March 3
March 3 is the 63rd day of the year in the Gregorian calendar; 303 days remain until the year's end. It falls in winter (northern hemisphere) and under the astrological sign of Pisces.
External references
Curated jump-off points to the major almanacs, encyclopaedias and primary sources for this date.
Astronomy
On March 3 the Sun's declination is approximately -7.1°. 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 March 3.
Position in the year
Holidays & observances
- Hinamatsuri (Japan, Girls' Day)
- World Wildlife Day (UN)
Events
A selection of widely-documented historical events that took place on this date. Years marked BCE follow standard astronomical convention.
1845 — Florida was admitted as the 27th U.S. state. ↗(181 years ago)more
Florida is a state in the Southeastern and South Atlantic regions of the United States. It borders the Gulf of Mexico to the west, Alabama to the northwest, Georgia to the north, the Atlantic Ocean to the east, the Straits of Florida to the south, and The Bahamas to the southeast.
1875 — Georges Bizet's opera Carmen premiered in Paris. ↗(151 years ago)more
Carmen is an opera in four acts by the French composer Georges Bizet. The libretto was written by Henri Meilhac and Ludovic Halévy, based on the novella of the same title by Prosper Mérimée. The opera was first performed by the Opéra-Comique in Paris on 3 March 1875, where its breaking of conventions shocked and scandalised its first audiences.
1885 — American Telephone & Telegraph (AT&T) was incorporated. ↗(141 years ago)more
AT&T Inc., an abbreviation of its predecessor's original name, the American Telephone and Telegraph Company, is an American multinational telecommunications company headquartered at the Whitacre Tower in Downtown Dallas, Texas.
1931 — "The Star-Spangled Banner" was officially adopted as the U.S. national anthem. ↗(95 years ago)more
"The Star-Spangled Banner" is the national anthem of the United States. The lyrics come from the "Defence of Fort M'Henry", a poem written by American lawyer Francis Scott Key on September 14, 1814, after he witnessed the bombardment of Fort McHenry by the British Royal Navy during the Battle of Baltimore in the War of 1812.
1991 — Rodney King was beaten by Los Angeles Police Department officers; the videotaped event sparked nationwide outrage. ↗(35 years ago)more
Rodney Glen King was an African American victim of police brutality. On March 3, 1991, he was severely beaten by officers of the Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD) during his arrest after a high speed pursuit for driving while intoxicated on Interstate 210.
Notable births
1847 — Alexander Graham Bell, Scottish-American inventor of the telephone. ↗(179 years ago)more
Alexander Graham Bell was a Scottish-born Canadian-American inventor, scientist, and engineer who is credited with patenting the first practical telephone. He also co-founded the American Telephone and Telegraph Company (AT&T) in 1885.
1962 — Herschel Walker, American football player. ↗(64 years ago)more
Herschel Junior Walker is an American former professional football player, political candidate, and diplomat serving as the United States Ambassador to the Bahamas since 2025. A member of the Republican Party, he ran unsuccessfully as the party's nominee in the 2022 U.S. Senate election in Georgia.
Notable deaths
1703 — Robert Hooke, English natural philosopher. ↗(323 years ago)more
Robert Hooke was an English polymath who was active as a physicist, astronomer, geologist, meteorologist, and architect. He is credited as one of the first scientists to investigate living things at microscopic scale in 1665, using a compound microscope that he designed.
Numerical & calendrical curiosities
| Day-of-year (63) | 3^2 × 7 · composite (no) |
|---|---|
| Days remaining (303) | 3 × 101 |
| Date code DDMMYYYY | 03032026 · no palindrome in next 200 years |
| Sun declination | -7.15° (Cooper approximation) |
| Distance from solstice | 74 days |