Raising the Grand Union Flag by John Paul Jones on the USS Alfred on December 3, 1775 It was the first time an American Flag was raised on a US warship via Wikimedia Commons, public domain
Gilbert Stuart, the man who painted the image of George Washington that’s used on the one-dollar bill, was born on December 3, 1755 in Rhode Island.
Images of the Athenaeum Portrait of Washington via Wikimedia Commons, public domain
On December 3, 1847, Frederick Douglass launched The North Star in Rochester, funded by allies abroad. Its motto—‘Right is of no sex, Truth is of no color’—made it a radical call for equality across race and gender. With readers from the U.S. to the West Indies, Douglass’s paper asserted Black editorial independence and global moral leadership, even at the cost of mortgaging his own home.
On December 3, 1947 “A Streetcar Named Desire” opened on Broadway. Image of Marlon Brando on the set of the Broadway production “A Streetcar Named Desire” in 1948 Photo by Carl Van Vechten via Wikimedia Commons, public domain
Walter and Cordelia Knott near their vintage berry stand that was on display at Knott’s Berry Farm in Buena Park, California. Walter Knott, the creator of Knott’s Berry Farm Amusement Park and the first person to commercially grow the boysenberry in Southern California, passed away on December 3, 1981 at the age of 91. Image from the Knott’s Berry Farm Collection, courtesy of Orange County Archives CC BY 2.0
Born December 3, 1927 in Wall Lake, Iowa Andy Williams had a long and varied singing career which included the release of eight albums devoted to Christmas songs. His Christmas specials also attracted many viewers because; as Andy sang “It’s the Most Wonderful Time of the Year.” Image of Ann-Margret, Andy Williams from “The Andy Williams Show” c. 1962 via Alamy
Ferlin Husky who recorded “Gone” in 1957 and “Wings of a Dove” in 1960 was born on December 3, 1925 in St. Francois County, Missouri. Image of Ferlin Husky in 1962 via Wikimedia Commons, public domain
Linked arm in arm, six women—Mary Dreier, Ida Rauh, Helen Marot, Rena Borky, Yetta Raff, and Mary Effers—marched to City Hall on December 3, 1909, demanding dignity for shirtwaist strikers. Behind them, fellow workers carried a union banner through the cold streets of New York.
Their protest was not only for fair wages, but against the harsh reality that striking women were arrested, beaten, and subjected to intimidation—often with the complicity of factory owners and indifferent judges. This moment of solidarity stands as a powerful testament to courage in the face of abuse and injustice.
Image via Wikimedia Commons, no known restrictions
On December 3, 1842 Charles Alfred Pillsbury, who instituted innovative milling techniques for the production of flour, was born in Warner, New Hampshire. He founded the Pillsbury Company in 1869. Image via Wikimedia Commons, public domain
On today’s date December 3, 1818, Illinois became the 21st state.
Image: A rooftop view from 1893, seventy-five years after Illinois became a state. Photo taken during the Chicago World’s Columbian Exposition via Wikimedia Commons, public domain
Born December 3, 1826, George B. McClellan had his supporters and detractors as commanding general of the Union forces in the east during the Civil War. Historians still debate his effectiveness and analyze his relationship with his commander-in-chief, President Lincoln. He’s shown with wife Mary Ellen in this wartime image.
Image from LOC via Wikimedia Commons, public domain in the US.
On this day in 1927, the movie
“Putting Pants on Philip”
premiered.
The firm was only 19 minutes long and it’s considered the first movie that Laurel & Hardy appeared as a comedy duo.
Image via Wikimedia Commons, public domain
Theodore Roosevelt Jr. buying Red Cross Seals on December 3, 1923.
Image via Wikimedia Commons, public domain
After losing to John Quincy Adams in the Presidential Election of 1824 (as a result of a contingency election the following year), Andrew Jackson defeated John Quincy Adams to win the Presidential on Election of 1828.
Sadly, Jackson’s wife Rachel would pass away just a few weeks later.
Image via Wikimedia Commons, public domain
First Lady Betty Ford dances with a Chinese student during her State visit to China on December 3, 1975
Steamship Progresso ablaze at Fulton Iron Works, San Francisco, December 3, 1902. A sudden explosion in the vessel’s oil tanks claimed twelve lives and left the freighter a total loss. Fireboats and rescue crews battled the inferno as smoke engulfed the waterfront.
