Louis VI is crowned as the King of France in the cathedral of Orléans. He succeeded his father, Philip I, who died on July 29, 1108.
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What Happened Today in History on August 3
Explore the historical events that shaped our world on August 3rd. From major milestones to cultural achievements, see what happened on this day in history. Dates for earlier events may be approximate.
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Christopher Columbus sets sail from Palos de la Frontera, Spain, with three ships, La Niña, La Pinta and Santa Maria, searching for a westerly route to the Far East. Seventy days later, on October 12th, 1492 he lands on an island in the Bahamas that he named San Salvador.
The indigenous Taíno people of the island called it Guanahani. The island became known later as Watling Island but it was officially named San Salvador in 1925. While many scholars now believe this Island is the most likely location, modern historians are still divided on the exact island.
During a hearing before the House Un-American Activities Committee, Whittaker Chambers, American writer and intelligence agent, accuses former State Department official Alger Hiss of being a communist and a spy for the Soviet Union. Hiss denied the accusation but was eventually tried and convicted of perjury. More
The USS Nautilus, the first U.S. nuclear submarine, reaches the geographic North Pole traveling 1000 miles under sea from Point Barrow, Alaska and then on to Iceland, pioneering a new and shorter route from the Pacific to the Atlantic and Europe. More
Independence day of Niger, officially the Republic of the Niger.- Effective date of the agreement with France signed on 11 July. Niger is a West Africa country, bordered by Libya to the northeast, Chad to the east, Nigeria to the south, Benin and Burkina Faso to the southwest, Mali to the west, and Algeria to the northwest. Its population is about 25 million. The capital Niamey is located in Niger's southwest corner along the namesake Niger River.
A 707 passenger flight chartered by the national airline of Morocco, Royal Air Maroc, flying in heavy fog crashed into a mountain on approach to Agadir Inezgane, Airport in Morocco. All 188 passengers and crew on board were killed. The cause of the crash was determined to be pilot error. More