On This Day: September 3

1609 — Henry Hudson Explores the Hudson River

English navigator Henry Hudson, sailing on behalf of the Dutch East India Company in search of a passage to India, entered the harbor of present-day New York City and began his journey up the river that now bears his name.

1658 — Death of Oliver Cromwell

Oliver Cromwell, the English soldier and statesman who served as Lord Protector of the Commonwealth of England, Scotland, and Ireland, passed away in London.

1752 — Adoption of the Gregorian Calendar

The British Empire, including its American colonies, officially adopted the Gregorian calendar. To align with the new system, the calendar skipped 11 days, with September 2 being followed immediately by September 14.

1777 — The Stars and Stripes in Battle

During the American Revolutionary War, the flag of the United States reportedly flew in battle for the first time during a skirmish at Cooch's Bridge in Newark, Delaware.

1783 — The Treaty of Paris

Great Britain and the United States of America signed the Treaty of Paris in France. This landmark agreement officially ended the American Revolutionary War and saw Great Britain formally recognize the independence of the United States.

1855 — Battle of Ash Hollow

During the Indian Wars, American General William S. Harney led 700 soldiers in an attack on a Sioux village in present-day Nebraska, resulting in the deaths of 100 people, including men, women, and children.

1939 — Allied Declarations of War

Following the invasion of Poland, Great Britain, France, Australia, and New Zealand declared war on Nazi Germany, marking a major escalation in the conflict that would become World War II.

1943 — The Armistice of Cassibile

Italian General Giuseppe Castellano and United States General Walter Bedell Smith signed the Armistice of Cassibile in Sicily. This instrument of surrender effectively took Italy out of the Axis alliance during World War II.

1971 — Independence of Qatar

The Persian Gulf state of Qatar gained its full independence, ending 55 years of British rule.

1976 — Viking 2 Lands on Mars

NASA's Viking 2 spacecraft successfully landed on the surface of Mars at Utopia Planitia, providing the first color images of the planet's surface.

1981 — CEDAW Convention

The United Nations instituted the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women, an international treaty often described as a bill of rights for women.

1984 — South African Constitution

South Africa adopted its third constitution, which introduced a tricameral parliament that included separate houses for white, colored, and Indian citizens, while continuing to exclude the Black majority.

2004 — Beslan School Siege

A tragic hostage crisis at a school in Beslan, Russia, concluded after three days, resulting in the deaths of over 330 people, including 186 children.