Saturday, 3rd May 1986 in London
Welcome to your daily snapshot of London! It's World Press Freedom Day. Explore 51 historical events, birthdays, deaths, and milestones that shaped this day in London. From remarkable moments in local and world history to the people who left their mark — find out what makes today special. Today's weather in London brings drizzly with temperatures between 7°C and 12°C. Tonight's moon is in its first quarter phase, and the zodiac sign of the day is Taurus. If you're curious about the history of a day — this page brings together everything worth knowing about this Saturday, 3rd May in London, GB.
On Saturday, 3rd May 1986, London experienced drizzly conditions typical of early May in the capital. The city's position in south-east England makes it susceptible to Atlantic weather systems that frequently bring precipitation during spring months. London serves as the United Kingdom's political, economic and cultural centre, housing the Houses of Parliament, the Bank of England and numerous major institutions.
Significant events from this date in history span continents and centuries. In 1945, the Cap Arcona, a German ocean liner carrying thousands of concentration camp survivors, was attacked and sunk by the Royal Air Force in the Bay of Lübeck during the final weeks of the Second World War. Decades later, on 3rd May 1971, Erich Honecker assumed the position of First Secretary of the Socialist Unity Party of Germany, becoming the leader of East Germany during the Cold War era.
On this particular Saturday, the moon was in its first quarter phase whilst the sun occupied the Taurus zodiac sign. These celestial conditions characterised the astronomical environment for anyone observing the skies above London that day. DayAtlas provides comprehensive information about weather patterns, historical events, famous births and deaths for any date and location worldwide, allowing users to explore how significant moments have shaped our world across different times and places.
Find out what's happening today in London.
What the Weather Had in Store for London on 3rd May 1986
Learning accelerates when expectation loosens its grip.
Fortune of the Day
3rd May in the Stars – Star Sign Pisces
Personality Profile
Personality People born on May 3rd embody Taurus at its core: grounded, sensual, and remarkably patient. Venus rulership gifts them natural grace and a refined aesthetic sense. Numerology 8 amplifies their ambition and drive for success.
Strengths & Weaknesses These individuals possess admirable endurance and practical understanding of values. Their stubbornness and love of pleasure can lead to inflexibility or complacency. Balancing stability with adaptability remains their constant growth path.
Love May 3rd natives love deeply, loyally, and with keen sensuality. They seek partners who appreciate their physical nature and provide emotional stability. Trust and consistency form the foundation of their relationships.
Caree & Finance Professionally, these people emerge as reliable, ambitious individuals with talent for financial security. Their ability to plan long-term makes them excellent in stable, values-driven careers. Prosperity grows through patience and systematic building.
Health May 3rd-born thrive with regular movement and sensual activities like dancing or hiking. Their tendency to overindulge requires conscious restraint. Earth connection through nature strengthens both physical and emotional wellbeing.
That night, the moon was in its first quarter phase.
Chinese year of the Tiger (Fire).
Fun Facts About 3rd May
Name Days in Your Language: Joletta, Trey, Troy, Viola, Violet, Violetta, Yolanda
Someone born on this day in 1986 would be 39 years old today — just 14,585 days into life, which is roughly 350,046 hours, 21,002,774 minutes, or 1,260,166,441 seconds spent on Earth so far.
It's the 123. day of the year.
There are 242 days still to come.
We’re currently in Week 18 — the year marches on.
Famous Birthdays on 3rd May
- Jesse Bromwich, New Zealand rugby league player (1989)
- Katinka Hosszú, Hungarian swimmer (1989)
- Ben Revere, American baseball player (1988)
- Paddy Holohan, Irish mixed martial artist (1988)
- Damla Sönmez, Turkish actress (1987)
- Homer Bailey, American baseball player (1986)
- Pom Klementieff, French actress (1986)
- Ezequiel Lavezzi, Argentinian footballer (1985)
- Robin Tonniau, Belgian politician (1985)
- Joseph Addai, American football player (1983)
Lives Remembered on 3rd May
- Christine Jorgensen, American trans woman (born 1926) (1989)
- Lev Pontryagin, Russian mathematician and academic (born 1908) (1988)
- Dalida, Italian singer, actress, dancer, and model (born 1933) (1987)
- Robert Alda, American actor (born 1914) (1986)
- Nargis, Indian actress (born 1929) (1981)
Celebrations & Special Days Worldwide on 3rd May
- Christian feast day: Abhai (Syriac Orthodox Church)
- Christian feast day: Antonia and Alexander
- Christian feast day: Juvenal of Narni
- Christian feast day: Moura (Coptic Church)
- Christian feast day: Philip and James the Lesser
- Christian feast day: Pope Alexander I
- Christian feast day: Sarah the Martyr (Coptic Church)
- Christian feast day: The Most Holy Virgin Mary, Queen of Poland
- Christian feast day: Theodosius of Kiev (Eastern Orthodox Church)
- Christian feast day: May 3 (Eastern Orthodox liturgics)
- Constitution Memorial Day (Japan)
- Constitution Day (Poland)
- Finding of the Holy Cross-related observances: Fiesta de las Cruces (Spain and Hispanic America)
- International Sun Day
- World Press Freedom Day
What Happened on 3rd May?
- Nine students and a security guard are killed in the Belgrade school shooting, the first attack of its kind in Serbia. (2023)
- Ethnic violence breaks out between the Meitei and the Kuki Zo people in the state of Manipur. (2023)
- Twenty-six people are killed and ninety-eight are injured after an elevated section of the Mexico City Metro collapses. (2021)
- Eighty-eight thousand people are evacuated from their homes in Fort McMurray, Alberta, Canada as a wildfire rips through the community, destroying approximately 2,400 homes and buildings. (2016)
- Two gunmen launch an attempted attack on an anti-Islam event in Garland, Texas, which was held in response to the Charlie Hebdo shooting. (2015)
- The three-year-old British girl Madeleine McCann disappears in Praia da Luz, Portugal, starting "the most heavily reported missing-person case in modern history". (2007)
- Armavia Flight 967 crashes into the Black Sea near Sochi International Airport in Sochi, Russia, killing 113 people. (2006)
- The United States loses its seat on the U.N. Human Rights Commission for the first time since the commission was formed in 1947. (2001)
- The sport of geocaching begins, with the first cache placed and the coordinates from a GPS posted on Usenet. (2000)
- The southwestern portion of Oklahoma City is devastated by an F5 tornado, killing forty-five people, injuring 665, and causing $1 billion in damage. The tornado is one of 66 from the 1999 Oklahoma tornado outbreak. This tornado also produces the highest wind speed ever recorded, measured at 484 ± 32 kilometres per hour (301 ± 20 mph). In meteorology, the term "May 3" is synonymous with the F5 tornado. (1999)