January 3
January 3 is the 3rd day of the year in the Gregorian calendar; 363 days remain until the year's end. It falls in winter (northern hemisphere) and under the astrological sign of Capricorn.
External references
Curated jump-off points to the major almanacs, encyclopaedias and primary sources for this date.
Astronomy
- Earth typically reaches perihelion (closest to the Sun) near this date.
- Quadrantids meteor shower peaks tonight in the Northern Hemisphere.
Position in the year
Holidays & observances
- Festival of Sleep Day (informal)
Events
A selection of widely-documented historical events that took place on this date. Years marked BCE follow standard astronomical convention.
106 BCE — Roman statesman and orator Marcus Tullius Cicero was born (some sources give January 3). ↗(2132 years ago)more
Marcus Tullius Cicero was a Roman statesman, lawyer, scholar, philosopher, orator, and writer who tried to uphold optimate principles during the political crises of the Roman Republic that led to the establishment of the Roman Empire. The extensive writings of Cicero include treatises on rhetoric, philosophy, and politics.
1521 — Pope Leo X excommunicated Martin Luther in the bull Decet Romanum Pontificem. ↗(505 years ago)more
Decet Romanum Pontificem is a papal bull issued on 3 January 1521 by Pope Leo X to excommunicate German theologian Martin Luther and some of his colleagues—notably Andreas Karlstadt—for refusing to recant forty-one theses censured in the earlier papal bull Exsurge Domine.
1777 — The Battle of Princeton: George Washington defeated British forces in New Jersey. ↗(249 years ago)more
The Battle of Princeton was a battle of the American Revolutionary War, fought near Princeton, New Jersey on January 3, 1777, and ending in a small victory for the Colonials. General Lord Cornwallis had left 1,400 British troops under the command of Lieutenant Colonel Charles Mawhood in Princeton.
- 1957 — The first electric watch (the Hamilton Electric 500) went on sale. ↗(69 years ago)
more
The Hamilton Watch Company is a Swiss manufacturer of wristwatches based in Bienne, Switzerland. Founded in 1892 as an American firm, the Hamilton Watch Company ended American manufacture in 1969, shifting manufacturing operations to the Buren factory in Switzerland.
1959 — Alaska was admitted as the 49th U.S. state. ↗(67 years ago)more
Alaska is a non-contiguous U.S. state located in the northwestern regions of North America. Part of the Western United States region, it is one of the two non-contiguous U.S. states, alongside Hawaii. Alaska is considered to be the northernmost, westernmost, and, longitudinally, the easternmost state in the United States.
1977 — Apple Computer was incorporated in California. ↗(49 years ago)more
Apple Inc. is an American multinational technology company headquartered in Cupertino, California, in Silicon Valley, and known for consumer electronics, software and online services. Founded in 1976 as Apple Computer Company by Steve Jobs, Steve Wozniak and Ronald Wayne, the company was incorporated by Jobs and Wozniak as Apple Computer, Inc.
Notable births
- 106 BCE — Cicero, Roman orator and statesman. ↗(2132 years ago)
more
Marcus Tullius Cicero was a Roman statesman, lawyer, scholar, philosopher, orator, and writer who tried to uphold optimate principles during the political crises of the Roman Republic that led to the establishment of the Roman Empire. The extensive writings of Cicero include treatises on rhetoric, philosophy, and politics.
1892 — J. R. R. Tolkien, English author and philologist (The Lord of the Rings). ↗(134 years ago)more
John Ronald Reuel Tolkien was an English writer and philologist. He was the author of the high fantasy works The Hobbit (1937) and The Lord of the Rings (1954–55).
1956 — Mel Gibson, American-Australian actor and director. ↗(70 years ago)more
Mel Colm-Cille Gerard Gibson is an American actor and filmmaker. The recipient of multiple accolades, he is known for directing historical films as well for his action hero roles, particularly his breakout role as Max Rockatansky in the first three films of the post-apocalyptic series Mad Max (1979–1985) and as Martin Riggs in the buddy cop series Lethal ...
Notable deaths
1322 — Philip V of France. ↗(704 years ago)more
Philip V, known as the Tall, was King of France and Navarre from 1316 to 1322. Philip engaged in a series of domestic reforms intended to improve the management of the kingdom. These reforms included the creation of an independent Court of Finances, the standardization of weights and measures, and the establishment of a single currency.
1967 — Jack Ruby, the man who shot Lee Harvey Oswald. ↗(59 years ago)more
Jack Leon Ruby was an American nightclub owner, notable for killing Lee Harvey Oswald, the assassin of John F. Kennedy.
Numerical & calendrical curiosities
| Day-of-year (3) | 3 · prime |
|---|---|
| Days remaining (363) | 3 × 11^2 |
| Date code DDMMYYYY | 03012026 · no palindrome in next 200 years |
| Sun declination | -22.83° (Cooper approximation) |
| Distance from solstice | 14 days |