Osun Defender History Corner: April 3 In Focus
Today, on the history corner, we take a trip in the realm of flashback and recall some events that marked this day.
April 3, 1860
The Pony Express mail service begins, delivering mail from St. Joseph, Missouri to Sacramento, California.
April 3, 1882
American outlaw Jesse James is shot and killed by Robert Ford in St. Joseph, Missouri.
April 3, 1948
President Harry S. Truman signs the Marshall Plan, providing economic aid to war-torn European countries after World War II.
April 3, 1968
Martin Luther King Jr. delivers his “I’ve Been to the Mountaintop” speech in Memphis, Tennessee, the day before his assassination.
April 3, 1973
The first mobile phone call is made by Martin Cooper of Motorola.
April 3, 1975
The Spanish dictator Francisco Franco lifts the ban on the Spanish Communist Party.
April 3, 1996
Suspected “Unabomber” Theodore Kaczynski is arrested in Montana.
April 3, 1997
The chemical weapon sarin is released in the Tokyo subway by the Aum Shinrikyo cult, killing 13 and injuring over 1,000.
April 3, 2000
Microsoft is ruled to have violated U.S. antitrust laws by keeping “an oppressive thumb” on its competitors.
April 3, 2004
Islamist militants in Iraq kill four American private military contractors working for Blackwater USA, leading to the first Battle of Fallujah.
April 3, 2005
Pope John Paul II dies in Vatican City after serving as pope for over 26 years.
April 3, 2010
Apple releases the first-generation iPad.
April 3, 2013
The United Nations General Assembly adopts the Arms Trade Treaty to regulate the international trade in conventional arms.
April 3, 2018
A van driven by Alek Minassian strikes pedestrians in Toronto, Canada, killing 10 and injuring 16.
April 3, 2019
The British Parliament passes a law extending the Brexit deadline, preventing the UK from leaving the EU without a deal.
April 3, 2020
The World Health Organization reports over 1 million confirmed cases of COVID-19 worldwide.
April 3, 2021
The cargo ship Ever Given is successfully refloated after blocking the Suez Canal for six days.
April 3, 2022
A deadly wildfire erupts in the Argentine province of Córdoba, claiming at least seven lives and prompting evacuations.
Please note that these are just a few historical events that happened on April 3. History is full of numerous other significant events on this day, ranging from politics and warfare to cultural and scientific milestones.
