What are the important events that happened on January 3? Here are historical events, facts, and some myths about this day.

January 3: Facts & Myths About This Day

January 3 is the 3^rd day of the year 2024 in the Gregorian calendar. There are 363 days remaining until the end of this year. The day of the week is Wednesday.

Under the Julian calendar, this day is December 21, 2023 – a Wednesday. Both day of the week are the same but did you notice the difference with the Gregorian calendar?

When this day started, 28,404,000 minutes has elapsed since midnight of January 1, 1970 – the Unix epoch.

Strange as it may, if we name this day after a polygon then it will be called ‘trigon’ day.

Capricorn is the zodiac sign of a person born on this day. Garnet is the modern birthstone for this month. Emerald is the mystical birthstone from Tibetan origin that dates back over a thousand years.

According to the lunisolar Chinese calendar, there are 38 days remaining before the start of the next Chinese New Year.

The ancient Maya civilization believes that the end of the world will happen on December 21, 2012. There are now 4,030 days since this fabled cataclysmic event.

January 3: This Day In History

The Perihelion, the point in the year when the Earth is closest to the Sun, occurs around this date.

January 3 Historical Events

• 1823 –
  Stephen F. Austin receives a grant of land in Texas from the government of Mexico.
• 1868 –
  Meiji Restoration in Japan: The Tokugawa shogunate is abolished; agents of Satsuma and Chōshū seize power.
• 1932 –
  Martial law is declared in Honduras to stop a revolt by banana workers fired by the United Fruit Company.
• 1938 –
  The March of Dimes is established by President Franklin D. Roosevelt.
• 1944 –
  World War II: Top Ace Major Greg “Pappy” Boyington is shot down in his Corsair by Captain Masajiro Kawato flying a Zero.
• 1945 –
  World War II: Admiral Chester W. Nimitz is placed in command of all U.S. Naval forces in preparation for planned assaults against Iwo Jima and Okinawa in Japan.
• 1949 –
  The Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas, the central bank of the Philippines, is established.
• 1997 –
  China announces it will spend US$27.7 billion to fight erosion and pollution in the Yangtze and Yellow River valleys.
• 1999 –
  Israel detains, and later expels, 14 members of Concerned Christians.
• 1999 –
  The Mars Polar Lander is launched.

Who were born on January 3?

• 1855 –
  Hubert Bland, British socialist (d. 1914)
• 1892 –
  J. R. R. Tolkien, British writer (d. 1973)
• 1895 –
  Borys Lyatoshynsky, Ukrainian composer (d. 1968)
• 1909 –
  Victor Borge, Danish entertainer (d. 2000)
• 1917 –
  Albert Mol, Dutch author, actor and TV personality (d. 2002)
• 1944 –
  David Atherton, British conductor
• 1976 –
  Angelos Basinas, Greek footballer
• 1976 –
  Dinara Drukarova, Russian actress
• 1977 –
  A.J. Burnett, American baseball player
• 1986 –
  Jacob Timpano, Australian footballer

Who died on January 3?

• 1571 –
  Joachim II Hector, Elector of Brandenburg (b. 1505)
• 1670 –
  George Monck, 1st Duke of Albemarle, British soldier (b. 1608)
• 1690 –
  Hillel ben Naphtali Zevi, Lithuanian rabbi (b. 1615)
• 1785 –
  Baldassare Galuppi, Italian composer (b. 1706)
• 1826 –
  Louis Gabriel Suchet, French marshal (b. 1770)
• 1950 –
  Emil Jannings, Swiss actor (b. 1884)
• 1969 –
  Howard McNear, American actor (b. 1905)
• 1993 –
  Johnny Most, American sports announcer (b. 1923)
• 2009 –
  Hisayasu Nagata, Japanese politician (b. 1969)
• 2009 –
  Ulf G. Lindén, Swedish entrepreneur (b. 1937)