Wikipedia:Selected anniversaries/May 3
This is a list of selected May 3 anniversaries that appear in the "On this day" section of the Main Page. To suggest a new item, in most cases, you can be bold and edit this page. Please read the selected anniversaries guidelines before making your edit. However, if your addition might be controversial or on a day that is or will soon be on the Main Page, please post your suggestion on the talk page instead.
Please note that the events listed on the Main Page are chosen based more on relative article quality and to maintain a mix of topics, not based solely on how important or significant their subjects are. Only four to five events are posted at a time and thus not everything that is "most important and significant" can be listed. In addition, an event is generally not posted this year if it is also the subject of the scheduled featured article or picture of the day.
To report an error when this appears on the Main Page, see Main Page errors. Please remember that this list defers to the supporting articles, so it is best to achieve consensus and make any necessary changes there first.
May 3: Constitution Day in Poland and Japan, World Press Freedom Day
- 1791 – The Polish Constitution of May 3, one of the earliest codified national constitutions in the world, was adopted by the Sejm.
- 1815 – Austrian troops led by Frederick Bianchi, Duke of Casalanza (pictured) defeated the forces under King Joachim Murat of Naples at the Battle of Tolentino, the decisive battle of the Neapolitan War.
- 1837 – The National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, the oldest university in the eastern Mediterranean, was founded.
- 1942 – World War II: Japanese forces began invading Tulagi and nearby islands in the Solomon Islands Protectorate, enabling them to establish a base so they could threaten and interdict the supply and communication routes between the United States and Australia and New Zealand.
- 1947 – A new Constitution of Japan went into effect, providing for a parliamentary system of government, guaranteeing certain fundamental rights, and relegating the Japanese monarchy to a purely ceremonial role.