On this day: December 3

NASA Confirms Loss of Mars Climate Orbiter After Dec. 3, 1999, Maneuver

On Dec. 3, 1999, NASA announced that the Mars Climate Orbiter was lost during orbital insertion around Mars after a course-correction maneuver; subsequent investigations pointed to a navigation error stemming from a metric–imperial units mismatch.

Rival Fans Dig Up Cricket Pitch Overnight in Dispute at Local Ground

On the night of 3 December 1987 a section of the central pitch at a local cricket ground was reportedly dug up by rival supporters, forcing match abandonment and prompting police and county cricket inquiries.

Patient of first successful human heart transplant dies weeks after surgery

On December 3, 1967, South African surgeons performed the world’s first successful human-to-human heart transplant; the recipient, Louis Washkansky, died 18 days later of pneumonia and complications, highlighting both the surgical breakthrough and the limits of early immunosuppression.