On This Day in History – October 3

Major Events

• 2333 BC – Legendary foundation of Gojoseon, the first Korean kingdom, traditionally dated to this day.
• 52 BC – Vercingetorix surrendered to Julius Caesar at the Battle of Alesia, marking Roman dominance in Gaul.
• 1283 – Dafydd ap Gruffydd, Prince of Gwynedd, became the first nobleman executed by being hanged, drawn, and quartered in England.
• 1789 – George Washington proclaimed the first national Thanksgiving holiday in the United States.
• 1849 – American author Edgar Allan Poe was found delirious in Baltimore; he died four days later.
• 1863 – U.S. President Abraham Lincoln declared Thanksgiving a national holiday, to be celebrated in November.
• 1932 – Iraq gained independence from Britain and was admitted to the League of Nations.
• 1935 – Italy invaded Ethiopia, beginning the Second Italo-Ethiopian War.
• 1952 – The United Kingdom successfully tested its first atomic bomb, becoming the world’s third nuclear power.
• 1990 – German reunification: East and West Germany officially became one nation again.
• 1993 – The Battle of Mogadishu began in Somalia; U.S. forces clashed with Somali militias in an event later depicted in Black Hawk Down.
• 2008 – The $700 billion U.S. financial bailout bill was signed into law in response to the global financial crisis.

Famous Birthdays

• Gore Vidal (1925–2012) – American author, essayist, and public intellectual.
• James Herriot (1916–1995) – British veterinary surgeon and author of “All Creatures Great and Small.”
• Chubby Checker (born 1941) – American singer and dancer, famous for popularizing “The Twist.”
• Stevie Ray Vaughan (1954–1990) – American blues guitarist and singer.
• Al Sharpton (born 1954) – American civil rights activist, Baptist minister, and politician.
• Clive Owen (born 1964) – English actor known for “Closer” and “Children of Men.”
• Neve Campbell (born 1973) – Canadian actress, star of the “Scream” series.
• Lena Headey (born 1973) – English actress, best known for her role as Cersei Lannister in Game of Thrones.
• Tessa Thompson (born 1983) – American actress known for Thor: Ragnarok and Westworld.
• Ashlee Simpson (born 1984) – American singer, songwriter, and actress.

Notable Deaths

• Saint Francis of Assisi (1181–1226) – Italian Catholic friar and preacher, founder of the Franciscan Order.
• Sophonisba Anguissola (1532–1625) – Italian Renaissance painter.
• Rembrandt van Rijn (1606–1669) – Dutch painter and etcher, one of the greatest visual artists in history.
• William Morris (1834–1896) – English textile designer, writer, and socialist activist.
• Jan Smuts (1870–1950) – South African statesman, military leader, and twice prime minister.
• Woody Guthrie (1912–1967) – American folk musician and songwriter.
• Jean-Luc Godard (1930–2022) – French-Swiss filmmaker, pioneer of the French New Wave.

Holidays

• German Unity Day (Germany) – Celebrates the reunification of Germany in 1990.
• Independence Day (Iraq) – Marks Iraq’s independence from Britain in 1932.
• National Foundation Day (South Korea, Gaecheonjeol) – Commemorates the legendary founding of the Korean nation in 2333 BC.

Fun Facts

• October 3 is celebrated by fans of Mean Girls as “Mean Girls Day,” referencing a line in the 2004 film.
• Rembrandt, one of the greatest painters in history, died on this day in 1669.
• Both George Washington (1789) and Abraham Lincoln (1863) made landmark Thanksgiving proclamations on October 3, decades apart.