3 April 1860

A Tuesday in history

Weekday

Tuesday

Season

Spring (N. Hemisphere)

Century

19th century

Records

413

  1. 2018

    A woman opened fire at YouTube headquarters in San Bruno, California, injuring three people before killing herself.

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  2. 2013

    The northeastern section of Buenos Aires Province, Argentina, experienced several flash floods that killed at least 100 people.

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  3. 2010

    Apple Inc. released the first generation iPad, a tablet computer.

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  4. 2009

    A gunman opened fire at the American Civic Association in Binghamton, New York, U.S., killing thirteen and wounding four before committing suicide.

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  5. 2008

    Texas law enforcement authorities raided the Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints' YFZ Ranch, eventually removing 533 women and children from the premises.

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  6. 2000

    In United States v. Microsoft Corp., Microsoft was found to have violated antitrust law by bundling the web browser Internet Explorer with its Windows operating system.

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  7. 1996

    A U.S. Air Force CT-43 crashed into a mountainside while attempting an instrument approach to Dubrovnik Airport in Croatia, killing all 35 people on board, including Secretary of Commerce Ron Brown.

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  8. 1984

    Aboard Soyuz T-11, Rakesh Sharma became the first Indian to be launched into space.

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  9. 1974

    The Super Outbreak of 148 tornadoes began, killing at least 315 people and injuring 5,484 in 13 US states at the end of a very strong La Niña event.

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  10. 1966

    Luna 10 (replica pictured) entered orbit around the Moon, becoming the first space probe to orbit an astronomical body other than Earth or the Sun.

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  11. 1948

    The Marshall Plan, an economic recovery program established by U.S. Secretary of State George Marshall to assist the post-World War II re-building of Europe, was signed into law.

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  12. 1944

    Philippine resistance against Japan: Cebuano fishermen discovered the Koga papers after a plane crash killed Admiral Mineichi Koga, commander-in-chief of the Imperial Japanese Navy's Combined Fleet.

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  13. 1933

    Lord Clydesdale and David McIntyre undertook the first successful flight over Mount Everest.

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  14. 1922

    Joseph Stalin became the first general secretary of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union.

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  15. 1895

    The libel trial instigated by Irish author Oscar Wilde (pictured) began, eventually resulting in his arrest, trial and imprisonment on charges of gross indecency.

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  16. 1888

    Emma Elizabeth Smith was killed in the first of eleven unsolved murders of women that took place in or near the impoverished Whitechapel district in the East End of London.

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  17. 1860

    The Pony Express, a mail service that became the most direct means of long-distance communication across the United States before the first transcontinental telegraph, began operation.

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  18. 1721

    Robert Walpole took office as First Lord of the Treasury, Chancellor of the Exchequer and Leader of the House of Commons, becoming the first de facto prime minister of Great Britain.

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  19. 1559

    Henry II of France and Philip II of Spain signed the second treaty of Cateau-Cambrésis, ending the Italian War of 1551–1559.

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  20. 1043

    Edward the Confessor, usually considered to be the last king of the House of Wessex, was crowned King of England.

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Photo archive

24 historic images from this day — tap to open the gallery.

What was life like?

Prices, jobs, food, music and everyday routine — the world as it felt to live in.

Sources & fact check

Every claim is traced to primary sources, archives, universities and the press — with an explicit confidence rating. Dossiers are generated once and cached permanently.