June 3rd in History

1326 - The Treaty of Novgorod delineates borders between Russia and Norway in Finnmark.

1621 - The Dutch West India Company receives a charter for New Netherland.

1665 - James Stuart, Duke of York (later to become King James II of England), defeats the Dutch fleet off the coast of Lowestoft.

1861 - American Civil War: Battle of Philippi (also called the Philippi Races) – Union forces rout Confederate troops in Barbour County, Virginia, now West Virginia, in first land battle of the War.

1916 - The National Defense Act is signed into law, increasing the size of the United States National Guard by 450,000 men.

1937 - The Duke of Windsor marries Wallis Simpson.

1940 - World War II: The Luftwaffe bombs Paris.

1940 - World War II: The Battle of Dunkirk ends with a German victory and with Allied forces in full retreat.

1963 - The Buddhist crisis: Soldiers of the Army of the Republic of Vietnam attack protesting Buddhists in Huế, South Vietnam, with liquid chemicals from tear-gas grenades, causing 67 people to be hospitalised for blistering of the skin and respiratory ailments.

1979 - A blow-out at the Ixtoc I oil well in the southern Gulf of Mexico causes at least 3,000,000 barrels (480,000 m3) of oil to be spilled into the waters, the second-worst accidental oil spill ever recorded.

1992 - Aboriginal Land Rights are granted in Australia in Mabo v Queensland (No 2), a case brought by Eddie Mabo.

2006 - The union of Serbia and Montenegro comes to an end with Montenegro's formal declaration of independence.

Famous Birthdays

1540 - Charles II, Archduke of Austria

1808 - Jefferson Davis, President of the Confederate States of America

1840 - Michael O'Laughlen, conspirator in the assassination of Abraham Lincoln

1843 - Frederick VIII of Denmark

1865 -  King George V of the United Kingdom

1903 - Eddie Acuff, actor

1911 - Ellen Corby, actress

1925 - Tony Curtis, actor

1931 - Raúl Castro, 17th Prime Minister of Cuba

1942 - Curtis Mayfield, singer-songwriter, musician, and producer

1947 - Mickey Finn, singer and musician

1966 - Jamie O'Neal, singer-songwriter

1974 - Kelly Jones, singer and musician

1977 - Cristiano Marques Gomez, footballer

1985 - Dan Ewing, actor

1986 - Rafael Nadal, tennis player

1987 - Michelle Keegan, actress

2006 - Countess Leonore of Orange-Nassau, Jonkvrouwe van Amsberg