On this day: August 3

POSTED: 02:07 PM PDT Aug 02, 2012    UPDATED: 11:00 PM PDT Aug 02, 2012 

Columbus sets sail, the first American intercollegiate sporting event takes place, Jesse Owens shines in Berlin and a controversial stand-up comic dies, all on this day.

OTD August 3 - LaBrea Tar Pits
3 / 36
Wikimedia Commons

1769: The La Brea Tar Pits in Los Angeles are first noticed by a Spanish expedition led by Gaspar de Portola (the first Spanish governor of the California). The name La Brea comes from the Spanish word for "tar."

Advertisement

Most Popular

Advertisement