Holidays, Celebrations on

August 3rd marks a day of diverse and quirky celebrations, from appreciating summertime fruits to acknowledging peculiar themes, making it a unique day in the calendar.

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Woman hold bowl with different nuts

National Grab Some Nuts Day

#Food

Enjoying a handful of your favorite healthy, crunchy nuts.

A plate of mustard stands next to a plate of mustard seeds

National Mustard Day

#Food

Appreciating the rich flavors and variations of mustard.

Sliced watermelon on wooden table

National Watermelon Day

#Food

Honoring and enjoying the refreshing, sweet summer fruit, watermelon.

Interesting Facts of August 3rd

  1. 1. Christopher Columbus set sail from Palos de la Frontera, Spain on August 3, 1492, on his first voyage that would eventually lead to the discovery of the Americas for Europe, which changed global trade and exploration forever.
  2. 2. The United States first levied an individual income tax on August 3, 1861, during the Civil War, when President Abraham Lincoln signed the Revenue Act into law to help pay for the Union war effort.
  3. 3. Jesse Owens won the 100-meter dash on August 3, 1936, at the Berlin Olympics. His victory was significant as it challenged Nazi Germany's Aryan supremacy doctrine in front of Adolf Hitler.
  4. 4. On August 3, 1958, the USS Nautilus submarine traveled under the geographic North Pole for the first time as part of Operation Sunshine, setting a new precedent for submarine naval travel and exploration.
  5. 5. On August 3, 2004, the pedestal of the Statue of Liberty in New York City was reopened to the public after being closed following the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks for security reasons.
  6. 6. August 3 is celebrated in Niger as Independence Day, marking the day in 1960 when it gained independence from France.