A Brief History
This article presents a chronological list of notable events that happened on July 3rd. For each date below, please click on the date to be taken to an article covering that date’s event.
Digging Deeper
On July 3, 1863, the Army of the Potomac fought a defensive battle against the Army of Northern Virginia at the Pennsylvania town of Gettysburg.
On July 3, 1890, Idaho was admitted to the Union as the 43rd US State.
On July 3, 1940, the Royal Navy (on purpose) pounded a French fleet moored at the Algerian port of Mers-el-Kebir, sinking three French battleships.
On July 3, 1969, Mark Sosin was fishing off Bermuda when he hooked, fought, and landed the heaviest Yellowfin Tuna ever captured by sporting methods with fly fishing tackle.
On July 3, 1969, the Soviet Union’s dreams of a moon rocket went up in smoke and fire on the launch pad as the largest explosion of any rocket in history.
On July 3, 1988, the guided missile cruiser USS Vincennes defended itself against an attacking Iranian fighter bomber by firing two ship to air missiles.
On July 3, 1996, Prime Minister John Major of the United Kingdom made an announcement most Scots would find long overdue.
Question for students (and subscribers): Which event that occurred on today’s date would you like to learn more about? Please let us know in the comments section below this article.
If you liked this article and would like to receive notification of new articles, please feel welcome to subscribe to History and Headlines by liking us on Facebook and becoming one of our patrons!
Your readership is much appreciated!
Historical Evidence
For more information, please see…
Andrews, John and Matt Baker. Timeline of World History. Thunder Bay Press, 2020.
You can also watch video versions of this article on YouTube.
