Date·Lore

On This Day · The 3rd day of the year

January 3

January 3 carries 10 recorded events spanning between 250 and 2026. Emperor Decius orders everyone in the Roman Empire (except Jews) to make sacrifices to the Roman gods.

♑ZodiacCapricorn ◈BirthstoneGarnet ❀Birth flowerCarnation

Compiled & reviewed by · Last reviewed July 13, 2026

What happened on January 3?

January 3 is the 3rd day of the year. It marks 10 notable events in history, dated between 250 and 2026. Famous people born on January 3 include J. R. R. Tolkien, Cicero and Michael Schumacher.

The shape of the day

January 3 carries an unusually long memory — its events reach back as far as 250. Most of the weight falls in the 20th century, where conflict is a recurring thread.

Capricorn is the sign for January 3 — read more on the Capricorn page, or see January's birthstone & birth flower.

Released on January 3

Movies, games, albums & shows

2023

  • TV Will Trent

2022

  • TV The Cleaning Lady

Release data from TMDB & IGDB.

Events

10 notable moments
  1. 250

    Decius

    Emperor Decius orders everyone in the Roman Empire (except Jews) to make sacrifices to the Roman gods.

  2. 1521

    Pope Leo X

    Pope Leo X excommunicates Martin Luther in the papal bull Decet Romanum Pontificem.

  3. 1749

    Berlingske

    The first issue of Berlingske, Denmark's oldest continually operating newspaper, is published.

  4. 1777

    American Revolutionary War

    American Revolutionary War: American forces under General George Washington defeat British forces at the Battle of Princeton, helping boost patriot morale.

  5. 1911

    Siege of Sidney Street

    A gun battle in the East End of London leaves two dead. It sparked a political row over the involvement of then-Home Secretary Winston Churchill.

  6. 1944

    World War II

    World War II: US flying ace Major Greg "Pappy" Boyington is shot down in his Vought F4U Corsair by Captain Masajiro Kawato flying a Mitsubishi A6M Zero.

  7. 1961

    Aero Flight 311

    Aero Flight 311 crashes into the forest in Kvevlax, Finland, killing 25 people.

  8. 1990

    United States invasion of Panama

    United States invasion of Panama: Manuel Noriega, former leader of Panama, surrenders to American forces.

  9. 2004

    Flash Airlines Flight 604

    Flash Airlines Flight 604 crashes into the Red Sea, resulting in 148 deaths, making it one of the deadliest aviation accidents in Egyptian history.

  10. 2026

    United States

    The United States conducts airstrikes across northern Venezuela, including the capital Caracas and captures Venezuelan president Nicolás Maduro and first lady Cilia Flores.

Famous birthday twins

Born on January 3

J. R. R. Tolkien

b. 1892

English writer, poet, and philologist

Cicero

b. -106

Roman philosopher, lawyer, and politician (died 43 BC)

Michael Schumacher

b. 1969

German racing driver

Ikechi Anya

b. 1988

Scottish-Nigerian footballer

Pietro Metastasio

b. 1698

Italian poet and songwriter

Jonny Evans

b. 1988

Northern Irish footballer

August Macke

b. 1887

German-French painter

Mel Gibson

b. 1956

American-Australian actor, director, producer, and screenwriter

Deaths

  • 2008Choi Yo-sam
  • 1956Joseph Wirth
  • 1927Carl Runge
  • 1923Jaroslav Hašek
  • 1322Philip V of France
  • 323Emperor Yuan of Jin

Holidays & observances

  • —Christian feast day: Daniel of Padua
  • —Christian feast day: Genevieve
  • —Christian feast day: Holy Name of Jesus
  • —Christian feast day: Kuriakose Elias Chavara (Syro-Malabar Catholic Church)
  • —Christian feast day: Pope Anterus
  • —Christian feast day: January 3 (Eastern Orthodox liturgics)
  • —Tamaseseri Festival (Hakozaki Shrine, Fukuoka, Japan)
  • —The tenth of the Twelve Days of Christmas (Western Christianity)

Historical facts, event summaries, and biographical lines above are adapted from Wikipedia under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike (CC BY-SA) license. DateLore adds curation, structure, and original editorial commentary. DateLore is not affiliated with the Wikimedia Foundation.

About the author

Roman Tailor compiles and reviews every date on DateLore. He's the writer and editor behind the site's editorial essays and the day-by-day almanac. Corrections and questions are welcome — read more about DateLore or get in touch.

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