This is a list of selected May 3 anniversaries that appear in the "On this day" section of the Main Page. To suggest a new item, in most cases, you can be bold and edit this page. Before doing so, please review the selected anniversaries guidelines. If your suggestion is potentially controversial or relates to a day currently or soon to appear on the Main Page, post it on the talk page instead.
Please note:
- Events listed on the Main Page are selected based on article quality and to provide a diverse range of topics, rather than solely on the importance or significance of the events.
- Only four or five events are featured each day; therefore, not all important or significant events can be included.
- An event is generally excluded if it is already the subject of the scheduled featured article, featured list or picture of the day.
To report an error in content currently on the Main Page, see Wikipedia:Main Page/Errors. If a listed event is inaccurate, please first seek consensus and update the corresponding article before making changes here.
Staging area
Images
Use only ONE image at a time
- The original copy of "The Constitution of Japan"
- Suomenlinna in 2005
- Subhas Chandra Bose
- Subhas Chandra Bose
- Battle of Tolentino
- Frederick Bianchi, Duke of Casalanza
- Aerial view of RAF Northolt, 1917
Ineligible
| Blurb | Reason |
|---|---|
| 1808 – Finnish War: Sweden lost the fortress of Suomenlinna to Russia. | needs more footnotes |
| 1815 – Austrian troops led by Frederick Bianchi, Duke of Casalanza defeated the forces under King Joachim Murat of Naples at the Battle of Tolentino, the decisive battle of the Neapolitan War. | no footnotes |
| 1837 – The National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, the oldest university in Southeast Europe, was founded. | refimprove section, date not cited |
| 1942 – Second World War: Japanese forces began invading Tulagi and nearby islands in the Solomon Islands, enabling them to threaten and interdict the supply and communication routes between the United States and Australia and New Zealand. | TFA for 2012 |
| 1947 – A new Constitution of Japan went into effect, providing for a parliamentary system of government, guaranteeing certain fundamental rights, and relegating the Japanese monarchy to a purely ceremonial role. | refimprove section |
Eligible
- 1791 – The Polish Constitution of May 3, one of the earliest codified national constitutions in the world, was adopted by the Sejm.
- 1915 – Canadian physician and Lieutenant Colonel John McCrae wrote "In Flanders Fields", later considered one of the most notable poems written during the First World War.
- 1939 – Subhas Chandra Bose (pictured) formed the All India Forward Bloc of the Indian National Congress in opposition to Gandhi's tactics of nonviolence.
- 1951 – The Royal Festival Hall, the first post-war building to become listed Grade I, opened as the venue for the Festival of Britain.
- 1963 – Police in Birmingham, Alabama, used high-pressure water hoses and dogs on civil rights protesters, bringing intense scrutiny on racial segregation in the Southern US.
Notes
- United Kingdom general election, 1979 is saved for May 4, the date of Margaret Thatcher officially becoming Prime Minister
May 3: World Press Freedom Day; Constitution Day in Poland (1791) and Japan (1947)
- 1491 – Nkuwu Nzinga of the Kingdom of Kongo was baptised as João I (pictured) by Portuguese missionaries.
- 1915 – The oldest continually operational Royal Air Force station, RAF Northolt, opened as the home to No. 4 Reserve Aeroplane Squadron.
- 1920 – Relying on the 11th Soviet Red Army operating in neighboring Azerbaijan, Bolsheviks attempted to stage a coup d'etat in Georgia.
- 1945 – Second World War: German ocean liner Cap Arcona, left to float defencelessly in the Bay of Lübeck with thousands of prisoners from various concentration camps on board, was attacked and sunk by RAF Typhoons.
- 1960 – The Off-Broadway musical The Fantasticks made its premiere, eventually becoming the world's longest-running musical.