On This Day: 3 December

3 December in Indian history

• 1984Bhopal disaster: A methyl isocyanate leak from a Union Carbide pesticide plant in Bhopal, India, kills more than 3,800 people outright and injures 150,000–600,000 others (some 6,000 of whom later died from their injuries) in one of the worst industrial disasteIndia
• 1971With the Pakistani Air Force launching the unsuccessful pre-emptive airstrikes on several forward Indian Air Force airbases and radar installations, the 1971 India-Pakistan War begins and India also joins the Bangladesh Liberation War, siding with Bangladesh.India

3 December in world history

• 1999NASA lost contact with the Mars Polar Lander moments before it reached the atmosphere of Mars and disappeared.
• 1994Taiwan holds its first full local elections; James Soong elected as the first and only directly elected Governor of Taiwan, Chen Shui-bian became the first directly elected Mayor of Taipei, Wu Den-yih became the first directly elected Mayor of Kaohsiung.
• 1990Mary Robinson took office as the first female president of Ireland.
• 1989In a meeting off the coast of Malta, U.S. President George H. W. Bush and Soviet General Secretary Mikhail Gorbachev release statements indicating that the Cold War between NATO and the Warsaw Pact may be coming to an end.
• 1979Eleven people were crushed in a human stampede at a concert by British rock band the Who in Cincinnati, Ohio, U.S.
• 1973Pioneer program: Pioneer 10 sends back the first close-up images of Jupiter.
• 1967Cardiac surgeon Christiaan Barnard performed the first successful human heart transplant on Louis Washkansky at Groote Schuur Hospital in Cape Town, South Africa.
• 1965Soviet Union, Space probe of the Luna program, called Luna 8, is launched, but crashes on the Moon.
• 1959The current flag and coat of arms of Singapore were adopted, six months after the island became self-governing within the British Empire.
• 1944Greek Civil War: Fighting breaks out in Athens between the ELAS and government forces supported by the British Army.
• 1938Nazi Germany issues the Decree on the Utilization of Jewish Property forcing Jews to sell real property, businesses, and stocks at below market value as part of Aryanization.
• 1937Rupert Bruce-Mitford, the spiritus rector of research on the Sutton Hoo ship burial, joined the British Museum.
• 1912Bulgaria, Greece, Montenegro, and Serbia (the Balkan League) sign an armistice with the Ottoman Empire, temporarily halting the First Balkan War. (The armistice will expire on February 3, 1913, and hostilities will resume.)
• 1910Modern neon lighting is first demonstrated by Georges Claude at the Paris Motor Show.
• 1904Himalia, Jupiter's largest irregular moon, was discovered by Charles Dillon Perrine at the Lick Observatory in California.
• 1901In a State of the Union message, U.S. President Theodore Roosevelt delivers a 20,000-word report to the House of Representatives asking Congress to curb the power of trusts "within reasonable limits". The speech was not delivered in person.

Born on 3 December

• 1980Jenna Dewan, American actress and dancer
• 1963Terri Schiavo, American medical patient (died 2005)
• 1933Paul J. Crutzen, Dutch chemist and engineer, Nobel Prize laureate (died 2021)
• 1928Muhammad Habibur Rahman, Indian-Bangladeshi jurist and politician, Prime Minister of Bangladesh (died 2014)India
• 1884Rajendra Prasad, Indian lawyer and politician, 1st President of India (died 1963)India
• 1730Mahadaji Shinde, Maratha ruler of Gwalior (died 1794)India

Died on 3 December

• 2015Gladstone Anderson, Jamaican singer and pianist (born 1934)
• 2011Dev Anand, Indian actor, director, and producer (born 1923)India
• 1956Manik Bandopadhyay, Indian author, poet, and playwright (born 1908)India
• 1888Carl Zeiss, German physicist and lens maker, created the optical instrument (born 1816)

Frequently asked questions

What happened on 3 December in history?

1999: NASA lost contact with the Mars Polar Lander moments before it reached the atmosphere of Mars and disappeared. 1994: Taiwan holds its first full local elections; James Soong elected as the first and only directly elected Governor of Taiwan, Chen Shui-bian became the first directly elected Mayor of Taipei, Wu Den-yih became the first directly elected Mayor of Kaohsiung. 1990: Mary Robinson took office as the first female president of Ireland. 1989: In a meeting off the coast of Malta, U.S. President George H. W. Bush and Soviet General Secretary Mikhail Gorbachev release statements indicating that the Cold War between NATO and the Warsaw Pact may be coming to an end.

What happened on 3 December in Indian history?

1984: Bhopal disaster: A methyl isocyanate leak from a Union Carbide pesticide plant in Bhopal, India, kills more than 3,800 people outright and injures 150,000–600,000 others (some 6,000 of whom later died from their injuries) in one of the worst industrial disaste. 1971: With the Pakistani Air Force launching the unsuccessful pre-emptive airstrikes on several forward Indian Air Force airbases and radar installations, the 1971 India-Pakistan War begins and India also joins the Bangladesh Liberation War, siding with Bangladesh.

Which famous people were born on 3 December?

Jenna Dewan, American actress and dancer (1980); Terri Schiavo, American medical patient (died 2005) (1963); Paul J. Crutzen, Dutch chemist and engineer, Nobel Prize laureate (died 2021) (1933); Muhammad Habibur Rahman, Indian-Bangladeshi jurist and politician, Prime Minister of Bangladesh (died 2014) (1928).

Which day is observed on 3 December?

International Day of Persons with Disabilities; Doctors' Day (Cuba); International Day of Persons with Disabilities.