World War II: During the Gilbert and Marshall Islands campaign, U.S. Army and Marine forces seize Kwajalein Atoll from the defending Japanese garrison. Date: February 3, 1944 Read more on Wikipedia → 📅 Other events on February 3 📅 Events on this day in 1944 📅 On This Day (Today)

World War II: The United States and the Philippine Commonwealth begin a month-long battle to retake Manila from Japan. Date: February 3, 1945 Read more on Wikipedia → 📅 Other events on February 3 📅 Events on this day in 1945 📅 On This Day (Today)

World War II: As part of Operation Thunderclap, 1,000 B-17s of the Eighth Air Force bomb Berlin, a raid which kills between 2,500 and 3,000 and dehouses another 120,000. Date: February 3, 1945 Read more on Wikipedia → 📅 Other events on February 3 📅 Events on this day in 1945 📅 On This Day…

The Batepá massacre occurs in São Tomé when the colonial administration and Portuguese landowners unleash a wave of violence against the native creoles known as forros. Date: February 3, 1953 Read more on Wikipedia → 📅 Other events on February 3 📅 Events on this day in 1953 📅 On This Day (Today)

Founding of the Benelux Economic Union, creating a testing ground for a later European Economic Community. Date: February 3, 1958 Read more on Wikipedia → 📅 Other events on February 3 📅 Events on this day in 1958 📅 On This Day (Today)

Sixty-five people are killed when American Airlines Flight 320 crashes into the East River on approach to LaGuardia Airport in New York City. Date: February 3, 1959 Read more on Wikipedia → 📅 Other events on February 3 📅 Events on this day in 1959 📅 On This Day (Today)

Rock and roll musicians Buddy Holly, Ritchie Valens, and J. P. "The Big Bopper" Richardson are killed in a plane crash along with the pilot near Clear Lake, Iowa, an event later known as The Day the Music Died. Date: February 3, 1959 Read more on Wikipedia → 📅 Other events on February 3 📅…

British Prime Minister Harold Macmillan speaks of "a wind of change", signalling that his Government is likely to support decolonisation. Date: February 3, 1960 Read more on Wikipedia → 📅 Other events on February 3 📅 Events on this day in 1960 📅 On This Day (Today)

The United States Air Force begins Operation Looking Glass, and over the next 30 years, a "Doomsday Plane" is always in the air, with the capability of taking direct control of the United States' bombers and missiles in the event of the destruction of the SAC's command post. Date: February 3, 1961 Read more on…

The Soviet Union's Luna 9 becomes the first spacecraft to make a soft landing on the Moon, and the first spacecraft to take pictures from the surface of the Moon. Date: February 3, 1966 Read more on Wikipedia → 📅 Other events on February 3 📅 Events on this day in 1966 📅 On This…