What Happened on February 3 in History?
February 3rd is most famously remembered in popular culture as "The Day the Music Died," but it also marks major milestones in civil rights, space exploration, and international diplomacy.
Key Historic Events
The Day the Music Died (1959): Rock and roll legends Buddy Holly, Ritchie Valens, and J.P. "The Big Bopper" Richardson were killed in a plane crash near Clear Lake, Iowa.
Civil Rights Milestones:
1870: The 15th Amendment was ratified, guaranteeing that the right to vote cannot be denied based on "race, color, or previous condition of servitude".
1913: The 16th Amendment was ratified, authorizing the U.S. government to collect income taxes.
Space Exploration (1966): The Soviet Union's Luna 9 achieved the first "soft landing" on the Moon, proving the lunar surface was solid and not "quicksand".
World War II:
1943: The SS Dorchester was torpedoed; four U.S. Army chaplains famously gave up their life jackets to save others and went down with the ship.
1945: The Yalta Conference began, where Allied leaders Roosevelt, Churchill, and Stalin planned the final defeat of Nazi Germany.
International Diplomacy (1917): The United States officially severed diplomatic relations with Germany after the Germans announced a return to unrestricted submarine warfare.
Famous Birthdays & Deaths
Birthdays:
Elizabeth Blackwell (1821): The first woman to receive a medical degree in the United States.
Norman Rockwell (1894): Renowned American painter and illustrator.
Gertrude Stein (1874): Influential avant-garde writer.
Nathan Lane (1956): Award-winning stage and screen actor.
Deaths:
Johannes Gutenberg (1468): The inventor of the movable-type printing press.
Woodrow Wilson (1924): The 28th President of the United States.
Holidays & Fun Facts
National Carrot Cake Day: A day to celebrate the popular spiced vegetable cake.
Setsubun (Japan): An annual festival marking the day before the beginning of spring in the old calendar.
The First Paper Money (1690): The Massachusetts Bay Colony issued the first paper currency in the American colonies to pay soldiers.
