What Happened on February 3?

February 3 is National Women Physicians Day, honoring Dr. Elizabeth Blackwell. It is also the day Luna 9 made the first soft Moon landing and the sad 'day the music died.'

• 1870 — The Fifteenth Amendment says voting can't be denied by race

  On February 3, 1870, the Fifteenth Amendment joined the U.S. Constitution, declaring that the right to vote could not be denied because of race, color, or past enslavement. Read the full story →

• 1913 — Sixteenth Amendment lets the federal government collect income tax

  On February 3, 1913, the Sixteenth Amendment was ratified, allowing Congress to tax incomes — the change that funds everything from national parks to schools today. Read the full story →

• 1959 — 'The day the music died': Buddy Holly, Ritchie Valens, and the Big Bopper lost

  A small plane crash in Iowa killed rock pioneers Buddy Holly (22), Ritchie Valens (17), and J.P. 'The Big Bopper' Richardson on February 3, 1959 — a loss singer Don McLean called 'the day the music died.' Read the full story →

• 1966 — Soviet probe Luna 9 makes the first soft landing on the Moon

  Luna 9 touched down gently on the Ocean of Storms on February 3, 1966, becoming the first spacecraft ever to land softly on another world and send back photos from its surface. Read the full story →

Famous birthdays

Norman Rockwell (1894–1978) · Elizabeth Blackwell (1821–1910)

Days & observances

National Women Physicians Day · Four Chaplains Day · National Carrot Cake Day