150 things happened on 3 November, from AD 39 to 2025. UK stories come first, then the rest of the world.
1534 · 492 years ago
Parliament passed the first Act of Supremacy. It made King Henry VIII and the monarchs after him Supreme Head of the Church of England, taking the place of the Pope. This was a huge change, because England's church had been part of the Catholic Church. Later,…
UK history first: stories from England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.
UK story
King Henry VII of England and King Charles VIII of France signed a peace treaty at Étaples. Charles agreed to stop supporting Perkin Warbeck, a ‘pretender’ who claimed a right to the English throne. In return, Henry accepted Charles as ruler of the Duchy of Brittany. Henry had seized the crown in 1485 and was the first king of the Tudor family.
UK story
Parliament passed the first Act of Supremacy. It made King Henry VIII and the monarchs after him Supreme Head of the Church of England, taking the place of the Pope. This was a huge change, because England's church had been part of the Catholic Church. Later, Queen Elizabeth I took the title Supreme Governor, which the British monarch still holds.
UK story
A tense stand-off between Britain and France in Africa came to an end. A French expedition had reached Fashoda, on the White Nile in what is now South Sudan, hoping to control the upper Nile and keep Britain out of Sudan. The French and a British-Egyptian force met on friendly terms, but back in Europe people feared a war. Under heavy pressure, the French withdrew.
UK story
The Times of India, the world's largest circulated English language daily broadsheet newspaper is founded as The Bombay Times and Journal of Commerce.
UK story
In a widely criticised referendum, almost 98 percent of Greek voters supported the restoration of George II (pictured) as King of the Hellenes.
The explorer Christopher Columbus, sailing for the king and queen of Spain, first spotted the island of Dominica in the Caribbean Sea. Columbus made four voyages across the Atlantic. His expeditions were the first known European contact with the Caribbean, and they opened the way for Europeans to explore and colonise the Americas. Exactly 485 years later, Dominica became an independent country.
The melody still used for ‘Kimigayo’, the national anthem of Japan, was chosen. It replaced an earlier tune, written in 1869 by John William Fenton, which had not been popular. The words are far older than the music. They come from a poem by an unknown author from Japan's Heian period (794–1185), making them the oldest words of any national anthem.
The Chicago Daily Tribune printed the headline ‘Dewey Defeats Truman’ in its earliest editions. But it was wrong: President Harry S. Truman had won a surprise victory over Thomas Dewey in the US presidential election. The next day, at a railway station in St Louis, a smiling Truman famously held up a copy of the paper with the mistaken headline.
The first film about Godzilla, a gigantic monster, opened in cinemas across Japan. In the story, the creature has been changed by nuclear bomb testing, and the Japanese authorities must deal with it. The film is often credited with starting the ‘kaiju’ genre, the Japanese name for giant monster films. Godzilla went on to star in a whole series of films.
The Soviet Union launched Sputnik 2, carrying a dog called Laika. She had been a stray from the streets of Moscow, and she became the first animal to orbit the Earth. Dogs were sent to test whether human spaceflight would be possible. Sadly, there was not yet any way to bring a spacecraft safely back, and Laika did not survive the flight.
The Caribbean island of Dominica became an independent country, no longer ruled by the United Kingdom. It is part of a chain of islands called the Windward Islands. Its capital is Roseau, and its highest point, Morne Diablotins, rises 1,448 metres above the sea. Dominica's nearest neighbours, Guadeloupe and Martinique, are both part of France.
The River Arno floods causing massive damage in Florence as recorded by the Florentine chronicler Giovanni Villani.
The American Continental Army is disbanded.
The University of Vermont, the oldest university in Vermont, and fifth-oldest in New England, is chartered.
War of the Third Coalition: The Treaty of Potsdam was signed compelling Prussia to join the coalition if it failed to negotiate peace between Russia and France.
French invasion of Russia: As Napoleon's Grande Armée began its retreat, its rear guard was defeated at the Battle of Vyazma.
The Bank of Montreal, Canada's oldest chartered bank, opens in Montreal.
A new constitution drafted by Johan Rudolph Thorbecke was proclaimed, limiting the powers of the Dutch monarchy.
Giuseppe Garibaldi and his followers are defeated in the Battle of Mentana and fail to end the Pope's Temporal power in Rome (it would be achieved three years later).
John Willis Menard (R-LA) becomes the first African American elected to the United States Congress. Because of an electoral challenge, he is never seated.
Indigenous Mapuche began an uprising against the occupation of Araucanía by Chile.
With the encouragement of the United States, Panama separates from Colombia.
William Howard Taft is elected the 27th President of the United States.
Chevrolet officially enters the automobile market in competition with the Ford Model T.
The German Revolution of 1918–19 begins when 40,000 sailors take over the port in Kiel.
The Gwangju Student Independence Movement occurred.
Panagis Tsaldaris becomes the 142nd Prime Minister of Greece.
Franklin D. Roosevelt is reelected as President of the United States.
World War II: U.S. Marines and U.S. Army forces began an attempt to encircle and destroy a regiment of Imperial Japanese Army troops on Guadalcanal.
World War II: Five hundred aircraft of the U.S. 8th Air Force devastate Wilhelmshaven harbor in Germany.
The Constitution of Japan is adopted through Emperor's assent.
Chinese Civil War: The Battle of Dengbu Island occurs.
Hungarian Revolution: A new Hungarian government is formed, in which many members of banned non-Communist parties participate. János Kádár and Ferenc Münnich form a counter-government in Moscow as Soviet troops prepare for the final assault.
The land that would become the Great Swamp National Wildlife Refuge is established by an Act of Congress after a year-long legal battle that pitted local residents against Port Authority of New York and New Jersey officials wishing to turn the Great Swamp into a major regional airport for jet aircraft.
U Thant is unanimously appointed as the 3rd Secretary-General of the United Nations, becoming the first non-European individual to occupy the post.
Lyndon B. Johnson is elected to a full term as U.S. president, winning 61% of the vote and 44 states, while Washington D.C. residents are able to vote in a presidential election for the first time, casting the majority of their votes for Lyndon Johnson.
Vietnam War: The Battle of Dak To begins.
U.S. president Richard Nixon made a plea for support from the "silent majority", referring to those Americans who did not join in the large demonstrations against the Vietnam War at the time.
Mariner program: NASA launches the Mariner 10 toward Mercury. On March 29, 1974, it becomes the first space probe to reach that planet.
Carrie, an American supernatural horror film directed by Brian De Palma, is premiered in 17 theaters in the Washington, D.C.-Baltimore area.
The Compact of Free Association becomes law, granting the Federated States of Micronesia and the Marshall Islands independence from the United States.
Sri Lankan Tamil mercenaries attempt to overthrow the Maldivian government. At President Maumoon Abdul Gayoom's request, the Indian military suppresses the rebellion within 24 hours.
Democratic Arkansas Governor Bill Clinton defeats Republican President George H. W. Bush and Independent candidate Ross Perot in the 1992 United States presidential election.
Space Shuttle program: Atlantis launches on STS-66.
One World Trade Center officially opens in New York City, replacing the Twin Towers after they were destroyed during the September 11 attacks.
The 2020 United States presidential election takes place between Democratic Joe Biden and Republican incumbent President Donald Trump. On November 7, Biden was declared the winner.
Every answer is somewhere on this page. Have a go, then check!
In which year did this happen: “Henry VIII becomes Supreme Head of the Church of England”?
C: 1534. 1534 — that’s 492 years ago. Find it on the page
In which year did this happen: “The Fashoda Incident ends as French forces withdraw”?
A: 1898. 1898 — that’s 128 years ago. Find it on the page
Which of these happened first?
A: Henry VII and Charles VIII of France make the Peace of Étaples. 1492: Henry VII and Charles VIII of France make the Peace of Étaples · 1898: The Fashoda Incident ends as French forces withdraw · 1534: Henry VIII becomes Supreme Head of the Church of England Find it on the page
“Henry VII and Charles VIII of France make the Peace of Étaples” happened in 1492. How many years ago was that?
A: 534 years. 2026 − 1492 = 534. Find it on the page
Famous people whose birthday is 3 November.
UK story
The Scottish doctor, chemist and botanist Daniel Rutherford was born. A botanist is a scientist who studies plants. Rutherford is best known for isolating nitrogen in 1772. Isolating a substance means separating it out on its own so that it can be studied.
Well-known people who died on 3 November.
Festivals, holidays and saints’ days celebrated on 3 November somewhere in the world.
Culture Day is a public holiday in Japan, held every year on 3 November. It celebrates culture, the arts and learning. Typical events include art exhibitions, parades and award ceremonies for outstanding artists and scholars. A scholar is someone who studies a subject in great depth.
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 “November 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.