Today in History for 3rd May 2025
Historical Events
1765 – 1st North American medical college opens in Philadelphia
1830 – First regular steam train passenger service in the US starts in South Carolina, with U.S.-built locomotive “The Best Friend of Charleston”
1867 – Hudson’s Bay Company gives up all claims to Vancouver Island
1900 – 26th Kentucky Derby: Jimmy Boland aboard Lieut Gibson wins in 2:06.25
2018 – Atlanta Falcons quarterback Matt Ryan becomes NFL’s first $30m per season player after agreeing to $150m contract extension
Famous Birthdays
1895 – Ernst Kantorowicz, German-American historian (Laudes regiae), born in Posen, Prussia (d. 1963)
1920 – John Lewis, American jazz pianist, arranger, and composer (Modern Jazz Quartet, 1952-97), born in La Grange, Illinois (d. 2001)
1964 – Ron Hextall, Canadian ice hockey goalie (Vezina and Conn Smyth Trophy 1987) and executive (GM Philadelphia Flyers, Pittsburgh Penguins), born in Brandon, Manitoba
1968 – Shane Minor, American country music singer, born in Modesto, California
1979 – Genevieve Nnaji, Nigerian actress and director (Lionheart), born in Mbaise, Imo State, Nigeria
Famous Deaths
1763 – George Psalmanazar, British impostor (b. 1679)
1764 – Francesco Algarotti, Italian art collector and encyclopedist (Viaggio in Russia), dies at 53
1983 – Armando José Fernandes, Portuguese neoclassical composer, dies at 76
2005 – Pierre Moerlen, French rock-jazz fusion drummer and percussionist (Gong; Mike Oldfield), dies at 52
2008 – Leopoldo Calvo Sotelo, Spanish former Primer Minister (b. 1926)
