Holidays Calendar for July 3, 2016

Independence Day is a public holiday in the Republic of Belarus celebrated on July 3. It commemorates the liberation of Minsk from Nazi occupation during the Second World War.

July 3 is Emancipation Day in the United States Virgin Islands. This public holiday commemorates abolition of slavery in the Danish West Indies in 1848. Emancipation Day is celebrated in many former colonies on various dates to recognize the abolition of slavery, serfdom or other forms of servitude.

The Feast of the Transfiguration of Jesus is celebrated by various Christian denominations. While many churches do not regard it as one of the most important feasts, it is considered a very significant church holiday in Armenia.

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Laylat al-Qadr (Lailatul Qadr') is believed to be the night when the first verses of Quran were revealed to Muhammad the Prophet. It is thought to take place at the end of the month of Ramadan. There is no exact date, but many traditions insist on celebrating it on the night before the 27th of Ramadan.

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Plastic Bag Free Day is an annual international awareness campaign held on July 3. This global initiative aims to eliminate the use of single-use plastic bags. On July 3 each year, people all over the world are encouraged to not use plastic bags and to raise awareness of the dangers of plastic pollution.

July 3 is Traffic Patrol Day in Russia. It was officially established in 2009 by Minister of Internal Affairs Rashid Nurgaliyev and has been celebrated each year ever since.

Day of Water Transport Workers is a professional holiday celebrated in some post-Soviet countries on the first Sunday in July. It is officially observed in Russia and Belarus and had been observed in Ukraine until 2008.

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On the first Sunday in July, Ukrainians celebrate two professional holidays dedicated to the country's fleet. They are Navy Day and Sea and River Fleet Day Both holidays were created by President Petro Poroshenko in June 2015.

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Anti-Aircraft Missile Troops Day is one of the official holidays celebrated in the Ukrainian Armed Forces. Observed annually on July 3, it was established by the then Minister of Defense of Ukraine Mykhaylo Yezhel.

Medical Worker Day is a professional holiday celebrated in many former Soviet republics on various dates. In the Kyrgyz Republic, it is observed on the first Sunday in July.

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Millions of trees are annually planted across India during the National Festival of Trees Planting (Van Mahotsav) in India. The festival lasts for one week and it corresponds to the well-known tradition of Arbor Day in other countries.

Dombra Day is an annual holiday celebrating the national musical instrument of Kazakhstan. It is observed annually on the second Sunday of July.

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National Eat Beans Day, also known as National Eat Your Beans Day, is celebrated annually on July 3. Have an extra serving of beans today to celebrate the holiday.

Waffles and wafers are among the most beloved desserts, so it is not surprising that there is more than one unofficial food day inspired by them. For example, National Chocolate Wafer Day is celebrated annually on July 3.

Fried clams are one of the most iconic dishes of New England cuisine; some say they are to New England what barbecue is to the American South. So it is not surprising that there is a holiday dedicated to this amazing dish. National Fried Clam Day is celebrated annually on July 3.

If you love sparkling wine, you absolutely should celebrate American Sparkling Wine Day on July 3. This holiday was created to promote sparkling wines produced in the United States and raise their profile both nationally and internationally.

Myanmar Women’s Day is an annual holiday celebrated on July 3. It commemorates the establishment of the Myanmar National Committee for Women’s Affairs (MNCWF) in 1996.

Every year young people of Singapore celebrate Youth Day on the first Sunday in July. This holiday marks the beginning of the second semester and third term at schools of Singapore.

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This Day in History

  • 2013 A coup d'etat took pace in Egypt. President Mohamed Morsi was ousted by a coalition led by the Egyptian army chief General Abdel Fattah el-Sisi.
  • 2010 Died: Abu Daoud (nom de guerre of Mohammad Daoud Oudeh), Palestinian terrorist known as the planner of the 1972 Munich massacre.
  • 1996 It was announced in the House of Commons that the Stone of Scone, also known as the Stone of Destiny, would be returned to Scotland.
  • 1988 Iran Air Flight 655 was shot down by the United States Navy guided missile cruiser USS Vincennes. All 290 people on board were killed.
  • 1980 Born: Olivia Munn, American actress, model, television personality and author known for her roles in Iron Man 2, Magic Mike, Mortdecai etc.
  • 1973 Born: Patrick Wilson, American actor and director known for his co-starring role in Angels in America and starring roles in two horror franchises, Insidious and The Conjuring.
  • 1971 Born: Benedict Wong, English actor who gained prominence for his roles as Kublai Khan in Marco Polo, Bruce Ng in The Martian, and Wong in the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
  • 1971 Died: Jim Morrison, American musician, singer, songwriter, poet, filmmaker, director and actor best known as the lead vocalist of the Doors.
  • 1971 Born: Julian Assange, Australian journalist, publisher and hacker best known as the co-founder and editor-in-chief of the website WikiLeaks.
  • 1970 Born: Audra McDonald, American singer and actress of stage and screen. Primarily known for her work on the Broadway stage, she has won six Tony Awards as of 2024, more performance wins than any other actor.
  • 1970 The Falls Curfew, also known as the Battle of the Falls, began in Belfast, Northern Ireland. It was a British Army operation during the Troubles.
  • 1969 Died: Brian Jones, English musician, songwriter, composer, record producer best known as the founder and original leader of the Rolling Stones.
  • 1965 Born: Connie Nielsen, Danish actress. She is known for starring as Lucilla in the film Gladiator and as Queen Hippolyta in the DC Extended Universe.
  • 1962 Born: Tom Cruise, American actor and filmmaker who is known for his roles in Top Gun, the Mission: Impossible film series, Interview with the Vampire, Vanilla Sky, Oblivion, and many more.
  • 1953 Hermann Buhl became the first person to ascend Nanga Parbat, the ninth highest mountain in the world (solo and without bottled oxygen).
  • 1952 The United States Congress and the President approved the Constitution of the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, ratified 3 months earlier.
  • 1937 Died: Jacob Schick, American entrepreneur and inventor primarily remembered for patenting and manufacturing the first electric razor.
  • 1937 Born: Tom Stoppard (born Tomáš Straussler), Czech-born British playwright. One of his best known works is Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead.
  • 1935 Died: André-Gustave Citroën, French industrialist who is remembered for founding the mass-production car company named after him.
  • 1928 Born: Evelyn Anthony (pen name of Evelyn Ward-Thomas), British writer whose best known work is the 1971 novel The Tamarind Seed.
  • 1908 Died: Joel Chandler Harris, American journalist, author and folklorist best know for his collection of Uncle Remus stories published in 1881.
  • 1904 Died: Theodor Herzl (born Benjamin Ze'ev Herzl), Austro-Hungarian Jewish journalist and political activist, one of the founders of modern political Zionism.
  • 1888 Died: Nguyễn Đình Chiểu, Vietnamese poet remembered for his nationalist writings against the French colonization of South Vietnam.
  • 1886 Karl Benz officially unveiled the Benz Patent-Motorwagen, the first vehicle designed to be propelled by an internal combustion engine.
  • 1883 Born: Franz Kafka, German-language novelist and short-story writer who is considered to be one of the most influential authors of the 20th century.
  • 1860 Born: Charlotte Perkins Gilman, American feminist, sociologist, author, editor, lecturer and social reformer. She was a utopian feminist.
  • 1850 Born: Alfredo Keil, Portuguese romantic composer and painter best known for composing the music of A Portuguesa, the national anthem of Portugal.
  • 1809 Died: Joseph Quesnel, French Canadian composer, poet, and playwright who created the first Canadian opera, Colas et Colinette.
  • 1778 The Wyoming Massacre, also known as the Battle of Wyoming, occurred during the American Revolutionary War. More than 300 Patriots were killed.
  • 1728 Born: Robert Adam, Scottish neoclassical architect, interior designer and furniture designer. He developed the so-called Adam style.
  • 1642 Died: Marie de' Medici, Queen consort of France and Navarre from 1600 to 1610. She was the second wife of King Henry IV of France.
  • 1608 French navigator and explorer Samuel de Champlain founded Quebec City. It is one of the oldest European settlements in North America.
  • 1423 Born: Louis XI, King of France from 1461 until his death in 1483. Before succeeding his father Charles VII, he had rebelled against him.
  • 987 Hugh Capet was crowned King of France. He was the first monarch of the House of Capet, which ruled the Kingdom of France until 1328.