Today In History, Sept. 3: Viking 2
Today is Thursday, September 3.
Today's Highlight in History:
1976: Viking 2
In 1976, America's Viking 2 lander touched down on Mars to take the first close-up, color photographs of the planet's surface.
1783: Treaty of Paris
On September 3, 1783, representatives of the United States and Britain signed the Treaty of Paris, which officially ended the Revolutionary War.
1939: World War II
In 1939, Britain, France, Australia and New Zealand declared war on Germany, two days after the Nazi invasion of Poland,
1940: Artie Shaw
In 1940, Artie Shaw and his Gramercy Five recorded "Summit Ridge Drive" and "Special Delivery Stomp" for RCA Victor.
1967: "What's My Line?"
In 1967, the original version of the television game show "What's My Line?," hosted by John Charles Daly, broadcast its final episode after more than 17 years on CBS.
1995: eBay
In 1995, the online auction site eBay was founded in San Jose, California, by Pierre Omidyar (right) under the name "AuctionWeb."
2005: Hurricane Katrina
Ten years ago: President George W. Bush ordered more than 7,000 active duty forces to the Gulf Coast as his administration intensified efforts to rescue Katrina survivors and send aid to the hurricane-ravaged region in the face of criticism it did not act quickly enough.
2005: William H. Rehnquist
Ten years ago: U.S. Chief Justice William H. Rehnquist died in Arlington, Virginia, at age 80, after more than three decades on the Supreme Court.
2010: Afghanistan
Five years ago: Defense Secretary Robert Gates toured U.S. bases and war zones in Afghanistan, saying he saw and heard evidence that the American counterinsurgency strategy was taking hold in critical Kandahar province.
2010: Kara DioGuardi
Five years ago: The Fox network announced that Kara DioGuardi was stepping down as one of the judges on "American Idol," following the departures of Simon Cowell and Ellen DeGeneres.
2014: Barack Obama
One year ago: President Barack Obama, during a visit to Estonia, harshly condemned Russian aggression in Ukraine as a threat to peace. President Obama also said the United States would not be intimidated by Islamic State militants after the beheading of American journalist Steven Satloff.
2014: Theodore Wafer
One year ago: A judge sentenced Theodore Wafer, a suburban Detroit man who'd killed an unarmed woman on his porch instead of calling police, to at least 17 years in prison after telling the family of 19-year-old Renisha McBride he would carry "guilt and sorrow forever."
Most Popular
Arizona football continues week three of spring practice at Dick Tomey field on Thursday morning.
The Wildcats never held a lead in losing to the Wolverines 91-73 in the late game of Saturday's Final Four, April 4, 2026, Indianapolis, Ind.
Don't miss Wednesday's most popular stories from Arizona Daily Star.
Thursday's news: What you missed while you were at work.
Our weekly round-up of letters published in the Arizona Daily Star.
Get a recap of Tuesday's local news stories from Arizona Daily Star.