30 fun facts for October, 3
Discover dozens of fun facts for this special day. Read the summary for a quick recap on what happened.
Summary
October 3rd is a day of celebrations and notable events, from the German Unification Treaty and the first long-distance journey of a gasoline-powered car, to the premieres of "I Love Lucy" and "The Twilight Zone." It is also a day of scientific breakthroughs, such as the first successful heart transplant and Wernher von Braun's V2 rocket's first test flight.
30 Fun facts
- October 3rd is National Boyfriends Day in the United States, a day to appreciate the love and support from our significant others. It's a great day to celebrate your boyfriend with small gestures, gifts, or kind words.
- On October 3, 1789, U.S. President George Washington issued the first national Thanksgiving Day Proclamation, declaring November 26 as a day of public thanksgiving and prayer to express gratitude for the U.S. Constitution.
- The German Unification Treaty, which marked the end of the division between East and West Germany, came into effect on October 3, 1990. This is now celebrated annually as German Unity Day.
- In 2003, American illusionist and endurance artist David Blaine ended his 44-day stunt of living in a glass box suspended above the River Thames in London without food, surviving solely on water.
- October 3, 1929, saw the first ever "extra" Major League Baseball World Series game – a best-of-seven format that ended in a one-match playoff called Game 8. The Philadelphia Athletics and the Chicago Cubs played this deciding match, which the Athletics won 3-2.
- On October 3, 1849, American writer Edgar Allan Poe was found delirious in a Baltimore gutter, wearing someone else's clothes. He was taken to a hospital, where he died four days later. The cause of his death remains unknown.
- The first gasoline-powered car was built by Karl Benz in 1886, and it made its first long-distance journey on October 3, 1888. This marks the beginning of the automobile era.
- The American sitcom "I Love Lucy" premiered on October 3, 1951. This iconic show, starring Lucille Ball and Desi Arnaz, is often considered one of the greatest television series of all time.
- October 3, 1995, was the date of the famous "O.J. Simpson trial" verdict, in which former American football star O.J. Simpson was acquitted of the murder charges of his ex-wife Nicole Brown Simpson and her friend Ronald Goldman.
- On this date in 1967, French singer and composer Maurice Chevalier passed away. He is best known for his songs "Thank Heaven for Little Girls" and "I Remember It Well," which have since become classics.
- International World Space Week starts on October 3 and ends on October 10, honoring the launch of Sputnik 1 in 1957 and the signing of the Outer Space Treaty in 1967.
- On October 3, 2000, the U.S. Congress passed the Children's Internet Protection Act, requiring schools and libraries to filter internet access for minors to protect them from harmful content.
- The first U.S. district court, the U.S. District Court for the District of New York, held its session on October 3, 1789, in New York City.
- In 1932, Iraq gained formal independence from the UK, and the day is now celebrated annually as Iraq's National Day.
- October 3, 1841, saw the launch of a daily newspaper called the "New York Herald Tribune," which ran until its closure in 1966, leaving a significant impact on American journalism.
- The Concorde, a supersonic passenger jet, broke the sound barrier in a test flight for the first time on October 3, 1969.
- On this day in 1960, a musical called "Bye Bye Birdie" opened on Broadway, featuring Dick Van Dyke and Chita Rivera. The musical was later adapted into a successful film.
- "The Twilight Zone," an American anthology television series created by Rod Serling, premiered on October 3, 1959.
- In 1993, U.S. troops took part in a battle in Somalia's capital city, Mogadishu, which resulted in the loss of 18 American soldiers. This event was later portrayed in the book and movie "Black Hawk Down."
- On October 3, 1942, Wernher von Braun's V2 rocket, the first modern long-range guided ballistic missile, made its first successful test flight.
- In 1895, physicist Jean-Bernard-Léon Foucault passed away. He is known for his famous "Foucault pendulum" experiment, which proved the Earth's rotation.
- On October 3, 1804, Allan Kardec, the founder of Spiritism, was born in France. Today, Spiritism is a worldwide movement with millions of adherents.
- In 1955, General Motors became the first American corporation to earn over $1 billion in a single year.
- The first dinosaur fossil to be described and named was discovered in 1824 by Mary Ann Mantell, and it was later named Iguanodon on October 3.
- On October 3, 1704, the first production of John Dryden's "The Indian Queen" was staged in London. The play was adapted from a poem written by the playwright's sister.
- In 1635, Roger Williams, the founder of the American colony of Rhode Island, was banished from Massachusetts Bay Colony for advocating religious tolerance and the separation of church and state.
- In 2011, American filmmaker Steve Jobs passed away from pancreatic cancer, leaving behind a rich legacy in the technology and entertainment industry.
- October 3, 1941, marks the birth of guitarist Chubby Checker, who popularized the dance craze "The Twist," with his version of the song becoming a hit in 1960.
- On this day in 1883, Swedish inventor Alfred Nobel signed his third and last will at the Swedish-Norwegian Club in Paris, setting aside the bulk of his estate to establish the Nobel Prizes.
- The first successful heart transplant was performed by Dr. Christiaan Barnard on October 3, 1967, providing hope for future patients in need of a new heart.