13 historical events which took place on January 3 ...
1. 1521 – Pope Leo X excommunicates Martin Luther in the papal bull Decet Romanum Pontificem
2. 1496 - Leonardo da Vinci unsuccessfully tests a flying machine
3. 1962 – Pope John XXIII excommunicates Fidel Castro
4. 1777 - General George Washington's revolutionary army defeats British forces at Battle of Princeton, NJ
5. 1959 – Alaska is admitted as the 49th U.S. state
6. 1958 - Edmund Hillary reaches South Pole overland
7. 1925 – Benito Mussolini announces he is taking dictatorial powers over Italy
8. 1999 - The Mars Polar Lander was launched.