August 3 Birthday
On August 3, 1492, Columbus departed from the port of Palos de la Frontera in Spain with three ships — the Niña, the Pinta, and the Santa María. He had 90 men. He carried a letter from Queen Isabella offering greetings to the "Great Khan" of China. He was looking for a western route to Asia. He underestimated the Earth's circumference by 8,000 miles. He would reach the Bahamas on October 12, believing he had reached the East Indies. He would die in 1506, still believing it. Martin Sheen, born this day in 1940 as Ramón Estévez, adopted his stage name from CBS casting director Robert Dale Martin and Catholic archbishop Fulton Sheen. He has been arrested over seventy times for civil disobedience. He played President Bartlet on The West Wing, which he said was his favorite role. He is the father of Charlie Sheen and Emilio Estevez. People born on August 3 fall under the zodiac sign of Leo. The birthstone is Peridot and the birth flower is Gladiolus. Historical events on August 3 include 1492: Christopher Columbus sets sail from Palos, Spain on first voyage, 1914: Germany declares war on France, expanding World War I, 1949: National Basketball Association (NBA) formed from merger of BAA and NBL. Famous people born on August 3 include P.D. James (1920), Martin Sheen (1940), Martha Stewart (1941).