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On this day in history - June 3

What Happened On This Day – June 3

  • 2013 The trial against whistleblower Bradley Manning begins

    The American soldier, a trans woman now called Chelsea Manning, was responsible for leaking classified videos documenting U.S. war atrocities during the Iraq War. She was sentenced to 35 years confinement.

  • 1998 101 people die in the Eschede train disaster

    Traveling at 200 km/h (120 mph), a high-speed ICE train derailed and crashed into a bridge. The accident was caused by a fatigue crack in one of the train's wheels. It was the deadliest high-speed train disaster in history.

  • 1982 The Israeli ambassador to the U.K. is shot

    Shlomo Argov survived the assassination attempt by a Palestinian terrorist group, but he was permanently paralyzed. The event triggered the 1982 Lebanon War.

  • 1973 The world's first supersonic airliner crashes

    The Soviet Tupolev Tu-144, sometimes referred to as Concordski, disintegrated in mid-air during the 1973 Paris Air Show. 14 people died.

  • 1492 Martin Behaim presents the world's first globe

    The German geographer called his terrestrial globe Erdapfel, or Earth Apple. It is kept in a darkened room at the Germanisches Nationalmuseum in Nuremberg, Germany.

Illustration of stork, signifying birth

Births On This Day,
June 3

  • 1986 Rafael Nadal

    Spanish tennis player

  • 1931 Raúl Castro

    Cuban politician, 17th Prime Minister of Cuba

  • 1926 Allen Ginsberg

    American poet

  • 1808 Jefferson Davis

    American colonel, politician, President of the Confederate States of America

  • 1770 Manuel Belgrano

    Argentinian economist, lawyer, politician

Illustration of tombstone, signifying death

Deaths On This Day,
June 3

  • 2016 Muhammad Ali

    American boxer

  • 2001 Anthony Quinn

    Mexican/American actor, producer

  • 1989 Ruhollah Khomeini

    Iranian religious leader, politician, 1st Supreme Leader of Iran

  • 1924 Franz Kafka

    Czech/German writer

  • 1875 Georges Bizet

    French composer