Skip to content

On this dayNovember 3

Through history59 events, 258 births and 91 deaths in Wikipedia's lists for the date

Today

A hundred years before

The front pages of November 3, 1926

What 40 American newspapers printed that day, as the Library of Congress keeps them.

MEDIA
31 more front pages that day

All 40 front pages at the Library of Congress ↗From Chronicling America. Public domain: in the Library's words, newspapers published in the United States more than 95 years ago are in the public domain in their entirety.

What happened

On November 3

The anniversaries Wikipedia's editors chose for the date, oldest first.

REFERENCE
  1. 1534492 years ago

    The Parliament of England passed the first Act of Supremacy, making King Henry VIII head of the Church of England, supplanting the pope and the Catholic Church. · Acts of Supremacy · Henry VIII

  2. 1793233 years ago

    French Revolution: Playwright, journalist and outspoken feminist Olympe de Gouges was guillotined.

    Photo: Unidentified painterPublic domain
  3. 1805221 years ago

    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.

    Photo: Ruedi33aCC BY-SA 4.0
  4. 1812214 years ago

    French invasion of Russia: As Napoleon's Grande Armée began its retreat, its rear guard was defeated at the Battle of Vyazma. · Rearguard

    Photo: Albrecht AdamPublic domain
  5. 1848178 years ago

    A new constitution drafted by Johan Rudolph Thorbecke was proclaimed, limiting the powers of the Dutch monarchy. · Constitution of the Netherlands · Constitutional Reform of 1848

  6. 1880146 years ago

    The current melody of Kimigayo, the national anthem of Japan, was adopted.

  7. 1881145 years ago

    Indigenous Mapuche began an uprising against the occupation of Araucanía by Chile. · Mapuche uprising of 1881 · Araucanía (historic region)

  8. 1898128 years ago

    The Fashoda Incident ended with French forces withdrawing after several months of military stalemate with the British in Fashoda (now in South Sudan). · Kodok

    Photo: MozzanCC BY-SA 3.0
  9. 193591 years ago

    In a widely criticised referendum, almost 98 percent of Greek voters supported the restoration of George II as King of the Hellenes. · 1935 Greek monarchy referendum · George II of Greece

  10. 194284 years ago

    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. · United States Marine Corps · United States Army

    Photo: Richard OpitzCC BY-SA 3.0 de
  11. 194383 years ago

    The Holocaust: The largest massacre of Jews by German forces began at Majdanek concentration camp. · Operation Harvest Festival

    Photo: Bernhard WalterPublic domain
  12. 194878 years ago

    The Chicago Daily Tribune published the erroneous headline "Dewey Defeats Truman" in its early morning edition shortly after incumbent U.S. president Harry S. Truman officially upset the heavily favored governor of New York Thomas Dewey in the presidential election. · Chicago Tribune · Thomas E. Dewey

  13. 195472 years ago

    The first film featuring the giant monster known as Godzilla was released (poster pictured) nationwide in Japan. · Kaiju · Godzilla

    Photo: Toho Company Ltd. (東宝株式会社)Public domain
  14. 195670 years ago

    Suez Crisis: During an invasion of the Gaza Strip, Israeli soldiers shot and killed hundreds of Palestinian refugees and local inhabitants in Khan Yunis. · Khan Yunis massacre

    Photo: Fleet Air Arm official photographerPublic domain
  15. 195769 years ago

    The Soviet Union launched Sputnik 2, carrying the space dog Laika as the first living creature to enter orbit around Earth. · Sputnik 2 · Soviet space dogs

    Photo: Laika ac from USACC BY-SA 2.0
  16. 196957 years ago

    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. · Opposition to United States involvement in the Vietnam War

    Photo: Department of Defense. Department of the Army. Office of the Deputy…Public domain
  17. 199630 years ago

    Abdullah Çatlı, a leader of the ultra-nationalist Grey Wolves, was killed in a car crash near Susurluk, Turkey, sparking a scandal that exposed the depth of the state's complicity in organized crime. · Susurluk scandal

  18. 200224 years ago

    A CIA drone strike kills six militants in Yemen, constituting the first targeted killing of the war on terror. · 2002 Marib airstrike

    Photo: U.S. Department of DefensePublic domain
All 59 events Wikipedia lists for November 3, by year

Reading the list…

Born

On November 3

The best-known first, counted by the Wikipedia languages with an article on each.

REFERENCE
  1. 1933Amartya SenIndian economist and academic, Nobel Prize laureate106 languages
  2. 1901André MalrauxFrench historian, theorist, and author (died 1976)98 languagesPhoto: Roger PicPublic domain
  3. 1618AurangzebMughal emperor of India (died 1707)96 languages
  1. 1852Emperor Meiji of Japan (died 1912)95
  2. 1945Gerd Müller, German footballer and manager (died 2021)91
  3. 39Lucan, Roman poet (died 65)81
  4. 1882Yakub Kolas, Belarusian writer (died 1956)77
  5. 1604Osman II, Ottoman sultan (died 1622)75
  6. 1901Leopold III of Belgium (died 1983)71
  7. 1912Alfredo Stroessner, Paraguayan general and politician, 46th President of Paraguay (died 2006)69
  8. 1801Vincenzo Bellini, Italian composer (died 1835)68
  9. 1500Benvenuto Cellini, Italian sculptor and painter (died 1571)66
  10. 1926Valdas Adamkus, Lithuanian engineer and politician, 3rd President of Lithuania66
  11. 1928Osamu Tezuka, Japanese animator and producer (died 1989)66
  12. 1931Monica Vitti, Italian actress, singer, and screenwriter (died 2022)64
  13. 1908Giovanni Leone, Italian lawyer and politician, 6th President of Italy (died 2001)63
  14. 1962Gabe Newell, American businessman, co-founded Valve61
  15. 1971Unai Emery, Spanish football manager and former player58
  16. 1969Petteri Orpo, Finnish politician56
  17. 1979Pablo Aimar, Argentinian footballer51
  18. 1560Annibale Carracci, Italian painter and illustrator (died 1609)50
  19. 1948Lulu, Scottish singer-songwriter and actress50
  20. 1971Dwight Yorke, Tobagonian footballer and coach50
  21. 1900Adolf Dassler, German businessman, founded Adidas (died 1978)49
Everyone else born on November 3: 234 more, by year

Reading the list…

Died

On November 3

The best-known first, counted by the Wikipedia languages with an article on each.

REFERENCE
  1. 1954Henri MatisseFrench painter and sculptor (born 1869)181 languagesPhoto: Alvin Langdon CoburnPublic domain
  2. 2025Dick CheneyAmerican businessman and politician, 46th Vice President of the United States (born 1941)113 languagesPhoto: Image from the U.S. Air Force website, but likely made by office of…Public domain
  3. 1996Jean-Bédel BokassaCentral African general and politician, 2nd President of the Central African Republic (born 1921)82 languages
  1. 1793Olympe de Gouges, French playwright and activist (born 1748)79
  2. 361Constantius II, Roman emperor (born 317)76
  3. 2010Viktor Chernomyrdin, Russian politician and diplomat, 30th Prime Minister of Russia (born 1938)74
  4. 2024Quincy Jones, American producer (born 1933)74
  5. 1957Wilhelm Reich, Ukrainian-Austrian psychotherapist and author (born 1897)70
  6. 1914Georg Trakl, Austrian-Polish pharmacist and poet (born 1887)62
  7. 1584Charles Borromeo, Italian cardinal and saint (born 1538)56
  8. 2003Rasul Gamzatov, Russian poet and educator (born 1923)56
  9. 1254John III Doukas Vatatzes, Byzantine emperor (born 1193)52
  10. 2025Kim Yong-nam, North Korean politician (born 1928)49
  11. 2007Aleksandr Dedyushko, Belarusian-Russian actor (born 1962)46
  12. 1918Aleksandr Lyapunov, Russian mathematician and physicist (born 1857)45
  13. 1998Bob Kane, American author and illustrator, co-created Batman (born 1915)45
  14. 2001Ernst Gombrich, Austrian-English historian and author (born 1909)43
  15. 1917Léon Bloy, French author and poet (born 1846)41
  16. 1639Martin de Porres, Peruvian saint (born 1579)39
  17. 1858Harriet Taylor Mill, English philosopher and author (born 1807)39
  18. 1926Annie Oakley, American entertainer and target shooter (born 1860)38
  19. 1990Mary Martin, American actress and singer (born 1913)38
  20. 1993Léon Theremin, Russian physicist and engineer, invented the Theremin (born 1895)38
  21. 2006Paul Mauriat, French pianist, composer, and conductor (born 1925)38
Everyone else died on November 3: 67 more, by year

Reading the list…

Observed

On November 3

Holidays, feast days and observances, as Wikipedia lists them for the date.

REFERENCE

Events, births, deaths and observances are Wikipedia's On this day for November 3, in its editors' words (CC BY-SA 4.0); the counts of languages are Wikidata's (CC0). Dates are the UTC day, as Wikipedia keeps them. Discover brings one of these at a time.