This Day in History on 3rd February

The historical events hold a lot of value for aspirants who are sitting for UPSC competitive exams including the IAS Exam. 

On this page, we will list all historical events that occurred on 3rd February. The students can refer to them while preparing for all competitive exams and banking exams.

Important Days

  • Setsubun (Japan)
  • Veterans’ Day (Thailand)

Important Events

1509: The Portuguese navy defeats a joint fleet of the Ottoman Empire, the Republic of Venice, the Sultan of Gujarat, the Mamlûk Burji Sultanate of Egypt, the Zamorin of Calicut, and the Republic of Ragusa at the Battle of Diu in Diu, India. Almeida was the first Portuguese to arrive in Bombay by sea in 1509. 

1503: The battle between the Portuguese and the Osman (the Ottoman Empire) took place in Diu (now a Union Territory) of India.

1760: Maratha army led by Sadashiv Rao Bhau defeated the Nizam badly in the Battle of Udgir.

1815: The first cheese manufacturing factory in the world opened in Switzerland.

1916: Banaras Hindu University started.

1925: India’s first electric train service started between Mumbai to Kurla.

1928: The Simon Commission was protested in Mumbai with the slogan ‘Simon Go Back’.

1954: More than 500 died in the accident at Allahabad Kumbh Mela.

1966: Soviet Russia launched the Luna-9 unmanned spacecraft landed on the moon.

1988: First nuclear submarine (INS Chakra) joined the Indian Army.

1999: Democratic Janata Dal revived in the Indian state of Jammu and Kashmir.

2008: There were indications of the stolen Nobel Prize of poet Guru Ravindra Nath Tagore in Bangladesh.

2009: Shilpa Shetty bought the IPL team Rajasthan Royals stake.

Birth/Birth Anniversary

1816: Ram Singh Kuka, the twelfth guru in the Namdhari Sikh lineage. He is credited as being the first Indian to use non-cooperation and boycott of British goods and services as a political tool. 

Raghuram Rajan, an Indian economist.
Raghuram Rajan, an Indian economist.

1821: Elizabeth Blackwell, a British physician, notable as the first woman to receive a medical degree in the United States.

1894: Norman Rockwell, an American painter, and illustrator.

1905: Bahadur Yar Jung, a foremost Muslim leader in the princely state of Hyderabad in British India. 

1906: George Adamson, Indian-English author and activist (d. 1989)

1927: Indra Bahadur Rai, an Indian Nepali language writer, and literary critic.

1963: Raghuram Rajan, an Indian economist.

1996: Dutee Chand, an Indian professional sprinter and current national champion in the women’s 100 meters event.


Death/ Death Anniversary

1832: Umaji Naik, an Indian revolutionary. He was one of the earliest freedom fighters of India.

1924: Woodrow Wilson, an American politician and the 28th president of the United States.

1969: C. N. Annadurai, an Indian politician who served as 1st Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu.

2000: Ustad Allarakha Qureshi, popularly known as Alla Rakha, an Indian Tabla player.

Balram Jakhar, Indian lawyer and politician
Balram Jakhar, Indian lawyer and politician

2012: Raj Kanwar, Indian director, producer, and screenwriter (b. 1961)

2016: Balram Jakhar, Indian lawyer and politician, 23rd Governor of Madhya Pradesh (b. 1923)

Further Reading

Month-wise This Day in History