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April 3
4 moments across history
First Handheld Mobile Phone Call
Martin Cooper placing the historic first mobile call on a New York City street, April 3, 1973
The Motorola DynaTAC prototype — the world's first handheld cellular phone
Motorola engineer Martin Cooper made the first public handheld cellular phone call on April 3, 1973, on a street in New York City. He called rival Joel Engel at Bell Labs using the Motorola DynaTAC prototype — a device weighing 2.5 pounds. This moment launched the mobile phone era.
Marshall Plan Signed Into Law
The Marshall Plan signing ceremony in Washington D.C., April 1948
American aid ships unloading supplies at a European port, 1948
President Harry Truman signed the Economic Cooperation Act on April 3, 1948, launching the Marshall Plan. The $13 billion American aid program rebuilt war-devastated Western European economies after World War II, preventing the spread of communism and reshaping the geopolitical order.
Pony Express Begins Its First Run
The first Pony Express rider departs St. Joseph, Missouri, April 3, 1860
A lone Pony Express rider galloping across the vast American frontier
On April 3, 1860, the Pony Express launched its inaugural mail run from St. Joseph, Missouri to Sacramento, California. Riders on horseback covered nearly 2,000 miles in about 10 days, revolutionizing communication in the American West before the transcontinental telegraph made it obsolete.
Jesse James Shot Dead
The funeral of Jesse James, St. Joseph, Missouri, April 1882
Jesse James — outlaw, folk legend, and the most wanted man in America
On April 3, 1882, notorious outlaw Jesse James was shot in the back of the head by Robert Ford at his home in St. Joseph, Missouri. Ford, a member of James' own gang, killed him for a $10,000 reward, ending the career of America's most infamous outlaw and cementing his legendary status.