![[e]Photo Stream](/logo.png){kind=logo}
June 3
5 moments across history
Hernando de Soto claims Florida for Spain
On June 3, 1539, Spanish explorer Hernando de Soto claimed Florida for the Spanish crown, landing near present-day Tampa Bay with a force of over 600 men, 200 horses, and a pack of war dogs. His expedition would become the first European incursion deep into the southeastern United States, mapping territory from Florida to the Mississippi River before de Soto's death in 1542.
Hernando de Soto, the Spanish conquistador who led the first major European expedition into the American Southeast.
First long-distance electric power transmission line completed
Willamette Falls in Oregon City, site of the first long-distance AC power transmission line, completed June 3, 1889.
The historic locks and power generating station at Willamette Falls that first supplied electricity to Portland, Oregon.
On June 3, 1889, the first long-distance electric power transmission line in the United States was completed, running 14 miles from a hydroelectric generator at Willamette Falls to downtown Portland, Oregon. This pioneering project proved electricity could be transmitted over long distances, laying the groundwork for the modern electrical grid.
Duke of Windsor marries Wallis Simpson
The Duke and Duchess of Windsor on their wedding day, June 3, 1937 — the culmination of an abdication crisis that shook the British monarchy.
Wallis Simpson, the American socialite whose relationship with King Edward VIII led to his abdication and their marriage in exile.
On June 3, 1937, the former King Edward VIII — now the Duke of Windsor — married American socialite Wallis Simpson at the Chateau de Cande in France, six months after his historic abdication from the throne to marry the twice-divorced Simpson. The marriage ended the most profound constitutional crisis the British monarchy had faced in centuries.
Gemini 4: Ed White becomes first American to walk in space
NASA astronaut Ed White during the first American spacewalk, floating outside Gemini 4 with Earth visible below him, June 3, 1965.
The Gemini 4 capsule — the spacecraft that carried Ed White to his historic spacewalk on June 3, 1965.
On June 3, 1965, NASA astronaut Ed White became the first American to walk in space during the Gemini 4 mission. Tethered by a 25-foot umbilical line, White floated outside the capsule for 23 minutes over the Pacific Ocean, using a handheld maneuvering unit to control his movement — a milestone in the space race just three months after the Soviet Union's first spacewalk.
Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Thames Pageant
The Thames Diamond Jubilee Pageant, June 3, 2012 — over 1,000 boats and 1.2 million spectators celebrated Queen Elizabeth II's 60-year reign.
The spectacular river pageant on the Thames in London, the largest such event in 350 years, during the Diamond Jubilee weekend.
On June 3, 2012, a spectacular flotilla of more than 1,000 boats sailed down the River Thames in London as the centerpiece of Queen Elizabeth II's Diamond Jubilee celebrations, marking her 60 years on the British throne. The Thames Jubilee Pageant, the largest river pageant in 350 years, drew an estimated 1.2 million spectators to the riverbanks in a rain-soaked display of British pageantry.