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Today December 3rd 2009 this day in history Read more below to view events, deaths, births, Holidays observances and video clips. Last database updated: Jan 17th, 2009
Events
1775 – The USS Alfred became the first vessel to fly the Grand Union Flag (the precursor to the Stars and Stripes); the flag was hoisted by John Paul Jones.
1800 – War of the Second Coalition: Battle of Hohenlinden, French General Moreau defeats the Austrian Archduke John near Munich decisively, coupled with First Consul Napoleon Bonaparte s victory at Marengo effectively forcing the Austrians to sign an armistice and ending the war.
1818 – Illinois becomes the 21st U.S. state.
1854 – Eureka Stockade: In what is claimed by many to be the birth of Australian democracy, more than 20 gold miners at Ballarat, Victoria, Australia are killed by state troopers in an uprising over mining licences.
1901 – US President Theodore Roosevelt delivers a 20,000-word speech to the House of Representatives asking the Congress to curb the power of trusts within reasonable limits.
1904 – The Jovian moon Himalia is discovered by Charles Dillon Perrine at California s Lick Observatory.
1912 – Bulgaria, Greece, Montenegro, and Serbia (the Balkan League) sign an armistice with Turkey, ending the two-month long First Balkan War.
1912 – First Balkan War: The Naval Battle of Elli takes place.
1917 – After nearly 20 years of planning and construction, the Quebec Bridge opens to traffic.
1929 – Great Depression: US President Herbert Hoover announces to the U.S. Congress that the worst effects of the recent stock market crash are behind the nation and the American people have regained faith in the economy.
1944 – Greek Civil War: Fighting breaks out in Athens between the ELAS and government forces supported by the British Army.
1964 – Berkeley Free Speech Movement: Police arrest over 800 students at the University of California, Berkeley, following their takeover and sit-in at the administration building in protest at the UC Regents decision to forbid protests on UC property.
1967 – At Groote Schuur Hospital in Cape Town, South Africa, a transplant team headed by Christiaan Barnard carries out the first heart transplant on a human (53-year-old Louis Washkansky).
1967 – The luxury train 20th Century Limited completes its last run from New York City to Chicago (the train was inaugurated on June 15, 1902).
1970 – October Crisis: In Montreal, Quebec, kidnapped British Trade Commissioner James Cross is released by the Front de Libération du Québec terrorist group after being held hostage for 60 days. Police negotiate his release and in return the Canadian government grants five terrorists from the FLQ s Chenier Cell their request for safe passage to Cuba.
1971 – Indo-Pakistani War of 1971: India invades West Pakistan and a full scale war begins claiming hundreds of lives.
1973 – Pioneer program: Pioneer 10 sends back the first close-up images of Jupiter.
1976 – An assassination attempt is made on Bob Marley. He is shot twice, but plays a concert two days later.
1979 – In Cincinnati, Ohio, eleven fans are killed during a stampede for seats before a Who concert at Riverfront Coliseum.
1979 – Shadow Traffic begins broadcasting in the New York City metropolitan area.
1982 – A soil sample is taken from Times Beach, Missouri that will be found to contain 300 times the safe level of dioxin.
1984 – Bhopal Disaster: A methyl isocyanate leak from a Union Carbide pesticide plant in Bhopal, India, kills more than 3,800 people outright and injures 150,000-600,000 others (some 6,000 of whom would later die from their injuries) in one of the worst industrial disasters in history.
1989 – Cold War: In a meeting off the coast of Malta, US President George H. W. Bush and Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev release statements indicating that the cold war between their nations may be coming to an end (some commentators from both nations exaggerated the wording and independently declared the Cold War over).
1990 – At Detroit Metropolitan Airport, Northwest Airlines Flight 1482 collides with Northwest Airlines Flight 299 on the runway, killing 7 passengers and 1 crew member aboard flight 1482.
1992 – UN Security Council Resolution 794 is unanimously passed, approving a coalition of United Nations peacekeepers led by the United States to form UNITAF, with the task of establishing peace and ensuring that humanitarian aid is distributed in Somalia.
1992 – The Greek oil tanker Aegean Sea, carrying 80,000 tonnes of crude oil, runs aground in a storm while approaching La Coruña, Spain, and spills much of its cargo.
1997 – In Ottawa, Canada, representatives from 121 countries sign a treaty prohibiting manufacture and deployment of anti-personnel landmines. The United States, People s Republic of China, and Russia do not sign the treaty, however.
1999 – NASA loses radio contact with the Mars Polar Lander moments before the spacecraft enters the Martian atmosphere.
2005 – XCOR Aerospace makes first manned rocket aircraft delivery of US Mail in Mojave, California.
2007 – Winter storms caused the Chehalis River to flood many cities in Lewis County, Washington, also closing a 20-mile portion of Interstate 5 for several days. At least eight deaths and billions of dollars in damages are blamed on the floods.
Births
1368 – King Charles VI of France (d. 1422)
1560 – Jan Gruter, Dutch critic (d. 1627)
1596 – Nicolo Amati, Italian violin maker (d. 1684)
1684 – Ludvig Holberg, Norwegian historian and writer (d. 1754)
1729 – Antonio Soler, Spanish composer (d. 1783)
1755 – Gilbert Stuart, American painter (d. 1828)
1776 – Johann Spurzheim, German neuroscientist (d. 1832)
1800 – France Prešeren, Slovenian poet (d. 1849)
1826 – George B. McClellan, American Civil War general (d. 1885)
1838 – Cleveland Abbe, American meteorologist (d. 1916)
1838 – Octavia Hill, British housing and open-space activist (d. 1912)
1842 – Phoebe Hearst, American socialite (d. 1919)
1842 – Charles Alfred Pillsbury, American industrialist (d. 1899)
1842 – Ellen Swallow Richards, American scientist (d. 1911)
1857 – Joseph Conrad, Polish-born British writer (d. 1924)
1875 – Max Meldrum, Scottish-born Australian painter (d. 1955)
1880 – Fedor von Bock, German field marshal (d. 1945)
1883 – Anton Webern, Austrian composer (d. 1945)
1884 – Rajendra Prasad, first President of India (d. 1963)
1884 – Walther Stampfli, member of the Swiss Federal Council (d. 1965)
1886 – Manne Siegbahn, Nobel laureate (d. 1978)
1887 – Naruhiko, Prince Higashikuni of Japan (d. 1990)
1895 – Anna Freud, Austrian-born British psychoanalyst (d. 1982)
1899 – Ikeda Hayato, Prime Minister of Japan (d. 1965)
1900 – Ulrich Inderbinen, Swiss mountain guide (d. 2004)
1900 – Richard Kuhn, Austrian-German biochemist, Nobel laureate (d. 1967)
1908 – Edward Underdown, English actor (d. 1989)
1911 – Nino Rota, Italian composer (d. 1979)
1918 – Abdul Haris Nasution, Indonesian general (d. 2000)
1921 – Phyllis Curtin, American soprano
1922 – Sven Nykvist, Swedish cinematographer (d. 2006)
1924 – Roberto Mières, Argentine racing driver
1924 – John Winter, Australian high jumper (d. 2007)
1924 – Francisco Sionil José, Filipino novelist, Philippine National Artist for Literature
1925 – Ferlin Husky, American singer
1925 – Kim Dae Jung, South Korean President, Nobel laureate
1927 – Andy Williams, American singer
1930 – Jean-Luc Godard, French film director
1931 – Franz Josef Degenhardt, German author
1931 – Jaye P. Morgan, American singer
1932 – Corry Brokken, Dutch singer
1933 – Paul J. Crutzen, Dutch chemist, Nobel laureate
1934 – Nicolas Coster, American actor
1934 – Viktor Gorbatko, Soviet cosmonaut
1937 – Bobby Allison, American race car driver
1937 – Binod Bihari Verma, Indian linguist
1938 – Jean-Claude Malépart, Canadian politician (d. 1989)
1940 – Jeffrey R. Holland, American religious leader
1942 – Alice Schwarzer, German journalist
1945 – Paul Nicholas English actor producer
1946 – Joop Zoetemelk, Dutch cyclist
1948 – Ozzy Osbourne, English singer
1949 – John Akii-Bua, Ugandan athlete (d. 1997)
1949 – Heather Menzies, American actress
1949 – Mickey Thomas, American singer (Jefferson Starship)
1951 – Ray Candy, American professional wrestler (d. 1994)
1951 – Riki Choshu, Japanese professional wrestler
1951 – Rick Mears, American race car driver
1951 – John and Greg Rice, American twin actors
1951 – Nicky Stevens, British singer (Brotherhood of Man)
1952 – Benny Hinn, American televangelist
1952 – Mel Smith, English comedian
1953 – Franz Klammer, Austrian skier
1954 – Grace Andreacchi, American author
1955 – Steven Culp, American actor
1955 – Warren Jeffs, American convicted polygamist
1959 – Eamonn Holmes, Northern Irish TV presenter
1960 – Daryl Hannah, American actress
1960 – Igor Larionov, Russian ice hockey player
1960 – Julianne Moore, American actress
1960 – Mike Ramsey, American ice hockey player
1961 – Adal Ramones, Mexican television host
1963 – Joe Lally, American musician (Fugazi)
1963 – Terri Schiavo, American right to die figure (d. 2005)
1965 – Steve Harris, American actor
1965 – Andrew Stanton, American animator
1965 – Katarina Witt, German figure skater
1966 – Flemming Povlsen, Danish footballer
1968 – Brendan Fraser, American actor
1968 – Montell Jordan, American singer and record producer
1969 – Bill Steer, British guitarist
1970 – Paul Byrd, American baseball player
1970 – Lindsey Hunter, American basketball player
1970 – Christian Karembeu, French footballer
1971 – Frank Sinclair, Jamaican footballer
1971 – Keegan Connor Tracy, Canadian actress
1971 – Vernon White, American mixed martial artist
1972 – Bucky Lasek, American skateboarder
1973 – Holly Marie Combs, American actress
1973 – Super Crazy, Mexican professional wrestler
1973 – Sammy Leung, Hong Kong disc jockey
1975 – Mickey Avalon, American rapper
1975 – Csaba Czébely, Hungarian drummer (Pokolgép)
1975 – Malinda Williams, American actress
1976 – Gary Glover, American baseball player
1976 – Byron Kelleher, New Zealand rugby union footballer
1976 – Mark Boucher, South African cricketer
1976 – Cornelius Griffin, American football player
1977 – Chad Durbin, American baseball player
1977 – Adam Malysz, Polish ski-jumper
1977 – Troy Evans, American football player
1978 – Trina, American rapper
1978 – Jirí Bicek, Slovak ice hockey player
1979 – Daniel Bedingfield, English singer
1979 – Rainbow Sun Francks, Canadian actor
1979 – Rock Cartwright, American football player
1980 – Anna Chlumsky, American actress
1980 – Jenna Dewan, American actress
1980 – Jim Sorgi, American football player
1981 – Ioannis Amanatidis, Greek footballer
1981 – David Villa, Spanish footballer
1981 – Tyjuan Hagler, American football player
1982 – Michael Essien, Ghanaian footballer
1982 – Jaycee Chan, Hong Kong singer and actor
1982 – Manny Corpas, Panamanian baseball player
1983 – Sherri DuPree, American vocalist
1984 – Avraam Papadopoulos, Greek footballer
1985 – Mike Randolph, American footballer
1985 – Amanda Seyfried, American actress
1985 – Marcus Williams, American basketball player
1985 – László Cseh, Hungarian swimmer
1987 – Michael Angarano, American actor
1987 – Alicia Sacramone, American gymnast
1992 – Joseph McManners, English actor
1994 – Jake T. Austin, American actor
2005 – Prince Sverre Magnus of Norway
Deaths
1154 – Pope Anastasius IV
1265 – Odofredus, Italian jurist
1533 – Vasili III, Grand Prince of Moscow (b. 1479)
1552 – St Francis Xavier, Jesuit missionary to the East (b. 1506)
1610 – Honda Tadakatsu, Japanese general (b. 1548)
1706 – Emilie Juliane of Schwarzburg-Rudolstadt, German countess and hymn writer (b. 1637)
1765 – Lord John Philip Sackville, British cricketer (b. 1713)
1789 – Claude Joseph Vernet, French painter (b. 1714)
1815 – John Carroll (priest), first Roman Catholic archbishop in the U.S. (b. 1735)
1845 – Gregor MacGregor, Scottish con-man (b. 1786)
1882 – Archibald Campbell Tait, Archbishop of Canterbury (b. 1811)
1888 – Carl Zeiss, German lens maker (b. 1816)
1890 – Billy Midwinter, Australian cricketer (b. 1851)
1892 – Afanasy Fet, Russian poet (b. 1820)
1894 – Robert Louis Stevenson, Scottish writer (b. 1850)
1902 – Robert Lawson, New Zealand architect (b. 1833)
1910 – Mary Baker Eddy, Founder of the Church of Christ, Scientist (b. 1821)
1912 – Prudente José de Morais Barros, President of Brazil (b. 1841)
1919 – Pierre-Auguste Renoir, French impressionist painter (b. 1841)
1928 – Ezra Meeker, American pioneer and businessman (b. 1830)
1934 – Charles James O Donnell, Irish politician (b. 1849)
1941 – Pavel Filonov, Russian painter (b. 1883)
1949 – Maria Ouspenskaya, Russian-American actress (b. 1876)
1955 – Cow Cow Davenport, American pianist (b. 1894)
1967 – Harry Wismer, American original owner of the New York Jets (b. 1913)
1969 – Mathias Wieman, German actor (b. 1902)
1972 – Bill Johnson, American musician (b. 1872)
1973 – Emile Christian, American musician (b. 1895)
1979 – Dhyan Chand, Indian field hockey player (b. 1905)
1980 – Oswald Mosley, British Fascist (b. 1896)
1981 – Walter Knott, American farmer (b. 1889)
1984 – Vladimir Abramovich Rokhlin, Russian mathematician (b. 1919)
1993 – Lewis Thomas, American physician and essayist (b. 1913)
1994 – Elizabeth Glaser, AIDS activist (b. 1947)
1995 – Jimmy Jewel, English actor (b. 1909)
1995 – Gerard John Schaefer, American serial killer (b. 1946)
1996 – Georges Duby, French historian (b. 1919)
1998 – Pierre Hétu, Quebec conductor and pianist (b. 1936)
1999 – Scatman John, American singer (b. 1942)
1999 – Madeline Kahn, American actress (b. 1942)
1999 – Jarl Wahlström, 12th General of The Salvation Army (b. 1918)
2000 – Gwendolyn Brooks, American poet (b. 1917)
2000 – Hoyt Curtin, American songwriter (b. 1922)
2002 – Glenn Quinn, Irish actor (b. 1970)
2003 – David Hemmings, English actor (b. 1941)
2004 – Shiing-Shen Chern, Chinese mathematician (b. 1911)
2004 – Teo Peter, Romanian rock musician and bass player for Compact (b. 1954)
2005 – Herb Moford, American baseball player (b. 1928)
2006 – Logan Whitehurst, American musician (b. 1977)
2007 – James Kemsley, Australian cartoonist and actor (b. 1948)
2008 – Robert Zajonc, Polish-American social psychologist (b. 1923)
Holidays and observances
International Day of Disabled Persons
International Day of the Basque language
Feast day of St. Francis Xavier in the Roman Catholic calendar of saints
Among the seven other saints listed for that day in the Roman Martyrology is Saint Birinus
Advocate s Day in India, in memory of Rajendra Prasad, first President and an eminent lawyer
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