December 3
December 3 is the 338th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar; 28 days remain until the year's end. It falls in autumn (northern hemisphere) and under the astrological sign of Sagittarius.
External references
Curated jump-off points to the major almanacs, encyclopaedias and primary sources for this date.
Astronomy
On December 3 the Sun's declination is approximately -22.5°. At this latitude the Sun is south of the celestial equator, giving the Northern Hemisphere shorter days than nights.
For specific rise/set times at your location, see the U.S. Naval Observatory, or the NASA APOD archive for any imagery published on a December 3.
Position in the year
Holidays & observances
- Christian feast day: Abbo of Auxerre
- Christian feast day: Pope Abraham of Alexandria (Coptic, 6 Koiak))
- Christian feast day: Adrian (Ethernan)
- Christian feast day: Birinus
- Christian feast day: Cassian of Tangier
Events
A selection of widely-documented historical events that took place on this date. Years marked BCE follow standard astronomical convention.
2024 — Martial law is declared in South Korea. ↗(2 years ago)more
In 2024, a political crisis took place in South Korea, triggered by a declaration of martial law by President Yoon Suk Yeol. On 3 December 2024, at 22:27 Korea Standard Time (KST), Yoon, the then-president of South Korea, announced the imposition of martial law during a televised address.
2023 — Mount Marapi located in West Sumatra, Indonesia begins a sporadic series of eruptions. 23 people were killed, and 12 were injured. ↗(3 years ago)more
The Marapi, or Mount Marapi, is a complex volcano in West Sumatra, Indonesia, and is the most active volcano in Sumatra. Like that of its quasi-homonym on Java, its name means "Mountain of Fire". Its elevation is 2,885 metres (9,465.2 ft). Several cities and towns are situated around the mountain including Bukittinggi, Padang Panjang, and Batusangkar.
- 2022 — Massive power outage after Moore County substation attack that leaves 45,000 people without power for five days, leading to an FBI probe. ↗(4 years ago)
more
On December 3, 2022, a shooting attack was carried out on two electrical distribution substations located in Moore County, North Carolina, United States. Damage from the attack left up to 40,000 residential and business customers without electrical power, causing the death of one woman.
2014 — The Japanese space agency, JAXA, launches the space explorer Hayabusa2 from the Tanegashima Space Center on a six-year round trip mission to an asteroid to collect rock samples. ↗(12 years ago)more
The Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) is the Japanese national air and space agency.
2012 — At least 475 people are killed after Typhoon Bopha makes landfall in the Philippines. ↗(14 years ago)more
Typhoon Bopha, also named Pablo by PAGASA, was a compact but powerful and catastrophic tropical cyclone that became the strongest on record to ever affect the Philippine island of Mindanao, making landfall as a Category 5 super typhoon with winds of 175 mph (282 km/h).
2009 — A suicide bombing at a hotel in Mogadishu, Somalia, kills 25 people, including three ministers of the Transitional Federal Government. ↗(17 years ago)more
The 2009 Hotel Shamo bombing occurred at the Hotel Shamo in Mogadishu, Somalia, on 3 December 2009. The suicide bombing killed 25 people, including three ministers of the Transitional Federal Government, and injured 60 more, making it the deadliest attack in Somalia since the Beledweyne bombing on 18 June 2009 that claimed more than 30 lives.
2007 — Winter storms cause the Chehalis River to flood many cities in Lewis County, Washington, and close a 32-kilometre (20 mi) portion of Interstate 5 for several days. At least eight deaths and billions of dollars in damages are blamed on the floods. ↗(19 years ago)more
The Great Coastal Storm of 2007 was a series of three powerful Pacific storms that affected the U.S. states of Oregon and Washington and the Canadian province of British Columbia between November 29 and December 4, 2007.
2005 — XCOR Aerospace makes the first crewed rocket aircraft delivery of U.S. Mail in Kern County, California. ↗(21 years ago)more
XCOR Aerospace was an American private spaceflight and rocket engine development company based at the Mojave Air and Space Port in Mojave, California, Midland International Air and Spaceport in Midland, Texas and the Amsterdam area, the Netherlands.
1999 — NASA loses radio contact with the Mars Polar Lander moments before the spacecraft enters the Martian atmosphere. ↗(27 years ago)more
The National Aeronautics and Space Administration is an independent agency of the U.S. federal government responsible for the United States' civil space program and for research in aeronautics and space. Headquartered in Washington, D.C., NASA operates ten field centers across the U.S.
1999 — In Worcester, Massachusetts, firefighters responded to a fire at the Worcester Cold Storage and Warehouse Co. facility, which takes the lives of 6 firefighters. ↗(27 years ago)more
Worcester is a city in the U.S. state of Massachusetts. The principal city of Central Massachusetts, Worcester is both the second-most populous city in the state, and the 113th most populous city in the United States.
1997 — In Ottawa, Ontario, Canada, representatives from 121 countries sign the Ottawa Treaty prohibiting manufacture and deployment of anti-personnel landmines. The United States, People's Republic of China, and Russia do not sign the treaty, however. ↗(29 years ago)more
Ottawa is the capital city of Canada. It is located in the southern portion of the province of Ontario, at the confluence of the Ottawa River and the Rideau River. Ottawa borders Gatineau, Quebec, and forms the core of the Ottawa–Gatineau census metropolitan area (CMA) and the National Capital Region (NCR).
1995 — Cameroon Airlines Flight 3701 crashes on approach to Douala International Airport in Douala, Cameroon, killing 71 of the 76 people on board. ↗(31 years ago)more
On 3 December 1995, Cameroon Airlines Flight 3701, a Boeing 737-200 operating a scheduled international passenger flight from Cadjehoun Airport, Benin, to Douala International Airport, Cameroon, crashed on its second approach to Douala after it lost control following a loss of power in its left engine.
Notable births
1995 — Julius Honka, Finnish ice hockey player ↗(31 years ago)more
Julius Honka is a Finnish professional ice hockey player who is a defenceman for HC Davos of the National League (NL). Honka was selected by the Dallas Stars in the first round, 14th overall, in the 2014 NHL entry draft.
1995 — Angèle, Belgian singer ↗(31 years ago)more
Angèle Joséphine Aimée Van Laeken, known simply as Angèle, is a Belgian singer and songwriter. She was one of 2018's biggest breakout acts in French and Belgian pop music, breaking Stromae's record for weeks at the top of the Belgian singles charts with her 2018 single "Tout oublier" which features her brother, Roméo Elvis.
1994 — Jake T. Austin, American actor ↗(32 years ago)more
Jake Toranzo Austin Szymanski is an American actor. Beginning his career as a child actor at the age of seven, Austin is best known for his role as Max Russo on the Disney Channel series Wizards of Waverly Place, and as the original voice of Diego on the Nickelodeon animated series Go, Diego, Go!.
1994 — Lil Baby, American rapper ↗(32 years ago)more
Dominique Armani Jones, known professionally as Lil Baby, is an American rapper, singer, and songwriter. He rose to prominence following the release of his 2017 mixtapes Harder than Hard and Too Hard — the former of which spawned his first Billboard Hot 100 entry with its lead single, "My Dawg." He signed with Quality Control Music, an imprint of Motown a...
1994 — Solomone Kata, New Zealand rugby league player ↗(32 years ago)more
Solomone Kata is a professional dual-code rugby footballer who plays as a centre for Premiership Rugby club Leicester Tigers and the Tonga national team.
1994 — Bernarda Pera, American tennis player ↗(32 years ago)more
Bernarda Pera is a Croatian-American professional tennis player. Pera has won two singles titles and one doubles title on the WTA Tour, along with nine singles and eight doubles titles on the ITF Circuit. She achieved career-high rankings of world No. 27 in singles on June 12, 2023, and No. 35 in doubles on February 21, 2022.
Notable deaths
2024 — Mohamed Ali Yusuf, Somali politician (born 1944) ↗(2 years ago)more
Mohamed Ali Yusuf Gaagaab was a Somali politician. He served as acting Vice President of Puntland from 10 October 2004 to 8 January 2005, and later he was appointed Minister of Finance of Puntland beginning on 25 January 2005 to 29 January 2009. He was elected as Interim Speaker of the Senate of Somalia from 11 August 2021 to 26 April 2022.
- 2019 — Ragnar Ulstein, Norwegian journalist and war historian (born 1920) ↗(7 years ago)
more
Ragnar Leif Ulstein MM was a Norwegian journalist, writer and resistance member. He wrote several documentary books from the Second World War, including surveys of the SOE group Norwegian Independent Company 1, volunteers sailing from Norway to Scotland, refugee traffic from Norway to Sweden, and military intelligence in Norway.
- 2015 — Gladstone Anderson, Jamaican singer and pianist (born 1934) ↗(11 years ago)
more
Gladstone Anderson, also known by his nickname "Gladdy", was a Jamaican pianist, keyboard player, and singer, who played a major part in the island's musical history, playing a key role in defining the ska sound and the rocksteady beat, and playing on hundreds of recordings as a session musician, a solo artist, and as leader of Gladdy's All Stars, featuri...
2015 — Scott Weiland, American singer-songwriter (born 1967) ↗(11 years ago)more
Scott Richard Weiland was an American singer and songwriter. He was best known as the lead vocalist of the rock band Stone Temple Pilots from 1989 to 2003 and again from 2008 to 2013, recording six albums with them. Weiland is also known for being the lead vocalist of the rock supergroup Velvet Revolver from 2003 to 2008.
2014 — Herman Badillo, Puerto Rican-American lawyer and politician (born 1929) ↗(12 years ago)more
Herman Badillo was an American lawyer and politician who served as borough president of The Bronx and United States Representative, and ran for Mayor of New York City. He was the first Puerto Rican elected to these posts, and the first Puerto Rican mayoral candidate in a major city in the continental United States.
Numerical & calendrical curiosities
| Day-of-year (338) | 2 × 13^2 · composite (no) |
|---|---|
| Days remaining (28) | 2^2 × 7 |
| Date code DDMMYYYY | 03122026 · next palindrome year: 2130 |
| Sun declination | -22.47° (Cooper approximation) |
| Distance from solstice | 17 days |