Today in History: March 3rd Through the Years

Today in History: March 3rd Through the Years

Today marks March 3, 2026, the 62nd day of the year with 303 days remaining. On this day in history, Steve Fossett achieved a remarkable feat by becoming the first person to fly solo around the world without stopping or refueling in 2005. Florida officially joined the United States as a state in 1845, while in 1849, the U.S. Department of the Interior was established by Congress. President Abraham Lincoln signed the act creating the National Academy of Sciences in 1863, and in 1931, "The Star-Spangled Banner" was designated as the national anthem of the United States by President Herbert Hoover. Tragically, in 1943, a devastating incident at the Bethnal Green Tube station in London resulted in the loss of 173 lives during an air raid shelter crush. The Allied troops successfully secured Manila, the capital of the Philippines, from Japanese forces in 1945 after a fierce month-long battle that left much of the city in ruins. Apollo 9 embarked on its mission to test NASA's lunar module in 1969, while the brutal beating of Rodney King by Los Angeles police officers in 1991, captured on video, sparked public outrage and led to widespread unrest following the officers' subsequent acquittal. In 2022, Purdue Pharma, the maker of OxyContin, reached a significant settlement over its involvement in the opioid crisis, with the Sackler family increasing their cash contribution to address the legal challenges they faced.