Today In History [3rd February, 2016]

A chronological timetable of historical events that occurred on this day in history. Historical facts of the day in the areas of military, politics, science, music, sports, arts, entertainment and more. Discover what happened today in history.

February 3

1160		Emperor Frederick Barbarossa hurtles prisoners, including children, at the Italian city of Crema, forcing its surrender.
1238		The Mongols take over Vladimir, Russia.
1690		The first paper money in America is issued in the Massachusetts Bay Colony.
1783		Spain recognizes United States’ independence.
1904		Colombian troops clash with U.S. Marines in Panama.
1908		The U.S. Supreme Court rules that union-sponsored boycotts are illegal, and applies the Sherman Antitrust Act to labor as well as capital.
1912		New U.S. football rules are set: field shortened to 100 yds.; touchdown counts six points instead of five; four downs are allowed instead of three; and the kickoff is moved from midfield to the 40 yd. line.
1917		A German submarine sinks the U.S. liner Housatonic off coast of Sicily. The United States severs diplomatic relations with Germany.
1920		The Allies demand that 890 German military leaders stand trial for war crimes.
1927		President Calvin Coolidge signs a bill creating the Federal Radio Commission to regulate the airwaves.
1943		Finland begins talks with the Soviet Union.
1944		The United States shells the Japanese homeland for the first time at Kurile Islands.
1945		The Allies drop 3,000 tons of bombs on Berlin.
1945		The month-long Battle of Manila begins.
1954		Millions greet Queen Elizabeth in Sydney on her first royal trip to Australia.
1962		President John F. Kennedy bans all trade with Cuba.
1966		Soviet Luna 9 achieves soft landing on the moon.
1971		OPEC decides to set oil prices without consulting buyers.
1984		The Environmental Protection Agency orders a ban on the pesticide EDB for grain products.
Born on February 3
1809		Felix Mendelssohn, German composer and pianist (Overture to a Midsummer Night’s Dream).
1811		Horace Greely, founder of the New York Tribune and abolitionist.
1821		Elizabeth Blackwell, first woman to get an MD from a U.S. medical school.
1874		Gertrude Stein, poet and novelist (Three Lives, The Autobiography of Alice B. Toklas).
1894		Norman Rockwell, artist and illustrator who painted scenes of small-town America. Most of his work appeared in the The Saturday Evening Post.
1898		Alvar Aalto, Finnish architect.
1907		James A. Michener, novelist (Tales of the South Pacific).
1909		Simone Weil, philosopher, member of the French resistance in WWII.