Today in History: March 3, Millionaire makes first solo nonstop plane flight
Today is Tuesday, March 3, the 62nd day of 2026. There are 303 days left in the year.
Today in history:
On March 3, 2005, millionaire adventurer Steve Fossett became the first person to fly a plane around the world solo without stopping or refueling, landing in Salina, Kansas, where he took off 67 hours earlier.
Also on this date:
In 1845, Florida became a U.S. state.
In 1849, Congress established the U.S. Department of the Interior.
In 1863, President Abraham Lincoln signed the act creating the National Academy of Sciences.
In 1931, President Herbert Hoover signed a bill making “The Star-Spangled Banner” the national anthem of the United States.
In 1943, in London’s East End, 173 people died in a crush of bodies at the Bethnal Green Tube station, which was being used as a wartime air raid shelter.
In 1945, Allied troops fully secured the Philippine capital of Manila from Japanese forces during World War II after a monthlong battle that destroyed much of the city.
In 1969, Apollo 9 blasted off from Cape Kennedy on a mission to test NASA’s lunar module.
In 1991, motorist Rodney King was severely beaten by Los Angeles police officers after a high-speed chase in a scene captured on amateur video that sparked public outrage. (The subsequent acquittal of four officers of felony assault and other charges in April 1992 triggered days of rioting and dozens of deaths in Los Angeles.)
In 2022, OxyContin maker Purdue Pharma reached a nationwide settlement over its role in the opioid crisis, with the Sackler family members who own the company boosting their cash contribution to as much as $6 billion in a deal intended to stanch a flood of lawsuits.
Today’s birthdays:
- Filmmaker George Miller is 81.
- Singer Jennifer Warnes is 79.
- Author Ron Chernow is 77.
- Football Hall of Famer Randy Gradishar is 74.
- Musician Robyn Hitchcock is 73.
- Actor Miranda Richardson is 68.
- Radio personality Ira Glass is 67.
- Olympic track and field gold medalist Jackie Joyner-Kersee is 64.
- Rapper-actor Tone Loc is 60.
- Hockey Hall of Famer Brian Leetch is 58.
- Actor Julie Bowen is 56.
- Actor David Faustino is 52.
- Actor Jessica Biel is 44.
- Singer Camila Cabello is 29.
- NBA forward Jayson Tatum is 28.