Historical Events on January 3

Mars Polar Lander

Historical events that happened on January 3:

1. 1521: Martin Luther excommunicated - Pope Leo X issued the papal bull "Decet Romanum Pontificem," excommunicating Martin Luther, the leader of the Protestant Reformation.

2. 1777: Battle of Princeton - During the American Revolutionary War, General George Washington's army defeated the British forces at the Battle of Princeton in New Jersey.

3. 1868: Meiji Restoration in Japan - The Meiji Emperor was restored to full imperial power, marking the beginning of the Meiji era and the modernization of Japan.

4. 1938: March of Dimes Foundation established - President Franklin D. Roosevelt founded the National Foundation for Infantile Paralysis, later known as the March of Dimes, to combat polio.

5. 1957: Hamilton Watch Company introduces the first electric watch - The Ventura, the world's first electric watch powered by a battery, was introduced by the Hamilton Watch Company.

6. 1961: The United States severed diplomatic relations with Cuba - The U.S. broke diplomatic ties with Cuba as relations between the two countries deteriorated.

7. 1990: David Dinkins sworn in as Mayor of New York City - David Dinkins became the 106th mayor of New York City, serving from 1990 to 1993, and was the first African American to hold this office in the city.

8. 1999: The Mars Polar Lander was launched - NASA's Mars Polar Lander was launched to study the polar regions of Mars but, unfortunately, it lost communication during its descent.

9. 2000: Final communication from the Pioneer 10 spacecraft - NASA's Pioneer 10 spacecraft, which had been launched in 1972, transmitted its last signal to Earth.

These are just a few examples, and many more events, both significant and less well-known, have occurred on January 3 throughout history.