3 January in Indian and World History is celebrated, observed, and remembered for various reasons. 3 January is the birth anniversary of Rani Velu Nachiyar, Savitribai Phule, Janaki Ballabh Patnaik, Jaswant Singh Jasol, and Jaipal Singh.
3 January is also observed as the death anniversary of Mohan Rakesh, Satish Dhawan, and Acharya Parshuram Chaturvedi.
Birth Anniversary on 3 January
3 January in Indian history is celebrated as the birth anniversary of the following personalities:
Rani Velu Nachiyar (3 January 1730 โ 25 December 1796) was a queen ofย Sivaganga estateย fromย c.ย 1780โ1790. She was the first Indian queen to wage war with theย East India Companyย in India. She is known byย Tamilsย asย Veeramangai (“brave woman”).
Savitribai Phule (3 January 1831 โ 10 March 1897), was the first principal of India’s first girls’ school and the founder of the first farmers’ school. Mahatma Jyotiba is regarded as one of the most important figures in the social reform movement in Maharashtra and India. She is known for her efforts to educate women and downtrodden castes. Jyotirao, who later came to be known as Jyotiba, was Savitribai’s mentor, mentor, and supporter. Savitribai lived her life as a mission. Whose purpose was to get widow marriage, eradicate untouchability, women’s emancipation, and educate Dalit women. She was also known as the ‘Adikavitri of Marathi’. Phule was born on 3 January 1831.
Janaki Ballabh Patnaik (3 January 1927 – 21 April 2015), is an Indian politician and a senior leader of the National Congress. He became the Governor of Assam in 2009. Patnaik was the Chief Minister of Odisha from 1980 to 1989 and again from 1995 to 1999 as a leader of the Indian National Congress. Before Naveen Patnaik, he had a record of being the Chief Minister of Odisha for the longest time. He was born on 3 January 1927.
Jaswant Singh Jasol (3 January 1938 โ 27 September 2020), is a senior politician of the Bharatiya Janata Party. He was known for his humility and morality. He was one of the few leaders who got the opportunity to become the Defense Minister, Finance Minister, and Foreign Minister of India. Jaswant Singh was known as an idealist. When he was assigned the charge of foreign policy, he skillfully defused the tensions between India and Pakistan. His maturity and respect for his ideas are clearly reflected in his writings. Jaswant Singh loved mingling with people and was also a trustee of several projects like hospitals, museums, and water conservation. He was born on 3 January 1938.
Jaipal Singh (3 January 1903 โ 20 March 1970), was one of the famous players of Indian hockey. The period from 1928 to 1956 was the golden era for Indian hockey. He was appointed as the captain of the Indian hockey team in the 1928 Olympic Games held in Amsterdam. In this Olympics, India got the gold medal for the country under the leadership of Jaipal Singh. Jaipal Singh was born on 3 January 1903.
Read More: 2 January in Indian and World History
Death Anniversary on 3 January
3 January in Indian history is observed as the death anniversary of the following personalities:
Mohan Rakesh (8 January 1925 โ 3 January 1972), was a writer of the ‘Nai Kahani Movement’. The rise of Mohan Rakesh on the horizon of Hindi drama took place at a time when the tide of the cultural renaissance was pulsating in every walk of life in the country in the 1950s after independence. His plays not only changed the taste, tone, and level of drama but also influenced the direction of Hindi theatre. In the modern Hindi literary period, Mohan Rakesh, away from his writings, brought Hindi literature closer to the theater and made himself equal to Bharatendu Harishchandra and Jaishankar Prasad. He died on 3 January 1972.
Satish Dhawan (25 September 1920 โ 3 January 2002), was an Indian rocket scientist. He made a very important contribution to taking the countryโs space program to new heights. Apart from being a great scientist, Professor Satish Dhawan was also a great human being and a skilled teacher. He had great faith in Indian talent. Satish Dhawan was given the responsibility of the countryโs space program after Vikram Sarabhai. He was also appointed the chairman of โISROโ. Professor Dhawan has made many positive changes in the Indian Institute of Science. He inducted young talent from his country as well as abroad in the institute. He also started many new departments and inspired the students to research in diverse fields. Due to the efforts of Satish Dhawan, the dream of communication satellite INSAT, remote sensing satellite IRS, and Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle PSLV was realized. He died on 3 January 2002.
Acharya Parshuram Chaturvedi (25 July 1894 โ 3 January 1979), was a diligent scholar, researcher, and critic. He was born in Ballia, Uttar Pradesh. He was educated at Allahabad and Varanasi University. He was a lawyer by profession but had a keen interest in spiritual literature. He was a scholar of many dialects of Sanskrit and Hindi. He died on 3 January 1979.
Read More: 1 January in Indian and World History
Notable events on 3 January in Indian and World History
3 January 1621 – The great scientist Galileo discovered the telescope.
3 January 1833 – Britain occupied the Falkland Islands in the South Atlantic.
3 January 1857 – Emma Ihrer, a German feminist and trade unionist, was born.
3 January 1894 – Rabindranath Tagore inaugurated the ‘Poush Mela’ at Shantiniketan.
3 January 1901 – The Brahmacharya Ashram at Shantiniketan opened.
3 January 1905 โ Anna May Wong, an American actress, considered the first Chinese-American movie star in Hollywood, was born.
3 January 1911 – The Postal Savings Bank in America was inaugurated.
3 January 1915 – Genoveva Matute, a multilingual Filipino writer and academician, was born.
3 January 1920 – The Anglo-Oriental College of Aligarh was transformed into Aligarh Muslim University.
3 January 1920 – Peace treaty between Turkey and Armenia.
3 January 1923 โ ย Jaroslav Hasek โ a Czech writer, humorist, satirist, journalist, bohemian and anarchist โ died.
3 January 1929 – Mahatma Gandhi met Lord Irwin.
3 January 1930 โ ย Vladislav Gorodetsky โ a Polish architect active in the Russian Empire and later in the Second Polish Republic โ died.
3 January 1938 – Nabil Ali Mohamed, an Egyptian computer scientist, was born.
3 January 1954 – an earthquake in the African country of Algeria killed 1400 people.
3 January 1956 – Damage caused by a fire at the top of the Eiffel Tower in France.
3 January 1957 – The electric clock was displayed for the first time in Pennsylvania, USA.
3 January 1959 – Alaska was declared the 49th state of the United States.
3 January 1962 – The African country of Uganda became a republic.
3 January 1968 – The country’s first meteorological rocket ‘Maneka’ was launched.
3 January 1971 – Indo-Pakistan war started and the President declared a national emergency.
3 January 1974 – The constitution of Burma (now Myanmar) was adopted.
3 January 1979 โ Hannah Sullivan, a British academic and poet, was born.
3 January 1991 – Israel reopened its consulate in the Soviet Union after 23 years.
3 January 1993 – The US and Russia agreed to halve their nuclear arsenal.
3 January 1993 – START II Treaty was signed by US President George Bush and Russian President Boris Yeltsin.
3 January 1998 – The National Assembly of Pakistan approved Islamic Sharia law as the country’s supreme law.
3 January 1998 – the Algerian Islamic uprising killed 412 people.
3 January 2002 – The Nobel Prize in Physics was announced jointly to Raymond Davis of America and Koshiba of Japan.
3 January 2006 – Google announced the acquisition of YouTube.
3 January 2007 – Margaret Chan of China took over as Director-General of the World Health Organization.
3 January 2012 – Pakistan’s peace Nobel laureate Malala Yousafzai was shot by terrorists.
3 January Historical Significance
January 3 has seen several significant events throughout history. On this day in 1521, Martin Luther, the leader of the Protestant Reformation, was excommunicated by Pope Leo X from the Roman Catholic Church due to his teachings challenging the authority of the Church. Additionally, in 1777, American forces under General George Washington won the Battle of Princeton during the American Revolutionary War, boosting morale and demonstrating the Continental Army’s capability against the British. Moreover, on January 3, 1959, Alaska was admitted as the 49th U.S. state, marking a significant expansion of the United States and adding vast territory to the nation. These events highlight January 3 as a day of both religious and national importance in history.
Important Days of 3ย January in History
Festival of Sleep Day: This day encourages people to relax and catch up on their sleep after the busy holiday season. It’s a reminder to prioritize rest and self-care.
National Chocolate Covered Cherry Day: A day to indulge in the delicious combination of chocolate and cherries, whether it’s through candies, desserts, or drinks.
J.R.R. Tolkien Day: Commemorating the birthday of the renowned author of “The Hobbit” and “The Lord of the Rings” trilogy. Fans celebrate by reading his works, watching movie adaptations, or participating in Tolkien-related events.