At A Glance

3 December 2008 at a glance

Day of the week
3 December 2008 was a Wednesday.
UK Number One
The UK Number One single was “Greatest Day” by Take That.
Top Film of 2008
The highest-grossing film worldwide released in 2008 was The Dark Knight.
Star sign
The star sign for 3 December is Sagittarius.
Chinese zodiac
In the Chinese zodiac, 3 December 2008 fell in the Year of the Rat.
Birthstone
The birthstone for December is Turquoise.
Moon phase
The moon phase on 3 December 2008 was Waxing Crescent.

On this day: 3 December

  • 1997 In Ottawa, Ontario, Canada, representatives from 121 countries sign the Ottawa Treaty prohibiting manufacture and deployment of anti-personnel landmines. The United States, People's Republic of China, and Russia do not sign the treaty, however.
  • 1999 NASA loses radio contact with the Mars Polar Lander moments before the spacecraft enters the Martian atmosphere.
  • 2005 XCOR Aerospace makes the first crewed rocket aircraft delivery of U.S. Mail in Kern County, California.
  • 2014 The Japanese space agency, JAXA, launches the space explorer Hayabusa2 from the Tanegashima Space Center on a six-year round trip mission to an asteroid to collect rock samples.
  • 2022 Massive power outage after Moore County substation attack that leaves 45,000 people without power for five days, leading to an FBI probe.

Famous people born on 3 December

  • Jenna Dewan, American actress and dancer (born 1980)
  • Amanda Seyfried, American actress (born 1985)
  • Ozzy Osbourne, English singer-songwriter (1948–2025)
  • Brendan Fraser, American actor and producer (born 1968)

Source: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0)

Choose your country: the charts, news and leaders change to match.

Events of 2008 in the United Kingdom

A selection from Wikipedia's '2008 in the United Kingdom'. Not a complete list.

  • 25 February – The animated children's television series The Mr. Men Show first airs on Five.
  • 27 February – 2008 Lincolnshire earthquake: An earthquake with an epicentre in Lincolnshire is felt across most of Britain, with several buildings suffering substantial damage.
  • 28 March – London Heathrow Terminal 5 opens at Heathrow Airport to British Airways with many problems with the IT system, coupled with insufficient testing and staff training, which causes over 500 flights to be cancelled.

Life in 2008

Prime Minister

Gordon Brown

Monarch

Elizabeth II

Pint of Beer

£2.70

Loaf of Bread

£1.15

Average House

£176,190

Weekly Wage

£674.00

Or

Browse by Year

Famous Faces Born in the 2000s

Well-known people born in the same decade as you, not on your birthday.

Sources: Wikidata and Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0)

About The Day You Were Born

Ever wondered what was happening in the world when you took your first breath? Our birthday lookup tool reveals the fascinating history of your special day.

About The Birthday Chronicle and where our data comes from →