July 3 in history — What Happened Today in History
Welcome to July 3 in history! Here you can discover what happened on July 3, including the major events, the famous people born on July 3 and the notable deaths on July 3, with the newest story starting in 2013.
On this page, July 3 in history is arranged as a timeline of major events in reverse order, with birthdays and deaths in their own sections, plus a short FAQ about July 3 in history at the bottom.
Major Events on July 3 in History 38
- 2013
President of Egypt Mohamed Morsi is removed from office by the military after four days of protests all over the country calling for his resignation, to which he did not respond. The president of the Supreme Constitutional Court of Egypt, Adly Mansour, is declared acting president until further elections are held.
- 2006
The Valencia Metro derailment kills 41 people.
- 1996
British Prime Minister John Major announced the Stone of Scone would be returned to Scotland.
- 1988
United States Navy warship USS Vincennes shoots down Iran Air Flight 655 over the Persian Gulf, killing all 290 people aboard.
- 1988
The Fatih Sultan Mehmet Bridge in Istanbul, Turkey is completed, providing the second connection between the continents of Europe and Asia over the Bosphorus.
- 1979
U.S. President Jimmy Carter signs the first directive for secret aid to the opponents of the pro-Soviet regime in Kabul.
- 1973
David Bowie retires his stage persona Ziggy Stardust with the surprise announcement that it is "the last show that we'll ever do" on the last day of the Ziggy Stardust Tour.
- 1970
The Troubles: The "Falls Curfew" begins in Belfast, Northern Ireland.
- 1970
Dan-Air Flight 1903 crashes into the Les Agudes mountain in the Montseny Massif near the village of Arbúcies in Catalonia, Spain, killing all 112 people aboard.
- 1967
The Aden Emergency: The Battle of the Crater in which the British Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders retake the Crater district following the Arab Police mutiny.
- 1952
The Constitution of Puerto Rico is approved by the United States Congress.
- 1952
The SS United States sets sail on her maiden voyage to Southampton. During the voyage, the ship takes the Blue Riband away from the RMS Queen Mary.
All entries for July 3（+26）
- 1944
World War II: The Minsk Offensive clears German troops from the city.
- 1940
World War II: The Royal Navy attacks the French naval squadron in Algeria, to ensure that it will not fall under German control. Of the four French battleships present, one is sunk, two are damaged, and one escapes back to France.
- 1938
World speed record for a steam locomotive is set in England, by the Mallard, which reaches a speed of 125.88 miles per hour (202.58 km/h).
- 1938
United States President Franklin D. Roosevelt dedicates the Eternal Light Peace Memorial and lights the eternal flame at Gettysburg Battlefield.
- 1913
Confederate veterans at the Great Reunion of 1913 reenact Pickett's Charge; upon reaching the high-water mark of the Confederacy they are met by the outstretched hands of friendship from Union survivors.
- 1908
Start of the Young Turk Revolution in the Ottoman Empire, forcing Sultan Abdul Hamid II leads to restore the Constitution of 1876 and reconvene the parliament.
- 1898
A Spanish squadron, led by Pascual Cervera y Topete, is defeated by an American squadron under William T. Sampson in the Battle of Santiago de Cuba.
- 1890
Idaho is admitted as the 43rd U.S. state.
- 1886
Karl Benz officially unveils the Benz Patent-Motorwagen, the first purpose-built automobile.
- 1886
The New-York Tribune becomes the first newspaper to use a linotype machine, eliminating typesetting by hand.
- 1884
Dow Jones & Company publishes its first stock average.
- 1866
Austro-Prussian War is decided at the Battle of Königgrätz, enabling Prussia to exclude Austria from German affairs.
- 1863
American Civil War: The final day of the Battle of Gettysburg culminates with Pickett's Charge.
- 1852
Congress establishes the United States' 2nd mint in San Francisco.
- 1849
France invades the Roman Republic and restores the Papal States.
- 1848
Governor-General Peter von Scholten emancipates all remaining slaves in the Danish West Indies.
- 1839
The first state normal school in the United States, the forerunner to today's Framingham State University, opens in Lexington, Massachusetts with three students.
- 1819
The Bank for Savings in the City of New-York, the first savings bank in the United States, opens.
- 1814
War of 1812: American forces capture Fort Erie from British troops in Upper Canada.
- 1778
American Revolutionary War: The Iroquois, allied with Britain, massacre 360 Patriot soldiers during the Battle of Wyoming.
- 1775
American Revolutionary War: George Washington takes command of the Continental Army at Cambridge, Massachusetts.
- 1767
Pitcairn Island is discovered by Midshipman Robert Pitcairn on an expeditionary voyage commanded by Philip Carteret.
- 1767
Norway's oldest newspaper still in print, Adresseavisen, is founded and the first edition is published.
- 1754
French and Indian War: George Washington surrenders Fort Necessity to French forces.
- 1608
Québec City is founded by Samuel de Champlain.
- 1535
Diego de Almagro leaves the recently conquered Inca capital of Cuzco to lead an expedition to Chile.
Famous Birthdays on July 3 in History 25
- 2001
Folarin Balogun, American soccer player
- 2001
Promise David, Canadian soccer player
- 1999
Nefisa Berberović, Bosnian tennis player
- 1998
Kim Dong-han, South Korean singer
- 1997
T. J. Hockenson, American football player
- 1996
Cole Tucker, American baseball player
- 1996
Alex Twal, Australian-Lebanese rugby league player
- 1994
Chris Jones, American football player
- 1993
PartyNextDoor, Canadian singer-songwriter and record producer
- 1992
Crystal Dunn, American soccer player
- 1991
Alison Howie, Scottish field hockey player
- 1991
Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova, Russian tennis player
All entries for July 3（+13）
- 1990
Nathan Gardner, Australian rugby league player
- 1990
Bobby Hopkinson, English footballer
- 1990
Lucas Mendes, Brazilian footballer
- 1990
Alison Riske-Amritraj, American tennis player
- 1989
Danilo Cavalcante, Brazilian convicted murderer
- 1989
Mitchell Dodds, Australian rugby league player
- 1989
Elle King, American singer, songwriter, and actress
- 1988
Winston Reid, New Zealand-Danish footballer
- 1988
Vladislav Sesganov, Russian figure skater
- 1988
James Troisi, Australian footballer
- 1987
Sebastian Vettel, German race car driver
- 1986
Marco Antônio de Mattos Filho, Brazilian footballer
- 1986
Kisenosato Yutaka, Japanese sumo wrestler
Notable Deaths on July 3 in History 25
- 2025
Borja Gómez, Spanish motorcycle rider (born 2005)
- 2025
Diogo Jota, Portuguese footballer (born 1996)
- 2025
David Mabuza, South African politician, 8th Deputy President of South Africa (born 1960)
- 2025
Michael Madsen, American actor (born 1957)
- 2025
Peter Rufai, Nigerian footballer (born 1963)
- 2025
André Silva, Portuguese footballer (born 2000)
- 2025
Lolit Solis, Filipino talent manager, columnist and talk show host (born 1947)
- 2020
Saroj Khan, Indian dance choreographer (born 1948)
- 2015
Diana Douglas, British-American actress (born 1923)
- 2015
Boyd K. Packer, American religious leader and educator (born 1924)
- 2015
Wayne Townsend, American farmer and politician (born 1926)
- 2015
Phil Walsh, Australian footballer and coach (born 1960)
All entries for July 3（+13）
- 2014
Jini Dellaccio, American photographer (born 1917)
- 2014
Tim Flood, Irish hurler and coach (born 1927)
- 2014
Volkmar Groß, German footballer (born 1948)
- 2014
Ira Ruskin, American politician (born 1943)
- 2014
Zalman Schachter-Shalomi, Ukrainian-American rabbi and author (born 1924)
- 2013
Roman Bengez, Slovenian footballer and manager (born 1964)
- 2013
Francis Ray, American author (born 1944)
- 2013
PJ Torokvei, Canadian actress and screenwriter (born 1951)
- 2013
Radu Vasile, Romanian historian and politician, 57th Prime Minister of Romania (born 1942)
- 2013
Bernard Vitet, French trumpet player and composer (born 1934)
- 2013
Snoo Wilson, English playwright and screenwriter (born 1948)
- 2012
Nguyễn Hữu Có, Vietnamese general and politician (born 1925)
- 2012
Andy Griffith, American actor, singer, and producer (born 1926)
That is the story of July 3 in history. Bookmark this page and come back next year on July 3 to relive these world-changing moments — or take a random trip through time and see what happened on another day in history.
❓ Frequently Asked Questions
What happened on July 3 in history?
The biggest event on July 3 in history is: 2013 — President of Egypt Mohamed Morsi is removed from office by the military after four days of protests all over the country calling for his resignation, to which he did not respond. The president of the Supreme Constitutional Court of Egypt, Adly Mansour, is declared acting president until further elections are held.. In total, 38 major events are recorded for this day.
Who was born on July 3?
25 famous people were born on July 3 in history, the best known being 2001 — Folarin Balogun, American soccer player.
Who died on July 3?
25 notable people died on July 3 in history, including 2025 — Borja Gómez, Spanish motorcycle rider (born 2005).
Why should I read about July 3 in history?
Exploring July 3 in history helps you grasp the day's place in history in just a few minutes: events, birthdays and deaths in one read — perfect for students, teachers and curious minds.
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