Wikipedia:Selected anniversaries/April 3
- 1882 - Jesse James (pictured), an outlaw in the American Old West, was shot in the back and killed for a bounty of 5,000 United States dollars.
- 1895 - The libel trial instigated by Oscar Wilde began, eventually resulting in Wilde's arrest, trial and imprisonment on charges of homosexuality.
- 1948 - The Marshall Plan, an economic recovery program established by U.S. Secretary of State George Marshall to assist the post-World War II re-building of Europe, was signed into law.
- 1971 - Japanese tokusatsu television series Kamen Rider premiered, marking the beginning of the long-running Kamen Rider franchise.
- 1974 - The Super Outbreak of 148 tornadoes began, killing at least 315 people and injuring 5,484 in 13 U.S. states at the end of a very strong La Niña event.