July 3 is the 184th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar; 181 days remain until the end of the year.
We have some interesting facts & historic events all about July 3rd, including areas in religion, crime, health and more.
Keep reading for more interesting facts about July 3rd in history!
Table of Contents
Global Celebrations
- International Plastic Bag Free Day.
- National Eat Your Beans Day
- Disobedience Day
- National Chocolate Wafer Day
- Stay Out Of The Sun Day
- National Compliment Your Mirror Day
- National Build a Scarecrow Day
Historic Events
What Happened On This Day – July 3
2013: Coup in Egypt
Egyptian defense minister Abdul Fatah al-Sisi staged a coup and forced out President Mohamed Morsi, just over a year after he was elected.
1988: Iran Air flight 655 is shot down by a US Navy ship
The USS Vincennes mistakenly shot down the airplane en route to Dubai, killing all 290 people aboard. The Vincennes, a guided missile cruiser, incorrectly identified the plane as a military aircraft. In 1996, the United States government made a cash settlement with Iran in order to close the case Iran had brought against the US in the International Court of Justice.
1962: Algeria gains its independence from France
Algeria’s independence from France, after 132 years of French rule, was finalized after the signing of the Évian Accords in the spa town of Évian-les-Bains. The accords ended a 7-year long voilent war of independence. Independence was finally achieved after the July 1, 1962, referendum favored complete Algerian independence. Ahmed Ben Bella became the first President of the country.
1863: Battle of Gettysburg ends
The 3-day long battle during the American Civil War was fought between the Union and Confederacy in-and-around the town of Gettysburg, Pennsylvania. Thought to be one of the bloodiest battles of the war – around 50,000 soldiers were lost on both sides – the Battle of Gettysburg marked a key turning point in the conflict. The decisive Union victory led to the retreat of Confederate soldiers from the north.
1844: The Great Auks go extinct
The last known pair of Great Auks, members of a species of flightless birds, were killed off the coast of Iceland at the request of a collector. It is believed that the extinction of these birds was caused by human activities and hunting due to the high demand for their feathers.
1918: Ernest Hemingway was an American Red Cross ambulance driver during World War I in Italy, circa 1918.
1915: Italian-speaking soldiers of the Austro-Hungarian army. The sign bears the inscription “The Italian veterans of the battles in Russia”, WW1, c.1914/1915
1891: Emmanuel Louis Cartigny (1791-1892), the last surviving combatant in the Battle of Trafalgar in 1805, fighting for Napoleon Bonaparte against Horatio Nelson. c. 1891
Famous Birthdays
Births On This Day, July 3
1980: Harbhajan Singh, Indian cricketer
1971: Julian Assange, Australian journalist, publisher, activist, founder of WikiLeaks
1962: Tom Cruise, American actor, writer, director, producer
1949: Bo Xilai, Chinese politician
1883: Franz Kafka, Czech/German writer
Tom Cruise.
Harbhajan Singh.
Bharati Singh.
Heartbreaking Deaths
Deaths On This Day, July 3
2012: Andy Griffith, American actor, singer, producer, screenwriter
1995: Pancho Gonzales, American tennis player
1971: Jim Morrison, American singer-songwriter, poet
1935: André Citroën, French engineer, businessman, founded Citroën
1904: Theodor Herzl, Austrian journalist, author
Dong Chang.
Volkmar Grob died.
Boyd K. Packer died.
