January 03
Overview
Holidays & Observances
Christianfeast day:
Daniel of Padua, Genevieve, Holy Name of Jesus, Kuriakose Elias Chavara(Syro-Malabar Catholic Church), Pope Anterus, January 3 (Eastern Orthodox liturgics)
An aggregation of several Christian feast days celebrated on January 3 across various denominations.
Tamaseseri Festival(Hakozaki Shrine,Fukuoka, Japan)
An annual Shinto festival held at Hakozaki Shrine in Fukuoka, featuring a dramatic rice-stalk tug-of-war known as Tamaseseri.
The tenth of theTwelve Days of Christmas(Western Christianity)
The tenth day in the traditional Twelve Days of Christmas, marking ongoing festive celebrations in Western Christian tradition.
Daniel of Padua
A Christian martyr and patron saint venerated on January 3 in several liturgical calendars.
Genevieve
Feast day of Saint Genevieve, patroness of Paris, celebrated on January 3.
Holy Name of Jesus
Feast of the Holy Name of Jesus, celebrating the power and sanctity of Jesus' name in Christian devotion.
Kuriakose Elias Chavara(Syro-Malabar Catholic Church)
Commemoration of Blessed Kuriakose Elias Chavara, a 19th century Syro-Malabar priest and social reformer.
Pope Anterus
Feast day of Pope Anterus, the early third century Bishop of Rome and martyr, honored on January 3.
January 3 (Eastern Orthodox liturgics)
Eastern Orthodox liturgical commemorations for January 3, honoring various saints and events.
Events
The Roman legions on the Rhine refuse to declare their allegiance to Galba, instead proclaiming their legate, Aulus Vitellius, as emperor.
On January 3, AD 69, the Rhine legions refused to support Emperor Galba and instead proclaimed their commander Aulus Vitellius as the new emperor.
Emperor Decius orders everyone in the Roman Empire (except Jews) to make sacrifices to the Roman gods.
Emperor Decius issued a decree in 250 requiring all citizens except Jews to perform sacrifices to the Roman gods, sparking widespread persecution of Christians.
Pope Leo X excommunicates Martin Luther in the papal bull Decet Romanum Pontificem.
On January 3, 1521, Pope Leo X formally excommunicated Martin Luther through the papal bull Decet Romanum Pontificem, severing ties with the reformer.
By the Coonan Cross Oath, the Eastern Church in India cuts itself off from colonial Portuguese tutelage.
On January 3, 1653, the Saint Thomas Christians in India took the Coonan Cross Oath, formally rejecting Portuguese ecclesiastical authority.
Benning Wentworth issues the first of the New Hampshire Grants, leading to the establishment of Vermont.
Governor Benning Wentworth issued the first New Hampshire Grant on January 3, 1749, laying the groundwork for the future state of Vermont.
The first issue of Berlingske, Denmark's oldest continually operating newspaper, is published.
Denmark's oldest continually operating newspaper, Berlingske, published its inaugural issue on January 3, 1749.
American Revolutionary War: American forces under General George Washington defeat British forces at the Battle of Princeton, helping boost patriot morale.
General George Washington's forces secured a crucial victory over the British at the Battle of Princeton on January 3, 1777, boosting American morale during the Revolutionary War.
Austria, the United Kingdom, and France form a secret defensive alliance against Prussia and Russia.
In 1815, Austria, the United Kingdom, and France secretly formed a defensive alliance to counterbalance the influence of Prussia and Russia after Napoleon's defeat.
Captain James Onslow, in the Clio, reasserts British sovereignty over the Falkland Islands.
On January 3, 1833, Captain James Onslow aboard HMS Clio formally reasserted British control over the Falkland Islands, ending Spanish presence.
Births
Cicero
Roman statesman, lawyer, and orator regarded as one of the greatest speakers and writers of the Roman Republic.
Gian Girolamo Albani
Italian cardinal of the Catholic Church who served as a key ecclesiastical leader during the Counter-Reformation.
James Harrington
English political theorist best known for his utopian work Oceana, which outlined an ideal republican government.
Pietro Metastasio
Italian poet and librettist whose works defined the operatic style of the 18th century.
Richard Gridley
American soldier and chief military engineer of the Continental Army during the Revolutionary War.
Fredrik Hasselqvist
Swedish naturalist and explorer who conducted pioneering scientific expeditions to the Middle East.
Angelo Emo
Venetian admiral and statesman, renowned as the last great naval commander of the Republic of Venice.
Veerapandiya Kattabomman
Tamil chieftain who led early resistance against British colonial rule in South India.
Francis Caulfeild
Irish peer and politician who served as Lord Lieutenant of County Tyrone and patronized the arts in the 19th century.
Deaths
Anterus
A 3rd-century Pope who endeavored to preserve the stories of early Christian martyrs.
Emperor Yuan of Jin
Founding ruler of the Eastern Jin dynasty who worked to restore stability in southern China after turbulent times.
Fujiwara no Yukinari
One of the 'Three Brush Traces', famed for developing the distinctive wayō style of Japanese calligraphy during the Heian period.
Fujiwara no Michinaga
Powerful Heian-era nobleman whose rule as regent epitomized the peak of Fujiwara clan dominance in Japan.
Walkelin
The first Norman Bishop of Winchester who initiated the rebuilding of Winchester Cathedral after the Conquest.
Philip V
Philip V ‘the Tall’, King of France who introduced financial reforms and supported the early University of Paris.
Catherine of Valois
French princess who became Queen of England as Henry V’s consort and mother to Henry VI, a key figure in Lancaster succession.
Ali-Shir Nava'i
A pioneering Turkic poet and polymath who elevated Chagatai language and literature during the Timurid renaissance.
Juan Rodríguez Cabrillo
Mariner who led the first European expedition along the California coast, charting new territories for Spain.