July 3
July 3 is the 185th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar; 181 days remain until the year's end. It falls in summer (northern hemisphere) and under the astrological sign of Cancer.
External references
Curated jump-off points to the major almanacs, encyclopaedias and primary sources for this date.
Astronomy
On July 3 the Sun's declination is approximately +22.9°. At this latitude the Sun is north of the celestial equator, giving the Northern Hemisphere longer 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 July 3.
Position in the year
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
Events
A selection of widely-documented historical events that took place on this date. Years marked BCE follow standard astronomical convention.
2013 — President of Egypt Mohamed Morsi is removed from office by the military after four days of protests all over the country calling for his resignation, to which he did not respond. The president of the Supreme Constitutional Court of Egypt, Adly Mansour, is declared acting president until further elections are held. ↗(13 years ago)more
The president of the Arab Republic of Egypt is the head of state of Egypt. Under the various iterations of the Constitution of Egypt following the Egyptian revolution of 1952, the president is also the Supreme commander of the Armed Forces, and head of the executive branch of the Egyptian government.
- 2006 — The Valencia Metro derailment kills 41 people. ↗(20 years ago)
more
The Valencia Metro derailment occurred in Valencia, Spain's third largest city, on 3 July 2006 at 1 p.m. CEST between Jesús and Plaça d'Espanya stations on the Line 1 of the Metrovalencia mass transit system. At least 43 people were killed and more than ten were seriously injured.
1996 — British Prime Minister John Major announced the Stone of Scone would be returned to Scotland. ↗(30 years ago)more
Sir John Major is a British retired politician who served as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom and Leader of the Conservative Party from 1990 to 1997. He previously held various Cabinet positions under Margaret Thatcher. Major was Member of Parliament (MP) for Huntingdon, formerly Huntingdonshire, from 1979 to 2001.
1988 — United States Navy warship USS Vincennes shoots down Iran Air Flight 655 over the Persian Gulf, killing all 290 people aboard. ↗(38 years ago)more
The United States Navy (USN) is the maritime service branch of the United States Armed Forces and is designated as the navy of the United States in the Constitution. With 290 combat vessels, it is the world's second largest navy, behind the People's Liberation Army Navy, and by far the largest by displacement, at 4.5 million tons in 2021.
1988 — The Fatih Sultan Mehmet Bridge in Istanbul, Turkey is completed, providing the second connection between the continents of Europe and Asia over the Bosphorus. ↗(38 years ago)more
The Fatih Sultan Mehmet Bridge, also known as the Second Bosphorus Bridge, is a bridge in Istanbul, Turkey spanning the Bosphorus strait. When completed in 1988, it was the 5th-longest suspension bridge span in the world.
1979 — U.S. President Jimmy Carter signs the first directive for secret aid to the opponents of the pro-Soviet regime in Kabul. ↗(47 years ago)more
James Earl Carter Jr. was an American politician and humanitarian who served as the 39th president of the United States from 1977 to 1981. A member of the Democratic Party, Carter served from 1971 to 1975 as the 76th governor of Georgia and from 1963 to 1967 in the Georgia State Senate.
1973 — 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. ↗(53 years ago)more
David Robert Jones, known as David Bowie, was an English singer, songwriter and actor. Regarded as among the most influential musicians of the 20th century, Bowie received particular acclaim for his work in the 1970s. His career was marked by reinvention and visual presentation, and his music and stagecraft have had a significant impact on popular music.
1970 — The Troubles: The 'Falls Curfew' begins in Belfast, Northern Ireland. ↗(56 years ago)more
The Troubles were an ethno-nationalist conflict in Northern Ireland that lasted for about 30 years from the late 1960s to 1998. Also known internationally as the Northern Ireland conflict, it began in the late 1960s and is usually deemed to have ended with the Good Friday Agreement of 1998.
1970 — 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. ↗(56 years ago)more
Dan-Air Flight 1903 was an unscheduled international passenger service from Manchester to Barcelona, operated by Dan Air Services Limited under contract with British tour operator Clarksons Holidays, which arranged for the flight to carry a group of holidaymakers who had booked an all-inclusive package holiday with the operator.
1967 — The Aden Emergency: The Battle of the Crater in which the British Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders retake the Crater district following the Arab Police mutiny. ↗(59 years ago)more
The Aden Emergency, also known as the 14 October Revolution or the Aden Insurgency, was an armed rebellion led mainly by the National Liberation Front (NLF) and the Front for the Liberation of Occupied South Yemen (FLOSY) against the British Protectorate and Federation of South Arabia.
1952 — The Constitution of Puerto Rico is approved by the United States Congress. ↗(74 years ago)more
The Constitution of the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico is the primary organizing law for the unincorporated U.S. territory of Puerto Rico, describing the duties, powers, structures, and functions of the local government of Puerto Rico and its relation with the U.S. in nine articles.
1952 — 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. ↗(74 years ago)more
SS United States is a retired American ocean liner that was built during 1950 and 1951 for United States Lines. She is the largest ocean liner to be entirely constructed in the United States and the fastest ocean liner to cross the Atlantic Ocean in either direction, earning the Blue Riband for the highest average speed since her maiden voyage in 1952, a ...
Notable births
1998 — Kim Dong-han, South Korean singer ↗(28 years ago)more
Kim Dong-han, also known mononymously as Donghan, is a South Korean singer, songwriter and actor. He first became known for competing in the reality survival show Produce 101 Season 2, and later debuted in the boy band JBJ. Kim made his solo debut with the release of his EP D-Day in June 2018. He is currently a member of South Korean boy band WEi.
1997 — T. J. Hockenson, American football player ↗(29 years ago)more
Thomas James Hockenson is an American professional football tight end for the Minnesota Vikings of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Iowa Hawkeyes, where he earned the John Mackey Award, as the nation's top tight end in college football. Hockenson was selected in the first round of the 2019 NFL draft by the Detroit Lions.
1996 — Cole Tucker, American baseball player ↗(30 years ago)more
Cole Bryson Tucker is an American former professional baseball shortstop and outfielder. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Pittsburgh Pirates, Colorado Rockies, and Los Angeles Angels.
1996 — Alex Twal, Australian-Lebanese rugby league player ↗(30 years ago)more
Alex Twal is an Australian-Lebanese international rugby league footballer who plays as a Prop and Lock for the Wests Tigers.
1994 — Chris Jones, American football player ↗(32 years ago)more
Christopher Deshun Jones is an American professional football defensive tackle for the Kansas City Chiefs of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Mississippi State Bulldogs and was selected by the Chiefs in the second round of the 2016 NFL draft.
Notable deaths
2025 — Borja Gómez, Spanish motorcycle rider (born 2005) ↗(1 years ago)more
Borja Gómez Rus was a Spanish motorcycle racer. He competed in the Supersport World Championship in 2021 and 2024, the Moto2 World Championship between 2022 and 2023, and the FIM Stock European Championship at the time of his death.
2025 — Diogo Jota, Portuguese footballer (born 1996) ↗(1 years ago)more
Diogo José Teixeira da Silva, commonly known as Diogo Jota, was a Portuguese professional footballer who played as a forward and winger. He was known for his finishing, pace, dribbling ability, and work rate.
2025 — David Mabuza, South African politician, 8th Deputy President of South Africa (born 1960) ↗(1 years ago)more
David Dabede Mabuza, also known as DD Mabuza, was a South African politician who served as deputy president of South Africa from February 2018 to February 2023. He was the deputy president of the African National Congress (ANC) from December 2017 to December 2022 and was previously the premier of Mpumalanga from 2009 to 2018, throughout the presidency of ...
2025 — Michael Madsen, American actor (born 1957) ↗(1 years ago)more
Michael Søren Madsen was an American actor. He was widely known for starring in Quentin Tarantino's films such as Reservoir Dogs (1992), Kill Bill: Volume 2 (2004), and The Hateful Eight (2015). His other film roles included WarGames (1983), The Natural (1984), The Doors (1991), Thelma & Louise (1991), Free Willy (1993), Species (1995), Donnie Brasco (199...
2025 — Peter Rufai, Nigerian footballer (born 1963) ↗(1 years ago)more
Peter Rufai was a Nigerian professional footballer who played as a goalkeeper. Having begun his career with Stationery Stores, he competed professionally abroad in Belgium, the Netherlands, Portugal and Spain in a senior career that lasted 20 years.
Numerical & calendrical curiosities
| Day-of-year (185) | 5 × 37 · composite (no) |
|---|---|
| Days remaining (181) | 181 |
| Date code DDMMYYYY | 03072026 · no palindrome in next 200 years |
| Sun declination | +22.88° (Cooper approximation) |
| Distance from solstice | 13 days |