January 3 is the 3rd day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. There are 362 days remaining until the end of the year (363 in leap years). Perihelion occurs around this date.
- 1431 - Joan of Arc is handed over to the Bishop Pierre Cauchon.
- 1496 - Leonardo da Vinci unsuccessfully tests a flying machine.
- 1521 - Pope Leo X excommunicates Martin Luther in the papal bull Decet Romanum Pontificem.
- 1749 - Benning Wentworth issues the first of the New Hampshire Grants, leading to the establishment of Vermont.
- 1777 - American general George Washington defeats British general Charles Cornwallis at the Battle of Princeton.
- 1815 - Austria, the United Kingdom, and France form a secret defensive alliance treaty against Prussia and Russia.
- 1823 - Stephen F. Austin receives a grant of land in Texas from the government of Mexico.
- 1848 - Joseph Jenkins Roberts is sworn in as the first president of the independent African Republic of Liberia.
- 1861 - American Civil War: Delaware votes not to secede from the United States.
- 1868 - Meiji Restoration in Japan: The Tokugawa shogunate is abolished; agents of Satsuma and Chōshū seize power.
- 1870 - The construction of the Brooklyn Bridge begins.
- 1888 - The refracting telescope at the Lick Observatory, measuring 91 cm in diameter, is used for the first time. It was the largest telescope in the world at the time.
- 1899 - The first known use of the word automobile, was seen in an editorial in The New York Times.
- 1921 - Turkey makes peace with Armenia.
- 1924 - English explorer Howard Carter discovers the sarcophagus of Tutankhamen in the Valley of the Kings, near Luxor, Egypt.
- 1925 - Benito Mussolini announces he is taking dictatorial powers over Italy.
- 1932 - Martial law is declared in Honduras to stop revolt by banana workers fired by United Fruit.
- 1933 - Minnie D. Craig becomes the first female elected as Speaker of the North Dakota House of Representatives, the first female to hold a Speaker position anywhere in the United States.
- 1938 - The March of Dimes is established by President Franklin D. Roosevelt.
- 1944 - World War II: Top Ace Major Greg "Pappy" Boyington is shot down in his Corsair by Captain Masajiro Kawato flying a Zero.
- 1945 - World War II: Admiral Chester W Nimitz is placed in command of all U.S. Naval forces in preparation for planned assaults against Iwo Jima, Okinawa and Japan.
- 1947 - Proceedings of the U.S. Congress are televised for the first time.
- 1953 - Frances Bolton and her son, Oliver from Ohio, become the first mother and son to serve simultaneously in the U.S. Congress.
- 1956 - A fire damages the top part of the Eiffel Tower.
- 1957 - The Hamilton Watch Company introduces the first electric watch.
- 1958 - The West Indies Federation is formed.
- 1959 - Alaska is admitted as the 49th U.S. State.
- 1961 - The United States severs diplomatic relations with Cuba.
- 1961 - The SL-1, a government-run reactor near Idaho Falls, Idaho, leaks radiation, killing three workers.
- 1962 - Pope John XXIII excommunicates Fidel Castro.
- 1977 - Apple Computer is incorporated.
- 1988 - Margaret Thatcher becomes the longest-serving British Prime Minister in the 20th Century.
- 1990 - Former leader of Panama Manuel Noriega surrenders to American forces.
- 1993 - In Moscow, George H. W. Bush and Boris Yeltsin sign the second Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty (START).
- 1994 - An Aeroflot Tupolev TU-154 crashes and explodes after takeoff from Irkutsk, Russia, killing 125 people including one on the ground.
- 1994 - More than seven million people from the former Apartheid Homelands, receives South African citizenship.
- 1997 - The People's Republic of China announces it will spend $27.7 billion USD to fight erosion and pollution in the Yangtze and Yellow river valleys.
- 1999 - The Mars Polar Lander was launched.
- 1999 - Israel detains, and later expels, 14 members of Concerned Christians.
- 2004 - Flight 604, a Boeing 737 owned by Flash Airlines, an Egyptian airliner, plunges into the Red Sea, killing all 148 people on board.
- 2007 - National Express has its worst ever coach crash just outside Heathrow Airport.
- 2009 - Israeli ground forces invade Gaza.
- 106 BC - Cicero, Roman statesman and philosopher (d. 43 BC)
- 1196 - Emperor Tsuchimikado of Japan (d. 1231)
- 1698 - Pietro Metastasio, Italian poet (d. 1782)
- 1710 - Richard Gridley, American Revolutionary soldier (d. 1796)
- 1719 - Francisco José Freire, Portuguese historian (d. 1773)
- 1722 - Fredric Hasselquist, Swedish naturalist (d. 1752)
- 1733 - Sir Richard Arkwright, English industrialist and inventor (d. 1792)
- 1760 - John Storm, American Revolutionary soldier (d. 1835)
- 1778 - Antoni Melchior Fijałkowski, Polish bishop (d. 1861)
- 1793 - Lucretia Mott, American women's rights activist (d. 1880)
- 1802 - Charles Pelham Villiers, British House of Commons member (d. 1898)
- 1803 - Douglas William Jerrold, British playwright (d. 1857)
- 1806 - Henriette Sontag, German soprano (d. 1854)
- 1810 - Antoine Thomson d'Abbadie, French geographer (d. 1897)
- 1819 - Charles Piazzi Smyth, Astronomer Royal for Scotland (d. 1900)
- 1831 - Savitribai Phule, Female social activist, first female teacher in India, and first female poet in Marathi language (d. 1897)
- 1836 - Sakamoto Ryoma, Japanese revolutionary (d. 1867)
- 1840 - Father Damien, Flemish missionary (d. 1889)
- 1855 - Hubert Bland, English socialist (d. 1914)
- 1861 - William Renshaw, British champion tennis player (d. 1904)
- 1862 - Sir Matthew Nathan, British Governor of Queensland and other places (d. 1939)
- 1865 - Henry Lytton, British actor and opera singer (d. 1936)
- 1870 - Henry Handel Richardson, Australian author (d. 1946)
- 1873 - Ichizo Kobayashi, Japanese businessman (d. 1957)
- 1876 - Wilhelm Pieck, first President of East Germany (d. 1960)
- 1879 - Grace Coolidge, First Lady of the United States (d. 1957)
- 1883 - Clement Attlee, Prime Minister of the United Kingdom (d. 1967)
- 1884 - Raoul von Koczalski, Polish pianist and composer (d. 1948)
- 1886 - Josephine Hull, American actress (d. 1957)
- 1887 - August Macke, German painter (d. 1914)
- 1887 - Helen Parkhurst, American educator (d. 1973)
- 1892 - J. R. R. Tolkien, British writer (d. 1973)
- 1894 - ZaSu Pitts, American actress (d. 1963)
- 1895 - Borys Lyatoshynsky, Ukrainian composer (d. 1968)
- 1897 - Marion Davies, American actress (d. 1961)
- 1898 - Carlos Keller, Chilean fascist politician (d. 1974)
- 1901 - Ngô Đình Diệm, President of South Vietnam (d. 1963)
- 1905 - Anna May Wong, American actress (d. 1961)
- 1905 - Ray Milland, Welsh actor (d. 1986)
- 1909 - Victor Borge, Danish entertainer (d. 2000)
- 1910 - Frenchy Bordagaray, American baseball player (d. 2000)
- 1911 - John Sturges, American director (d. 1982)
- 1912 - Renaude Lapointe, Canadian journalist and senator (d. 2002)
- 1912 - Armand Lohikoski, Finnish director (d. 2005)
- 1916 - Betty Furness, American actress (d. 1994)
- 1916 - Maxene Andrews, American singer (The Andrews Sisters) (d. 1995)
- 1916 - Bernard Greenhouse, American cellist
- 1917 - General Vernon Walters, U.S. military officer, diplomat (d. 2002)
- 1917 - Roger W. Straus, Jr., American publisher (d. 2004)
- 1920 - Renato Carosone, Italian musician (d. 2001)
- 1921 - John Russell, American actor (d. 1991)
- 1922 - Bill Travers, English actor and director (d. 1994)
- 1922 - Ronald Smith, British pianist (d. 2004)
- 1923 - Hank Stram, American football coach (d. 2005)
- 1923 - Charles Tingwell, Australian actor
- 1924 - André Franquin, Belgian cartoonist (Gaston Lagaffe) (d. 1997)
- 1924 - Nell Rankin, American singer (d. 2005)
- 1924 - Doug Ellis, British entrepreneur
- 1926 - George Martin, British producer
- 1929 - Sergio Leone, Italian director (d. 1989)
- 1929 - Ernst Mahle, Brazilian composer
- 1930 - Marcel Dubé, Quebec playwright
- 1930 - Robert Loggia, American actor
- 1932 - Coo Coo Marlin, American race car driver (d. 2005)
- 1932 - Dabney Coleman, American actor
- 1932 - Tongolele, US-born dancer in Mexican movies
- 1935 - Raymond Garneau, French Canadian politician and businessman
- 1936 - David Vine, British sports commentator
- 1937 - Seri Wangnaitham, Thai dancer and choreographer (d. 2007)
- 1939 - Nikos Alefantos, Greek football manager
- 1939 - Janice Crosio, Australian politician
- 1939 - Bobby Hull, Canadian hockey player
- 1939 - Ruben Reyes, Filipino Supreme Court jurist
- 1941 - Van Dyke Parks, American musician
- 1942 - John Thaw, British actor (d. 2002)
- 1942 - John Marsden, Australian lawyer, gay activist (d. 2006)
- 1944 - David Atherton, English conductor
- 1944 - Blanche d'Alpuget, Australian novelist, biographer and second wife of Bob Hawke
- 1945 - Stephen Stills, American musician
- 1946 - John Paul Jones, British musician (Led Zeppelin)
- 1946 - Cissy King, American entertainer
- 1949 - Sylvia Likens, American torture victim (d. 1965)
- 1950 - Victoria Principal, American actress
- 1951 - Gary Nairn, Australian politician
- 1952 - Jim Ross, American wrestling announcer
- 1954 - Dean Hart, Canadian wrestler (d. 1990)
- 1954 - Ned Lamont, American businessman
- 1954 - Ross the Boss, American guitarist
- 1955 - Palmolive, English musician (The Slits, The Raincoats)
- 1956 - Mel Gibson, Australian actor and director
- 1956 - Willy T. Ribbs, American race-car driver
- 1957 - Bojan Križај, Slovenian skier
- 1958 - Shim Hyung-rae, South Korean filmmaker
- 1960 - Sandeep Marwah Founder of Film City, Noida, India
- 1962 - Francesca Lia Block, American author
- 1963 - Vic Grimes, American professional wrestler
- 1963 - Jerome Young, American professional wrestler
- 1963 - Alex Wheatle, British novelist
- 1964 - Bruce LaBruce, Canadian filmmaker
- 1966 - Martin Galway, Northern Ireland composer
- 1969 - Michael Schumacher, German seven-time F1 World Champion
- 1969 - Gerda Weissensteiner, Italian bobsledder and luger
- 1970 - Mahaya Petrosian, Iranian actress
- 1970 - Christian Duguay, American comic actor
- 1970 - Matt Ross, American actor
- 1971 - Cory Cross, Canadian ice-hockey player
- 1972 - Yoon Chan, South Korean actor
- 1972 - Nichole Nordeman, American singer
- 1974 - Alessandro Petacchi, Italian cyclist
- 1975 - Thomas Bangalter, French DJ (Daft Punk)
- 1975 - Jason Marsden, American actor
- 1975 - Danica McKellar, American actress
- 1976 - Angelos Basinas, Greek footballer
- 1976 - Alisen Down, Canadian actress
- 1976 - Dinara Drukarova, Russian actress
- 1976 - Nicholas Gonzalez, American actor
- 1977 - Lee Bowyer, English footballer
- 1977 - A.J. Burnett, American baseball player
- 1977 - Mayumi Iizuka, Japanese voice actress (seiyū)
- 1977 - Michelle Stephenson, English singer (The Spice Girls)
- 1978 - Kimberley Locke, American singer
- 1978 - Park Sol-mi, South Korean actress
- 1978 - Dominic Wood, English children's television presenter and magician
- 1978 - Mike York, American ice hockey player
- 1979 - Francesco Bellissimo, Italian mangaka
- 1980 - Rob Arnold, American guitarist (Chimaira)
- 1980 - Bryan Clay, American decathlete
- 1980 - Liya Kebede, Ethiopian model
- 1980 - Angela Ruggiero, American ice hockey player
- 1980 - David Tyree, American football player
- 1981 - Eli Manning, American football player
- 1981 - Chris Blais, California racecar driver
- 1985 - John David Booty, American football player
- 1985 - Linas Kleiza, Lithuanian basketball player for the Denver Nuggets
- 1986 - Lloyd Polite, American R&B singer
- 1986 - Jacob Timpano, Australian soccer player
- 1988 - Rodrigo de la Cadena, Mexican artist and performer
- 1989 - Alex D. Linz, American actor
- 1989 - Anya Rozova, Russian model and America's Next Top Model contestant
- 1989 - Mustapha Hussein Saddam Hussein's grandson, Qusay Hussein's son (d. 2003)
- 235 - Pope St Anterus
- 1098 - Walkelin, first Norman bishop of Winchester
- 1322 - King Philip V of France (b. 1293)
- 1437 - Catherine of Valois, wife of Henry V of England (b. 1401)
- 1543 - Juan Rodriguez Cabrillo, Portuguese explorer (b. 1499)
- 1571 - Joachim II Hector, Elector of Brandenburg (b. 1505)
- 1641 - Jeremiah Horrocks, English astronomer (b. 1618)
- 1656 - Mathieu Molé, French statesman (b. 1584)
- 1670 - George Monck, 1st Duke of Albemarle, English soldier (b. 1608)
- 1690 - Hillel ben Naphtali Zevi, Lithuanian rabbi (b. 1615)
- 1701 - Prince Louis I of Monaco (b. 1642)
- 1743 - Ferdinando Galli-Bibiena, Italian architect and designer (b. 1657)
- 1779 - Claude Bourgelat, French veterinary surgeon (b. 1712)
- 1785 - Baldassare Galuppi, Italian composer (b. 1706)
- 1795 - Josiah Wedgwood, English potter (b. 1730)
- 1813 - Bennelong, Australian aboriginal interlocutor between his tribe and the British settlers (b. c.1764)
- 1826 - Louis Gabriel Suchet, French marshal (b. 1770)
- 1871 - Kuriakose Elias Chavara, Indian Saint (b. 1805)
- 1875 - Pierre Larousse, French editor (b. 1817)
- 1882 - William Harrison Ainsworth, English novelist (b. 1805)
- 1895 - James Merritt Ives, American lithographer with Nathaniel Currier (b. 1824)
- 1903 - Alois Hitler, father of Adolf Hitler (b. 1837)
- 1911 - Alexandros Papadiamantis, Greek author (b. 1851)
- 1915 - James Elroy Flecker, English author (b. 1884)
- 1916 - Grenville M. Dodge, American Civil War Union Army Major General (b. 1831)
- 1923 - Jaroslav Hasek, Czech novelist (b. 1883)
- 1927 - Carle David Tolmé Runge, German physicist (b. 1856)
- 1931 - Joseph Joffre, French general (b. 1852)
- 1933 - Wilhelm Cuno, 6th Chancellor of the Weimar Republic (Germany) (b. 1876)
- 1933 - Jack Pickford, Canadian actor (b. 1896)
- 1943 - Sir Walter James, Premier of Western Australia (b. 1863)
- 1944 - Jurgis Baltrušaitis, Lithuanian poet (b. 1873)
- 1945 - Edgar Cayce, American psychic (b. 1877)
- 1945 - Ferdynand Antoni Ossendowski, Polish writer (b. 1879)
- 1946 - William Joyce, American Nazi propagandist (executed) (b. 1906)
- 1950 - Emil Jannings, Swiss actor (b. 1884)
- 1956 - Alexander Gretchaninov, Russian composer (b. 1864)
- 1956 - Joseph Wirth, 5th Chancellor of the Weimar Republic (Germany) (b. 1876)
- 1967 - Mary Garden, Scottish singer (b. 1874)
- 1967 - Jack Ruby, American killer of Lee Harvey Oswald (b. 1911)
- 1969 - Howard McNear, American actor (b. 1905)
- 1969 - Jean Focas, Greco-French astronomer (b. 1909)
- 1970 - Gladys Aylward, British missionary in China; portrayed by Ingrid Bergman in The Inn of the Sixth Happiness (b. 1902)
- 1974 - Gino Cervi, Italian actor (b. 1901)
- 1979 - Conrad Hilton, American hotelier (b. 1887)
- 1980 - Lucien Buysse, Belgian cyclist (b. 1892)
- 1980 - Joy Adamson, Czech conservationist (b. 1910)
- 1981 - Princess Alice of Albany (b. 1883)
- 1988 - Rose Ausländer, German poet (b. 1901)
- 1988 - Joie Chitwood, American racedriver & Daredevil (b. 1912)
- 1989 - Sergei Lvovich Sobolev, Russian mathematician (b. 1909)
- 1990 - Arthur Gold, American pianist, half of Gold and Fizdale duo (b. 1917)
- 1992 - Dame Judith Anderson, Australian actress (b. 1897)
- 1993 - Johnny Most, American sports announcer (b. 1923)
- 1994 - Heather Sears, British actress (b. 1935)
- 2002 - Juan García Esquivel, Mexican band leader (b. 1918)
- 2002 - Freddy Heineken, Dutch beer executive (b. 1923)
- 2003 - Sid Gillman, American football coach (b. 1911)
- 2004 - Des Corcoran, Premier of South Australia (b. 1928)
- 2004 - Leon Wagner, American baseball player (b. 1934)
- 2005 - Koo Chen-fu, Chinese negotiator (b. 1917)
- 2005 - Will Eisner, American comic book artist (b. 1917)
- 2005 - JN Dixit, Indian government official (b. 1936)
- 2006 - Steve Rogers, Australian rugby league footballer (b. 1954)
- 2006 - Bill Skate, Prime Minister of Papua New Guinea (b. 1954)
- 2007 - William Verity Jr., United States Secretary of Commerce 1987-1989 (b. 1917)
- 2007 - Michael Yeats, Irish Fianna Fáil senator 1961–1981 and son of W.B. Yeats (b. 1921)
- 2007 - Sir Cecil Walker, Ulster Unionist Member of Parliament for North Belfast 1983–2001 (b. 1924)
- 2007 - Earl Reibel, Canadian ice hockey forward Detroit Red Wings (b. 1930)
- 2007 - Janos Furst, Hungarian orchestral conductor (b. 1935)
- 2007 - Sergio Jiménez, Mexican actor (b. 1937)
- 2008 - Werner Dollinger, German politician and economist (b. 1918)
- 2008 - Aleksandr Abdulov, Russian actor (b. 1953)
- 2008 - Natasha Collins, British actress and television presenter (b. 1976)
- 2008 - Yo-Sam Choi, South Korean boxer/former WBC light flyweight champion (b. 1972)
- 2009 - Pat Hingle, American actor (b. 1924)
- 2009 - Hisayasu Nagata, Japanese politician (b. 1969)
