Today in History - onthisday.com

 

                                                                             Sept 3

301 San Marino, one of the smallest nations in the world and the world's oldest republic still in existence, is founded by Saint Marinus 

1650 Oliver Cromwell's English New Model Army defeats a Scottish force in a surprise attack at the Battle of Dunbar 

1752 Britain and the British Empire (including the American colonies) adopt the Gregorian Calendar, losing 11 days; people riot, thinking the government has stolen 11 days of their lives

1777  The flag of the United States flies in battle for the first time at Cooch's Bridge, Delaware, during a skirmish in the American Revolutionary War

1783 The Treaty of Paris is signed in Paris, ending the American Revolutionary War between Great Britain and the United States of America

1791 The new French Constitution, declaring France a constitutional monarchy, is passed by the National Assembly during the French Revolution 

1900 With a proclamation by General Lord Roberts, Britain annexes the Boer Republic of South Africa 

1912 Arnold Schoenberg's "Fünf Orchesterstücke" (Five Pieces for Orchestra) premieres in London at a Promenade Concert

1928 Scottish bacteriologist Alexander Fleming discovers a mold later identified as penicillin while sorting through petri dishes containing colonies of the bacteria Staphylococcus, at St. Mary's Hospital in London 

1939 World War II: Britain declares war on Germany after the invasion of Poland; France follows six hours later, quickly joined by Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, and Canada 

1944 Holocaust diarist Anne Frank (15) is among the prisoners on the 68th and final transport of Dutch Jews sent from Westerbrooksent to Auschwitz concentration camp

1950 Giuseppe "Nino" Farina wins the inaugural Formula 1 World Drivers' Championship by winning the Italian Grand Prix at Monza in an Alfa Romeo, finishing three points ahead of Juan Manuel Fangio

1967 Sweden begins driving on the right-hand side of the road (Dagen H)

1951 TV soap opera "Search for Tomorrow," starring Mary Stuart and Larry Haines, debuts on CBS

1980 Lawrence of Arabia star Peter O’Toole returned to the stage on this day playing Shakespeare’s Macbeth in London. Critics savaged the production but the fans

1988 An estimated 50,000 Kurdish civilians and soldiers are killed by Iraq by this date, many using chemical weapons, in the aftermath of the Iran-Iraq War