April 3rd has hosted major events across two centuries: the Pony Express began service in 1860, cutting coast-to-coast mail delivery to about ten days, and the first iPad went on sale in 2010, selling roughly 3 million units in its first 80 days. The date also marks Martin Luther King Jr.'s final speech in 1968, delivered less than 24 hours before his assassination.
Year | Event | Category |
|---|---|---|
1860 | Pony Express begins mail service between Missouri and California | Transportation |
1948 | President Truman signs the Marshall Plan into law | Politics |
1968 | Martin Luther King Jr. delivers his "mountaintop" speech in Memphis | Civil Rights |
1974 | President Nixon agrees to pay $432,787.13 in back taxes | Politics |
2010 | Apple's first iPad goes on sale in the U.S. | Technology |
Since You're Thinking About Timing...
History moves in specific dates and windows, and so does the Santa Monica real estate market. If you're weighing when to make a move yourself, that's a question with a real, current answer.
Historical Events on April 3rd
1860: The Pony Express Begins Service
The Pony Express, a faster mail service using relay riders on horseback instead of stagecoaches, began service between St. Joseph, Missouri, and Sacramento, California. It cut coast-to-coast mail delivery time to around ten days. After suffering heavy losses and failing to win a federal mail contract, the company ceased operations in March 1861, about a year after launch.
1936: Bruno Richard Hauptmann Executed
Bruno Richard Hauptmann was executed for the kidnapping and death of the Lindbergh baby.
1948: The Marshall Plan Signed Into Law
President Harry S. Truman signed the Foreign Assistance Act, commonly known as the Marshall Plan, which channeled more than $13 billion in aid to Europe between 1948 and 1951.
1954: The 100th Oxford-Cambridge Boat Race
Oxford ("Dark Blues") won the 100th Boat Race by four and a half lengths over Cambridge ("Light Blues") in rough conditions on the River Thames.
1955: Train Crash Near Guadalajara
An express train derailed and fell into a canyon near Guadalajara, Mexico, killing 300 people.
1968: Martin Luther King Jr.'s "Mountaintop" Speech
Martin Luther King Jr. delivered his "I've Been to the Mountaintop" speech to a rally of striking sanitation workers in Memphis, Tennessee, less than 24 hours before he was assassinated.
1972: U.S. Responds to North Vietnamese Invasion of South Vietnam
Following North Vietnam's invasion of South Vietnam, the United States prepared hundreds of B-52 bombers and fighter-bombers for possible air strikes to blunt the offensive.
1974: The Super Outbreak of Tornadoes
148 tornadoes struck North America from Georgia to Canada within about 16 hours, with as many as 15 separate tornadoes on the ground at once. The Super Outbreak affected 11 U.S. states and Ontario, Canada.
1974: Nixon Agrees to Pay Back Taxes
Amid the Watergate investigation, President Nixon agreed to pay $432,787.13, plus interest, in back taxes for 1969 through 1972, after an IRS review and a separate congressional committee estimate of his tax liability.
1987: Duchess of Windsor's Jewels Sold for $50 Million
The jewels of the late Duchess of Windsor (Wallis Simpson) sold for roughly £31 million ($50 million) at a Sotheby's auction in Geneva, Switzerland, with bidders participating from auction rooms around the world, including New York.
1993: The Void Grand National
The English Grand National ended in chaos after protesters got onto the track near the first fence, and only some riders ended up competing. The Jockey Club declared the race void.
1996: The Unabomber Arrested
Theodore John Kaczynski was arrested by the FBI as the suspect behind the Unabomber attacks, a series of mail bombings blamed for 3 deaths and 23 injuries over an 18-year period.
1998: Dow Jones Tops 9,000 for the First Time
The Dow Jones Industrial Average closed above 9,000 for the first time.
2000: Ruling in the U.S. v. Microsoft Antitrust Case
Judge Thomas Penfield Jackson ruled that Microsoft had committed monopolization, attempted monopolization, and illegal tying under the Sherman Act by bundling Internet Explorer with Windows, and ordered the company split into separate operating-system and software units. The breakup order was later overturned on appeal, though the antitrust findings stood.
2004: Madrid Train Bombing Suspects Die in Standoff
Five suspects in the Madrid commuter train bombings killed themselves in an apartment building outside the Spanish capital as police closed in.
2006: Moussaoui Found Eligible for Death Penalty
A federal jury in Alexandria, Virginia found Zacarias Moussaoui eligible for the death penalty, in the first U.S. trial connected to the September 11 attacks. Jurors found that Moussaoui's lies to FBI agents contributed to multiple deaths.
2010: The First iPad Goes on Sale
Apple's iPad went on sale in the U.S., selling more than 300,000 units on launch day and about 3 million within its first 80 days. It ran the same core operating system as the iPhone and iPod Touch, with a 9.7-inch touchscreen display.
2011: Penélope Cruz Gets a Hollywood Walk of Fame Star
Penélope Cruz became the first Spanish actress honored with a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, receiving the 2,436th star, placed in front of the El Capitan Theatre.
2012: FARC Releases Remaining Police and Military Hostages
Colombia's FARC rebels released their last ten police and military hostages, some of whom had been held for up to 14 years.
Born on April 3rd
Marlon Brando
Born April 3, 1924, in Omaha, Nebraska; died July 1, 2004, in Los Angeles. Brando earned acclaim for early roles in "The Wild One," "On the Waterfront," and "A Streetcar Named Desire," and later starred in "Mutiny on the Bounty," "Last Tango in Paris," "Superman," and "Apocalypse Now." He won two Best Actor Oscars, for "On the Waterfront" (1955) and "The Godfather," the latter of which he famously declined.
Eddie Murphy
Born Edward Regan Murphy on April 3, 1961, in Brooklyn, New York. Murphy joined Saturday Night Live in 1980 and broke out in film with "Trading Places" in 1983, followed by the "Beverly Hills Cop" and "The Nutty Professor" franchises, "Coming to America," "Dreamgirls," and voice work as Donkey in the "Shrek" films.
Frequently Asked Questions
What happened on April 3, 1860?
On April 3, 1860, the Pony Express began mail service between St. Joseph, Missouri, and Sacramento, California, using horseback relay riders to cut coast-to-coast delivery time to about ten days.
What speech did Martin Luther King Jr. give on April 3rd?
On April 3, 1968, Martin Luther King Jr. delivered his "I've Been to the Mountaintop" speech to striking sanitation workers in Memphis, Tennessee, less than 24 hours before he was assassinated.
When did the first iPad go on sale?
Apple's first iPad went on sale in the United States on April 3, 2010, selling more than 300,000 units on its first day and about 3 million within its first 80 days.
