December 3

What happened on December 3 in history

6 events fall on December 3, from 1818 to 1992. Read them below, then try to place a historical scene yourself — guess where in the world it happened and in what year.

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Events on December 3

  1. 1818

    Illinois becomes a state

    It joins the Union as the twenty-first state.

  2. 1910

    Neon lighting is shown

    Georges Claude displays his tubes at the Paris Motor Show.

  3. 1967

    The first heart transplant

    Christiaan Barnard operates in Cape Town; the patient lives eighteen days.

  4. 1971

    The third India-Pakistan war begins

    Air raids open a two-week war.

  5. 1984

    The Bhopal disaster

    Gas leaks from a pesticide plant and kills thousands in their sleep.

  6. 1992

    The first text message

    An engineer sends Merry Christmas over the Vodafone network.