Historical Events on August 3
- 1492: Christopher Columbus and his three ships Рthe Santa Maria, the Pinta and the Ni̱a Рset sail for the Indies from Palos de la Frontera, Spain.
- 1596: David Fabricius, a German Pastor, discovers the first known periodic variable star known as Mira.
- 1914: Belgium is invaded by Germany as it declares war on France during World War I.
- 1918: 700 Germans are killed by Russian Revolutionaries when an explosive devices is detonated in Kiev, Ukraine.
- 1923:Â S Vice President Calvin Coolidge in sworn in as U.S President on this day due to the fact the President Warren Harding collapsed and died on August 2nd.
- 1934: The offices of the German Chancellor and the German President are merged by Adolf Hitler. He then declares himself Fuhrer of Germany.
- 1940: British air forces strategically attack German forces – targeting airplane hangers, harbors and supply lines in over 100 cities in Germany.
- 1958: On this day, the United States Nuclear Submarine Nautilus becomes the first underwater vessel to reach the Geographic North Pole.
- 1972: The Anti-Ballistic Missile Treaty between the United States and the Soviet Union is ratified by the United States Senate.
- 1977: From 1950 to 1977, the United States has spent over $25 million dollars trying to perfect mind control. Many of the subjects were severely mentally damaged.
- 1978: The 11th Commonwealth Games in Edmonton, Canada are opened by the Queen on this day.
- 2012: Wojdan Shahrkhani becomes the first Saudi woman to compete at the Olympic games. She took part in the Judo competition and was defeated by Melissa Mojica of Puerto Rico.
Famous Birthdays on August 3
- French scholar Étienne Dolet is born in 1509.
- English clergyman John Henley is born in 1692
- S Politician Hamilton Fish is born in 1808.
- Flemish architect HM Jozef Schadde is born in 1818.
- German feminist and teacher Auguste Schmidt is born in 1833.
- French composer Fernand de La Tombelle is born in 1854.
- Scottish inventor K. Dickson is born in 1860.