Fact 1: The Commemoration of the Famed Miep Gies
January 3rd marks the birth anniversary of Miep Gies, one of the renowned names associated with the famous World War II diary author, Anne Frank. Being one of the helpers who provided Anne Frank and her family refuge during the Holocaust, Gies posthumously published Anne's diary. Gies has been a bearer of truth about the destructive politics of the Nazi era and is celebrated on this day.
Fact 2: The Day of Alaska’s Admission to the Union
The United States, on January 3, 1959, welcomed Alaska as its 49th state. The flag-raising ceremony took place in the dearth of a cold winter, marking the admittance of this frontier land officially to the American family.
Fact 3: The Beginning of the First Swim of Diana Nyad
January 3, 1975, marks the day when Diana Nyad began her swim from the Bahamas to Florida. Despite not making it, this was just the beginning of her legendary long-distance swims. Years later, she became the first person confirmed to swim from Cuba to Florida without the aid of a shark cage.
Fact 4: The Establishment of the March of Dimes
January 3, 1938, unveiled the establishment of The March of Dimes (originally named the National Foundation for Infantile Paralysis) by President Franklin D. Roosevelt. Roosevelt, himself a Polio victim, initiated this organization to combat polio and has successfully contributed to funding research that has immensely curbed polio prevalence.
Fact 5: The Star-studded Birthdate
January 3 is the birth date of many Hollywood celebrities like Mel Gibson, Eli Manning (the renowned football quarterback), and the accomplished British novelist, J.R.R. Tolkien, who authored the famous The Lord of the Rings series.
Fact 6: The Start of Prohibition in the United States
January 3, 1920, saw the United States taking its first steps towards Prohibition. The day marks the start of the liquor drought, leading to a decade-long prohibition of alcohol due to the imminent enforcement of the 18th Amendment.
Fact 7: The Antarctic Research Stations
Two important Antarctic research stations were established on January 3. The Indian research station 'Dakshin Gangotri' in 1984 and the Argentine research base 'Base Belgrano II' in 1972, which contributes highly to global climate science.
Fact 8: The Day of the First Automobiles
In 1888, Thomas Stevens made a big leap on January 3 by completing the first worldwide trip on a velocipede, an early form of a bicycle. More than a century later, on the same date in 2007, the Chinese car manufacturer, Chery, made its first exported automobile sale.
Fact 9: The Debut of Apple's iPhone
It's hard to imagine life without smartphones now; however, Apple unveiled the first iPhone on January 3, 2007. This revolutionized the world of communication and technology as we know it.
Fact 10: London's Worst Air Pollution Tragedy
The Great Smog of London, which resulted in the deaths of around 4,000 people, finally came to an end on January 3, 1953. This event marked a significant shift in awareness about air pollution and its deadly effects.
Fact 11: The Commencement of the Nixon Presidency
President Richard Nixon began his presidency on January 3, 1965. Nixon’s chief accomplishments during his presidency included establishing the Environmental Protection Agency and initiating détente with the Soviet Union.
Fact 12: The Official Face of Kim Jon-un
The world got its first glimpse of Kim Jong-un, the future leader of North Korea, through official media channels on January 3, 2011.
Fact 13: Publication of Willa Cather's "My Ántonia"
On January 3, 1926, beloved American novel "My Ántonia" by Willa Cather was published. The novel has since been recognized as a significant contribution to American literature.
Fact 14: Upton Sinclair's Bestseller Introduced
Upton Sinclair's novel "The Jungle" was published on January 3, 1906, and eventually led to the enactment of the Pure Food and Drug Act, significantly altering the U.S. food industry.
Fact 15: The Day of Music Legends' Passings
January 3 has marked the death of several significant music legends, including Phil Everly of the Everly Brothers in 2014 and Ramones drummer Tommy Ramone in 2015.
Fact 16: The Birth of the Perihelion Day
Each year, on or around January 3, the Earth reaches its "perihelion," the point in its orbit closest to the Sun. This annual phenomenon reminds us that the Earth's orbit is not a perfect circle, but an ellipse.
Fact 17: The Discovery of Two Moons of Uranus
On January 3, 1986, the Voyager 2 spacecraft passed the planet Uranus and discovered two previously unseen moons, later named Puck and Cordelia.
Fact 18: The Beanie Baby Phenomenon
Ty Inc., on January 3, 1996, announced the retirement of certain Beanie Baby designs, leading to an explosion in their popularity and a surge in collector demands.
Fact 19: The Introduction of Open-Heart Surgery
January 3, 1953, marks a major leap in medical science as American doctor C. Walton Lillehei and his team successfully operated the first-ever open-heart surgery.
Fact 20: The 'On Air' of First FM Radio Broadcasting
The first FM radio broadcast in the USA took place on January 3, 1940, when station W1XOJ was licensed to the Yankee Network in Boston, Massachusetts. This was a milestone in broadcast history, paving way for the high-quality sound we enjoy through FM radios today.