norway and the Novgorod Republic in Finnmark.
1539
487 years ago
Hernando de Soto claims Florida for Spain.
1608
418 years ago
Samuel de Champlain lands at Tadoussac, Quebec, in the course of his third voyage to New France, and begins erecting fortifications.
1621
405 years ago
The Dutch West India Company receives a charter for New Netherland.
1658
368 years ago
Pope Alexander VII appointed François de Laval as the first apostolic vicar of New France.
1700
326 years ago
Foundation of the Academy of the Distrustful in the library room of the Palau Dalmases in Barcelona.
1770
256 years ago
Mission San Carlos Borromeo de Carmelo, a historic Catholic mission church in present-day Carmel-by-the-Sea, California, and the site of the first Christian confirmation in Alta California, was established.
1861
165 years ago
American Civil War: Battle of Philippi (also called the Philippi Races): Union forces rout Confederate troops in Barbour County, Virginia, now West Virginia.
1863
163 years ago
American Civil War: Robert E. Lee and his Army of Northern Virginia begin marching to invade the North for a second time, starting the Gettysburg campaign.
1885
141 years ago
In the last military engagement fought on Canadian soil, the Cree leader, Big Bear, escapes the North-West Mounted Police.
1889
137 years ago
The first long-distance electric power transmission line in the United States is completed, running 14 miles (23 km) between a generator at Willamette Falls and downtown Portland, Oregon.
1916
110 years ago
The National Defense Act is signed into law, increasing the size of the United States National Guard by 450,000 men.
1935
91 years ago
One thousand unemployed Canadian workers board freight cars in Vancouver, beginning a protest trek to Ottawa.
1950
76 years ago
Maurice Herzog and Louis Lachenal, members of the French Annapurna expedition, became the first climbers to reach the summit of a peak higher than 8,000 metres (26,247 ft) above sea level.
1963
63 years ago
Buddhist crisis: South Vietnamese soldiers attacked Buddhist protesters in Huế with liquid chemicals from tear gas grenades, causing 67 people to be hospitalised.
1965
61 years ago
The launch of Gemini 4, the first multi-day space mission by a NASA crew. Ed White, a crew member, performs the first American spacewalk.
1979
47 years ago
Having invaded Uganda and deposed President Idi Amin, Tanzanian forces secured Uganda's western border, ending a seven-month war.
1989
37 years ago
The government of China sends troops to force protesters out of Tiananmen Square after seven weeks of occupation.
1992
34 years ago
Australian Aboriginal land rights are recognised in Mabo v Queensland (No 2), a case brought by Torres Strait Islander Eddie Mabo which led to the Native Title Act 1993 overturning the long-held colonial assumption of terra nullius.
2006
20 years ago
The union of Serbia and Montenegro comes to an end with Montenegro's formal declaration of independence.
2013
13 years ago
The trial of United States Army private Chelsea Manning for leaking classified material to WikiLeaks begins in Fort Meade, Maryland.
2025
1 year ago
Prime minister of Mongolia Luvsannamsrain Oyun-Erdene resigned after weeks of protests.
2025
1 year ago
Reconstitution of the Academy of the Distrustful in the Sala Dalmases of the Historical Archive of the City of Barcelona in Barcelona.
Quick quiz
Every answer is somewhere on this page. Have a go, then check!
-
In which year did this happen: “Liverpool F.C., one of England's most successful football clubs, was founded”?
- 1937
- 1892
- 1726
Show the answer
B: 1892. 1892 — that’s 134 years ago. Find it on the page
-
In which year did this happen: “American Revolutionary War: Jack Jouett rode 40 miles (64 km) to warn Thomas”?
- 1892
- 1781
- 1989
Show the answer
B: 1781. 1781 — that’s 245 years ago. Find it on the page
-
Which of these happened first?
- American Revolutionary War: Jack Jouett rode 40 miles (64 km) to warn Thomas
- Anglo-Spanish War: The English navy defeated a Spanish–Portuguese fleet off
- Liverpool F.C., one of England's most successful football clubs, was founded
Show the answer
B: Anglo-Spanish War: The English navy defeated a Spanish–Portuguese fleet off. 1781: American Revolutionary War: Jack Jouett rode 40 miles (64 km) to warn Thomas · 1602: Anglo-Spanish War: The English navy defeated a Spanish–Portuguese fleet off · 1892: Liverpool F.C., one of England's most successful football clubs, was founded Find it on the page
-
“Anglo-Spanish War: The English navy defeated a Spanish–Portuguese fleet off” happened in 1602. How many years ago was that?
- 434 years
- 414 years
- 424 years
Show the answer
C: 424 years. 2026 − 1602 = 424. Find it on the page
Born on this day 40
Famous people whose birthday is 3 June.
- 1986 Rafael Nadal — Spanish tennis player Read more about Rafael Nadal on Wikipedia
- 1865 George V UK Read more about George V on Wikipedia
- 1931 Raúl Castro — Cuban commander and politician, 18th President of Cuba Read more about Raúl Castro on Wikipedia
- 1726 James Hutton — Scottish geologist and physician (died 1797) UK Read more about James Hutton on Wikipedia
- 1906 Josephine Baker — French actress, singer, and dancer; French Resistance operative (died 1975) Read more about Josephine Baker on Wikipedia
- 1926 Allen Ginsberg — American poet (died 1997) Read more about Allen Ginsberg on Wikipedia
- 1950 Suzi Quatro — American-English singer-songwriter and guitarist UK Read more about Suzi Quatro on Wikipedia
- 1808 Jefferson Davis — American colonel and politician, President of the Confederate States of America from 1861 - 1865 (died 1889) Read more about Jefferson Davis on Wikipedia
- 1853 Flinders Petrie — English archaeologist and academic (died 1942) UK Read more about Flinders Petrie on Wikipedia
- 1989 Imogen Poots — English actress and model UK Read more about Imogen Poots on Wikipedia
- 1540 Charles II — Archduke of Austria (died 1590) UK Read more about Charles II on Wikipedia
- 1925 Tony Curtis — American actor (died 2010) Read more about Tony Curtis on Wikipedia
- 1951 Jill Biden — American educator, First Lady of the United States Read more about Jill Biden on Wikipedia
- 1982 Yelena Isinbayeva — Russian pole vaulter Read more about Yelena Isinbayeva on Wikipedia
- 1992 Mario Götze — German footballer Read more about Mario Götze on Wikipedia
- 1946 Penelope Wilton — English actress UK Read more about Penelope Wilton on Wikipedia
- 1879 Vivian Woodward — English footballer and soldier (died 1954) UK Read more about Vivian Woodward on Wikipedia
- 1910 Wilfred Thesiger — British military officer, explorer, and writer (died 2003) UK Read more about Wilfred Thesiger on Wikipedia
- 2000 Beabadoobee — Filipino singer-songwriter UK Read more about Beabadoobee on Wikipedia
- 1910 Paulette Goddard — American actress and model (died 1990) Read more about Paulette Goddard on Wikipedia
- 1771 Sydney Smith — English preacher and author (died 1845) UK Read more about Sydney Smith on Wikipedia
- 1901 Maurice Evans — English actor (died 1989) UK Read more about Maurice Evans on Wikipedia
- 1922 Alain Resnais — French director, cinematographer, and screenwriter (died 2014) Read more about Alain Resnais on Wikipedia
- 1659 David Gregory — Scottish-English mathematician and astronomer (died 1708) UK Read more about David Gregory on Wikipedia
- 1940 Ian Hunter — English singer-songwriter and guitarist UK Read more about Ian Hunter on Wikipedia
- 1961 Lawrence Lessig — American lawyer, academic, and author, founded the Creative Commons Read more about Lawrence Lessig on Wikipedia
- 1956 George Burley — Scottish footballer and manager UK Read more about George Burley on Wikipedia
- 1929 Werner Arber — Swiss microbiologist and geneticist, Nobel Prize laureate Read more about Werner Arber on Wikipedia
- 1974 Kelly Jones — Welsh singer-songwriter and guitarist UK Read more about Kelly Jones on Wikipedia
- 1979 Christian Malcolm — Welsh sprinter UK Read more about Christian Malcolm on Wikipedia
- 1945 Bill Paterson — Scottish actor UK Read more about Bill Paterson on Wikipedia
- 1843 Frederick VIII of Denmark Read more about Frederick VIII of Denmark on Wikipedia
- 1906 R. G. D. Allen — English economist, mathematician, and statistician (died 1983) UK Read more about R. G. D. Allen on Wikipedia
- 1962 Susannah Constantine — English fashion designer, journalist, and author UK Read more about Susannah Constantine on Wikipedia
- 2005 Désiré Doué — French footballer Read more about Désiré Doué on Wikipedia
- 1998 Sam Curran — English cricketer UK Read more about Sam Curran on Wikipedia
- 1907 Paul Rotha — English director and producer (died 1984) UK Read more about Paul Rotha on Wikipedia
- 1985 Łukasz Piszczek — Polish footballer Read more about Łukasz Piszczek on Wikipedia
- 1877 Raoul Dufy — French painter and illustrator (died 1953) Read more about Raoul Dufy on Wikipedia
- 1723 Giovanni Antonio Scopoli — Italian physician, geologist, and botanist (died 1788) Read more about Giovanni Antonio Scopoli on Wikipedia
Remembering 19
Well-known people who died on 3 June.
- 1924 Franz Kafka — Czech-Austrian lawyer and author (born 1883) Read more about Franz Kafka on Wikipedia
- 2016 Muhammad Ali — American boxer (born 1942) Read more about Muhammad Ali on Wikipedia
- 1963 Pope John XXIII Read more about Pope John XXIII on Wikipedia
- 1657 William Harvey — English physician and academic (born 1578) UK Read more about William Harvey on Wikipedia
- 1989 Ruhollah Khomeini — Iranian religious leader and politician, 1st Supreme Leader of Iran (born 1900) Read more about Ruhollah Khomeini on Wikipedia
- 1977 Archibald Hill — English physiologist and politician, Nobel Prize laureate (born 1886) UK Read more about Archibald Hill on Wikipedia
- 1875 Georges Bizet — French pianist and composer (born 1838) Read more about Georges Bizet on Wikipedia
- 1899 Johann Strauss II — Austrian composer and educator (born 1825) Read more about Johann Strauss II on Wikipedia
- 1826 Nikolay Karamzin — Russian historian and poet (born 1766) Read more about Nikolay Karamzin on Wikipedia
- 1964 Frans Eemil Sillanpää — Finnish author and academic, Nobel Prize laureate (born 1888) Read more about Frans Eemil Sillanpää on Wikipedia
- 2001 Anthony Quinn — Mexican-American actor and producer (born 1915) Read more about Anthony Quinn on Wikipedia
- 1975 Eisaku Satō — Japanese and politician, Prime Minister of Japan (born 1901) Read more about Eisaku Satō on Wikipedia
- 1900 Mary Kingsley — English explorer and author (born 1862) UK Read more about Mary Kingsley on Wikipedia
- 1963 Nâzım Hikmet — Turkish poet, author, and playwright (born 1902) Read more about Nâzım Hikmet on Wikipedia
- 1992 Robert Morley — English actor and screenwriter (born 1908) UK Read more about Robert Morley on Wikipedia
- 1977 Roberto Rossellini — Italian director and screenwriter (born 1906) Read more about Roberto Rossellini on Wikipedia
- 1986 Anna Neagle — English actress and singer (born 1904) UK Read more about Anna Neagle on Wikipedia
- 2012 Roy Salvadori — English racing driver and manager (born 1922) UK Read more about Roy Salvadori on Wikipedia
- 2024 William Russell — English actor (born 1924) UK Read more about William Russell on Wikipedia
Special days 11
Festivals, holidays and saints’ days celebrated on 3 June somewhere in the world.
- World Bicycle Day Read more about World Bicycle Day on Wikipedia
- Economist day (Buenos Aires, Argentina) Read more about Commerce Consulate of Buenos Aires on Wikipedia
- Confederate Memorial Day (Kentucky, and Tennessee, United States) Read more about Confederate Memorial Day on Wikipedia
- Mabo Day (Australia) Read more about Mabo Day on Wikipedia
- Christian saints’ and feast days: Blessed Francis Ingleby, Clotilde, Vladimirskaya (Russian Orthodox), Kevin of Glendalough, Juan Grande Román, Ovidius, June 3 (Eastern Orthodox liturgics).
For older readers 26 Show stories about war, disasters, crime and other difficult history
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.
- 1982 A failed assassination attempt was made on Shlomo Argov, the Israeli ambassador to the United Kingdom, triggering an Israeli decision to invade Lebanon three days later. Read more about Shlomo Argov on Wikipedia
- 1882 The British merchant ship Virago sank off Alderney with the loss of 26 crew. Read more about SS Virago on Wikipedia
- 1839 In Humen, China, Lin Zexu destroys 1.2 million kilograms of opium confiscated from British merchants, providing Britain with a casus belli to open hostilities, resulting in the First Opium War. Read more about Lin Zexu on Wikipedia
- 1844 The last known pair of great auks (one pictured), the only modern species in the genus Pinguinus of flightless birds, were killed on Eldey, Iceland. Read more about Great auk on Wikipedia
- 1969 During a SEATO exercise in the South China Sea, a collision between HMAS Melbourne and USS Frank E. Evans resulted in the latter vessel being cut in two and the deaths of 74 personnel. Read more about Southeast Asia Treaty Organization on Wikipedia
- 1968 American radical feminist Valerie Solanas shot and wounded visual artist Andy Warhol and two others at Warhol's New York City studio, the Factory. Read more about Radical feminism on Wikipedia
- AD 713 The Byzantine emperor Philippicus is blinded, deposed and sent into exile by conspirators of the Opsikion army in Thrace. He is succeeded by Anastasios II, who begins the reorganization of the Byzantine army. Read more about Byzantine Empire on Wikipedia
- 1864 American Civil War: Union forces under Ulysses S. Grant sustain heavy casualties attacking Confederate troops under Robert E. Lee at the Battle of Cold Harbor in Hanover County, Virginia. Read more about Ulysses S. Grant on Wikipedia
- 1941 World War II: In reprisal for the participation of the local population in the Battle of Crete, the German Wehrmacht destroyed the village of Kandanos, Greece, and killed about 180 of its inhabitants. Read more about Battle of Crete on Wikipedia
- 1973 At the Paris Air Show, a Tupolev Tu-144 broke up in mid-air, killing all six members of its crew and eight bystanders on the ground. Read more about Paris Air Show on Wikipedia
- 1940 Franz Rademacher, a Nazi official, proposed that the island of Madagascar be made available as a destination for the resettlement of the Jewish population of Europe. Read more about Franz Rademacher on Wikipedia
- 1921 At his trial for the assassination of Talaat Pasha, viewed as the main orchestrator of the Armenian genocide, Soghomon Tehlirian was acquitted after arguing: "I have killed a man, but I am not a murderer." Read more about Assassination of Talaat Pasha on Wikipedia
- 1942 World War II: Japan begins the Aleutian Islands Campaign by bombing Unalaska Island. Read more about Empire of Japan on Wikipedia
- 1943 In Los Angeles, California, white U.S. Navy sailors and Marines attack Latino youths in the five-day Zoot Suit Riots. Read more about United States Navy on Wikipedia
- 1940 World War II: During the Battle of France, the Luftwaffe bombs Paris. Read more about Battle of France on Wikipedia
- 1962 At Paris Orly Airport, Air France Flight 007 overruns the runway and explodes when the crew attempts to abort takeoff, killing 130. Read more about Orly Airport on Wikipedia
- 1991 Mount Unzen erupts in Kyūshū, Japan, killing 43 people, all of them either researchers or journalists. Read more about Mount Unzen on Wikipedia
- 1984 Operation Blue Star, a military offensive, is launched by the Indian government at Harmandir Sahib, also known as the Golden Temple, the holiest shrine for Sikhs, in Amritsar. The operation continues until June 6, with casualties, most of them civilians, in excess of 5,000. Read more about Operation Blue Star on Wikipedia
- 1998 After suffering a mechanical failure, a high speed train derails at Eschede, Germany, killing 101 people. Read more about Eschede train disaster on Wikipedia
- 2012 A plane carrying 153 people crashes in a residential neighborhood in Lagos, Nigeria, killing everyone on board plus six people on the ground. Read more about Dana Air Flight 0992 on Wikipedia
- 2019 Khartoum massacre: In Sudan, over 100 people are killed when security forces accompanied by Janjaweed militiamen storm and open fire on a sit-in protest. Read more about Khartoum massacre on Wikipedia
- 1979 A blowout at the Ixtoc I oil well in the southern Gulf of Mexico causes at least 3,000,000 barrels (480,000 m3) of oil to be spilled into the waters, the second-worst accidental oil spill ever recorded. Read more about Ixtoc I oil spill on Wikipedia
- 2013 At least 119 people are killed in a fire at a poultry farm in Jilin Province in northeastern China. Read more about Jilin Baoyuanfeng poultry plant fire on Wikipedia
- 1980 The 1980 Grand Island tornado outbreak hits Nebraska, United States, causing five deaths and $300 million (equivalent to $1172 million in 2025) worth of damage. Read more about 1980 Grand Island tornado outbreak on Wikipedia
- — Christian feast day: Charles Lwanga and Companions (Roman Catholic Church), and its related observances: Martyrs' Day (Uganda) Read more about Martyrs' Day on Wikipedia
- — Opium Suppression Movement Day (Taiwan) Read more about Public holidays in Taiwan on Wikipedia
Where these facts come from
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 “June 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.