Date·Lore

On This Day · The 184th day of the year

July 3

July 3 carries 10 recorded events spanning between 1754 and 1988. French and Indian War: George Washington surrenders Fort Necessity to French forces.

♋ZodiacCancer ◈BirthstoneRuby ❀Birth flowerLarkspur

Compiled & reviewed by · Last reviewed July 13, 2026

What happened on July 3?

July 3 is the 184th day of the year. It marks 10 notable events in history, dated between 1754 and 1988. Famous people born on July 3 include Julian Assange, Franz Kafka and Louis XI.

The shape of the day

As calendar dates go, July 3 keeps a short memory — its record stays close to the present. Most of the weight falls in the 20th century, where conflict is a recurring thread.

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

Released on July 3

Movies, games, albums & shows

2025

  • Game Shatterline

2023

  • TV Fufu Kokan: Modorenai Yoru

2021

  • TV The Case Study of Vanitas

Release data from TMDB & IGDB.

Events

10 notable moments
  1. 1754

    French and Indian War

    French and Indian War: George Washington surrenders Fort Necessity to French forces.

  2. 1767

    Norway

    Norway's oldest newspaper still in print, Adresseavisen, is founded and the first edition is published.

  3. 1775

    American Revolutionary War

    American Revolutionary War: George Washington takes command of the Continental Army at Cambridge, Massachusetts.

  4. 1940

    World War II

    World War II: The Royal Navy attacks the French naval squadron in Algeria, to ensure that it will not fall under German control. Of the four French battleships present, one is sunk, two are damaged, and one escapes back to France.

  5. 1952

    SS United States

    The SS United States sets sail on her maiden voyage to Southampton. During the voyage, the ship takes the Blue Riband away from the RMS Queen Mary.

  6. 1970

    The Troubles

    The Troubles: The "Falls Curfew" begins in Belfast, Northern Ireland.

  7. 1970

    Dan-Air Flight 1903

    Dan-Air Flight 1903 crashes into the Les Agudes mountain in the Montseny Massif near the village of Arbúcies in Catalonia, Spain, killing all 112 people aboard.

  8. 1973

    David Bowie

    David Bowie retires his stage persona Ziggy Stardust with the surprise announcement that it is "the last show that we'll ever do" on the last day of the Ziggy Stardust Tour.

  9. 1979

    Jimmy Carter

    U.S. President Jimmy Carter signs the first directive for secret aid to the opponents of the pro-Soviet regime in Kabul.

  10. 1988

    United States Navy

    United States Navy warship USS Vincennes shoots down Iran Air Flight 655 over the Persian Gulf, killing all 290 people aboard.

Famous birthday twins

Born on July 3

Julian Assange

b. 1971

Australian journalist, publisher, and activist, founded WikiLeaks

Franz Kafka

b. 1883

Czech-Austrian author

Louis XI

b. 1423

King of France

Harbhajan Singh

b. 1980

Indian cricketer

Bo Xilai

b. 1949

Chinese politician, Chinese Minister of Commerce

Ralph Barton Perry

b. 1876

American philosopher and academic

Tom Cruise

b. 1962

American actor and producer

Sebastian Vettel

b. 1987

German race car driver

Deaths

  • 2005Alberto Lattuada
  • 1998Danielle Bunten Berry
  • 1995Pancho Gonzales
  • 1971Jim Morrison
  • 1904Theodor Herzl
  • 710Emperor Zhongzong of Tang

Holidays & observances

  • —Christian feast day: Anatolius of Constantinople
  • —Christian feast day: Anatolius of Laodicea
  • —Christian feast day: Dathus
  • —Christian feast day: Germanus of Man
  • —Christian feast day: Gurthiern
  • —Christian feast day: Heliodorus of Altino
  • —Christian feast day: Mucian
  • —Christian feast day: Peregrina Mogas Fontcuberta

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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