A chronological timetable of historical events that occurred on this day in history. Historical facts of the day in the areas of military, politics, science, music, sports, arts, entertainment and more. Discover what happened today in history.
February 3
| 1160 | Emperor Frederick Barbarossa hurtles prisoners, including children, at the Italian city of Crema, forcing its surrender. | |
| 1238 | The Mongols take over Vladimir, Russia. | |
| 1690 | The first paper money in America is issued in the Massachusetts Bay Colony. | |
| 1783 | Spain recognizes United States’ independence. | |
| 1904 | Colombian troops clash with U.S. Marines in Panama. | |
| 1908 | The U.S. Supreme Court rules that union-sponsored boycotts are illegal, and applies the Sherman Antitrust Act to labor as well as capital. | |
| 1912 | New U.S. football rules are set: field shortened to 100 yds.; touchdown counts six points instead of five; four downs are allowed instead of three; and the kickoff is moved from midfield to the 40 yd. line. | |
| 1917 | A German submarine sinks the U.S. liner Housatonic off coast of Sicily. The United States severs diplomatic relations with Germany. | |
| 1920 | The Allies demand that 890 German military leaders stand trial for war crimes. | |
| 1927 | President Calvin Coolidge signs a bill creating the Federal Radio Commission to regulate the airwaves. | |
| 1943 | Finland begins talks with the Soviet Union. | |
| 1944 | The United States shells the Japanese homeland for the first time at Kurile Islands. | |
| 1945 | The Allies drop 3,000 tons of bombs on Berlin. | |
| 1945 | The month-long Battle of Manila begins. | |
| 1954 | Millions greet Queen Elizabeth in Sydney on her first royal trip to Australia. | |
| 1962 | President John F. Kennedy bans all trade with Cuba. | |
| 1966 | Soviet Luna 9 achieves soft landing on the moon. | |
| 1971 | OPEC decides to set oil prices without consulting buyers. | |
| 1984 | The Environmental Protection Agency orders a ban on the pesticide EDB for grain products. | |
| Born on February 3 | ||
| 1809 | Felix Mendelssohn, German composer and pianist (Overture to a Midsummer Night’s Dream). | |
| 1811 | Horace Greely, founder of the New York Tribune and abolitionist. | |
| 1821 | Elizabeth Blackwell, first woman to get an MD from a U.S. medical school. | |
| 1874 | Gertrude Stein, poet and novelist (Three Lives, The Autobiography of Alice B. Toklas). | |
| 1894 | Norman Rockwell, artist and illustrator who painted scenes of small-town America. Most of his work appeared in the The Saturday Evening Post. | |
| 1898 | Alvar Aalto, Finnish architect. | |
| 1907 | James A. Michener, novelist (Tales of the South Pacific). | |
| 1909 | Simone Weil, philosopher, member of the French resistance in WWII. | |
– See more at: http://www.historynet.com/today-in-history#sthash.NSXh7kY9.dpuf
