On This Day: June 3

Updated June 2, 2012, 2:28 pm

On June 3, 1965, astronaut Edward White became the first American to “walk” in space, during the flight of Gemini 4.
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On June 3, 1926, Allen Ginsberg, the “poet laureate” of the Beat Generation, was born. Following his death on April 5, 1997, his obituary appeared in The Times.

Go to obituary » | Other birthdays »

On This Date

By The Associated Press

1621 The Dutch West India Company received a charter for New Netherlands, present-day New York City.

1888 The poem “Casey at the Bat” by Ernest Lawrence Thayer was first published, in the San Francisco Daily Examiner.

1963 Pope John XXIII died at age 81.

1965 Astronaut Edward White became the first American to walk in space, during the flight of Gemini 4.

1989 Chinese army troops began a sweep of Beijing to crush student-led pro-democracy demonstrations.

1989 Iran’s spiritual leader, Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini, died.

1999 Yugoslav President Slobodan Milosevic accepted a peace plan for Kosovo designed to end mass expulsions of ethnic Albanians and 11 weeks of NATO airstrikes.

2001 Mel Brooks’ musical comedy “The Producers” won a record 12 Tony Awards.

2008 Barack Obama clinched the Democratic presidential nomination.

2009 New Hampshire became the sixth state to legalize same-sex marriage.

2011 Federal prosecutors charged Democrat John Edwards with using $925,000 in under-the-table campaign contributions to hide his mistress and baby during his 2008 White House run.

2011 Yemeni President Ali Abdullah Saleh was wounded when rebel rockets barraged his palace; he later went to Saudi Arabia for treatment.

2011 Physician-assisted suicide advocate Dr. Jack Kevorkian died at a Michigan hospital at age 83.

Current Birthdays

By The Associated Press

Broadcast journalist Anderson Cooper turns 45 years old today.

AP Photo/Evan Agostini

Tennis player Rafael Nadal turns 26 years old today.

AP Photo/Pier Paolo Cito

1929 Chuck Barris, Game show host (“The Gong Show”), turns 83

1936 Larry McMurtry, Author, turns 76

1939 Ian Hunter, Rock musician (Mott the Hoople), turns 73

1943 Billy Cunningham, Basketball Hall of Famer, turns 69

1950 Suzi Quatro, Singer, turns 62

1965 Mike Gordon, Rock musician (Phish), turns 47

Historic Birthdays

Allen Ginsberg 6/3/1926 – 4/5/1997 American poet.Go to obituary »

71 James Hutton 6/3/1726 – 3/26/1797
Scottish geologist, chemist and naturalist

62 William Hone 6/3/1780 – 11/6/1842
English radical journalist and publisher

81 Jefferson Davis 6/3/1808 – 12/6/1889
American; president of the Confederate States of America (1861-5)

71 Henry James 6/3/1811 – 12/18/1882
American philosophical theologian

86 Charles Lecocq 6/3/1832 – 10/24/1918
French composer of operettas

86 Ransom Eli Olds 6/3/1864 – 8/26/1950
American inventor and automobile manufacturer

76 Raoul Dufy 6/3/1877 – 3/23/1953
French painter and designer

88 Maurice Evans 6/3/1901 – 3/12/1989
English-born American stage actor

69 Josephine Baker 6/3/1906 – 4/12/1975
American-born French dancer and singer

80 William Douglas-Home 6/3/1912 – 9/28/1992
English playwright

67 Colleen Dewhurst 6/3/1924 – 8/22/1991
American stage and film actress

1621	The Dutch West India Company received a charter for New Netherlands, present-day New York City.
1888	The poem “Casey at the Bat” by Ernest Lawrence Thayer was first published, in the San Francisco Daily Examiner.
1963	Pope John XXIII died at age 81.
1965	Astronaut Edward White became the first American to walk in space, during the flight of Gemini 4.
1989	Chinese army troops began a sweep of Beijing to crush student-led pro-democracy demonstrations.
1989	Iran’s spiritual leader, Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini, died.
1999	Yugoslav President Slobodan Milosevic accepted a peace plan for Kosovo designed to end mass expulsions of ethnic Albanians and 11 weeks of NATO airstrikes.
2001	Mel Brooks’ musical comedy “The Producers” won a record 12 Tony Awards.
2008	Barack Obama clinched the Democratic presidential nomination.
2009	New Hampshire became the sixth state to legalize same-sex marriage.
2011	Federal prosecutors charged Democrat John Edwards with using $925,000 in under-the-table campaign contributions to hide his mistress and baby during his 2008 White House run.
2011	Yemeni President Ali Abdullah Saleh was wounded when rebel rockets barraged his palace; he later went to Saudi Arabia for treatment.
2011	Physician-assisted suicide advocate Dr. Jack Kevorkian died at a Michigan hospital at age 83.

1929	Chuck Barris, Game show host (“The Gong Show”), turns 83
1936	Larry McMurtry, Author, turns 76
1939	Ian Hunter, Rock musician (Mott the Hoople), turns 73
1943	Billy Cunningham, Basketball Hall of Famer, turns 69
1950	Suzi Quatro, Singer, turns 62
1965	Mike Gordon, Rock musician (Phish), turns 47

71	James Hutton 6/3/1726 – 3/26/1797 Scottish geologist, chemist and naturalist
62	William Hone 6/3/1780 – 11/6/1842 English radical journalist and publisher
81	Jefferson Davis 6/3/1808 – 12/6/1889 American; president of the Confederate States of America (1861-5)
71	Henry James 6/3/1811 – 12/18/1882 American philosophical theologian
86	Charles Lecocq 6/3/1832 – 10/24/1918 French composer of operettas
86	Ransom Eli Olds 6/3/1864 – 8/26/1950 American inventor and automobile manufacturer
76	Raoul Dufy 6/3/1877 – 3/23/1953 French painter and designer
88	Maurice Evans 6/3/1901 – 3/12/1989 English-born American stage actor
69	Josephine Baker 6/3/1906 – 4/12/1975 American-born French dancer and singer
80	William Douglas-Home 6/3/1912 – 9/28/1992 English playwright
67	Colleen Dewhurst 6/3/1924 – 8/22/1991 American stage and film actress