August 3 across the 1990s: the news was dominated by Wang Hongwen, Chinese labor activist and politician, member …, TRL was counting down the most-requested videos on MTV, and 34 episodes were airing across the dial. Here's the full picture, year by year.
In the News
The headlines that defined August 3 across the 1990s.
Wang Hongwen, Chinese labor activist and politician, member of the Gang of Four …
Wang Hongwen, Chinese labor activist and politician, member of the Gang of Four (born 1935)
Oued El-Had and Mezouara massacre in Algeria: A total of 116 villagers killed, 4…
Oued El-Had and Mezouara massacre in Algeria: A total of 116 villagers killed, 40 in Oued El-Had and 76 in Mezouara.
What Was On TV
Before DVR, before streaming — if you missed it, you missed it. Here's what had everyone talking the next morning.
Jackie Mason, Bret Easton Ellis, Bruce Cockburn · Steve Allen + 9 more
11 episodes aired on August 3, 1994: "Jackie Mason, Bret Easton Ellis, Bruce Cockburn", "Steve Allen", "Valerie Haper, Michael Bolton", "The Golden Goblet of Attila the Hun", and 7 more.
Deborah Norville · Jon Bon Jovi, All-4-One, Charles Pereze, Litefoot + 3 more
5 episodes aired on August 3, 1995: "Deborah Norville", "Jon Bon Jovi, All-4-One, Charles Pereze, Litefoot", "Patti Davis, Sonia Paine", "Bill Pullman, Gregg Allman", and 1 more.
The Party · The Bat + 1 more
3 episodes aired on August 3, 1996: "The Party", "The Bat", "You Don't Have a Pet to Be Popular".
War · SummerSlam + 3 more
5 episodes aired on August 3, 1997: "War", "SummerSlam", "Mule Days", "The Candlestick; The Diner; From the Agency; The Magic Rose Garden; The Jeep", and 1 more.
August 3, 1998 · Babysitting Ben + 7 more
9 episodes aired on August 3, 1998: "August 3, 1998", "Babysitting Ben", "Las Vegas Hotels", "Losing Your Appeal", and 5 more.
TRL Countdown — 1999
Total Request Live was the center of the pop universe. Teens were burning up the phone lines to vote, and the countdown from Times Square was the most-watched 30 minutes on MTV.
The reigning #1 — retired from the countdown after an extended run at the top.
Blink-182's "What's My Age Again?" was one of the most-requested videos of the period, burning up the phone lines from fans all over the country.
Will Smith's "Wild Wild West" was one of the most-requested videos of the period, burning up the phone lines from fans all over the country.
Santana's "Smooth" was one of the most-requested videos of the period, burning up the phone lines from fans all over the country.
Smash Mouth's "All Star" was one of the most-requested videos of the period, burning up the phone lines from fans all over the country.
Jennifer Lopez's "If You Had My Love" was one of the most-requested videos of the period, burning up the phone lines from fans all over the country.
Ricky Martin's "Livin' la Vida Loca" was one of the most-requested videos of the period, burning up the phone lines from fans all over the country.
Backstreet Boys's "I Want It That Way" was one of the most-requested videos of the period, burning up the phone lines from fans all over the country.
Savage Garden's "I Want You" was one of the most-requested videos of the period, burning up the phone lines from fans all over the country.
Eminem's "My Name Is" was one of the most-requested videos of the period, burning up the phone lines from fans all over the country.
Sports
Athletes, events, and moments from August 3 across the 1990s.
Aljon Mariano, Filipino basketball player
Aljon Mariano, Filipino basketball player · Lum Rexhepi, Finnish footballer
Kwon Alexander, American football player
Kwon Alexander, American football player · Todd Gurley, American football player · Younghoe Koo, South Korean-born American football player
Zac Gallen, American baseball player
Zac Gallen, American baseball player
Alec Bohm, American baseball player
Alec Bohm, American baseball player · Derwin James, American football player
Luis Robert Jr., Cuban baseball player
Luis Robert Jr., Cuban baseball player
Zach Wilson, American football player
Zach Wilson, American football player · Brahim Díaz, Spanish-Moroccan footballer
Full Events Archive
Highlights
Late Night with Conan O'Brien
"Jackie Mason, Bret Easton Ellis, Bruce Cockburn" (Season 1994, Episode 133) aired on 1994-08-03.
Read more →The world was watching. Here's what dominated the headlines:
Jourdan Dunn
Jourdan Dunn, English model
Kang Min-kyung
Kang Min-kyung, South Korean singer
Gesa Felicitas Krause
Gesa Felicitas Krause, German runner
Diāna Marcinkēviča
Diāna Marcinkēviča, Latvian tennis player
Wang Hongwen, Chinese labor activist and politician, member of the Gang of Four (born 1935)
Oued El-Had and Mezouara massacre in Algeria: A total of 116 villagers killed, 40 in Oued El-Had and 76 in Mezouara.
The tallest free-standing structure in the Southern Hemisphere, Sky Tower in downtown Auckland, New Zealand, opens after two-and-a-half years of construction.
On the field and off it, athletes were making history:
Aljon Mariano
Aljon Mariano, Filipino basketball player
Kwon Alexander
Kwon Alexander, American football player
Todd Gurley
Todd Gurley, American football player
Younghoe Koo
Younghoe Koo, South Korean-born American football player
Must-see TV was a real thing — and this is what filled the airwaves:
Late Night with Conan O'Brien
"Jackie Mason, Bret Easton Ellis, Bruce Cockburn" (Season 1994, Episode 133) aired on 1994-08-03.
Legends of the Hidden Temple
"The Golden Goblet of Attila the Hun" (Season 2, Episode 28) aired on 1994-08-03.
Babylon 5
"A Voice in the Wilderness, Part II" (Season 1, Episode 19) aired on 1994-08-03.
Good Advice
"A Chance of Showers" (Season 2, Episode 10) aired on 1994-08-03.
""Mystery on the Mountain": 1967 secret mission in Laos" (Season 1, Episode 41) aired on 1994-08-03.
"Cybill Sheperd, Elayne Boosler, Dave Edmunds" (Season 1994, Episode 124) aired on 1994-08-03.
"Jon Bon Jovi, All-4-One, Charles Pereze, Litefoot" (Season 1995, Episode 132) aired on 1995-08-03.
"Patti Davis, Sonia Paine" (Season 1995, Episode 134) aired on 1995-08-03.
"Bill Pullman, Gregg Allman" (Season 1995, Episode 130) aired on 1995-08-03.
"You Don't Have a Pet to Be Popular" (Season 1, Episode 4) aired on 1996-08-03.
"The Candlestick; The Diner; From the Agency; The Magic Rose Garden; The Jeep" (Season 1, Episode 6) aired on 1997-08-03.
"Babysitting Ben" (Season 5, Episode 8) aired on 1998-08-03.
"Nick DiPaolo" (Season 1998, Episode 96) aired on 1998-08-03.
"Drew Barrymore, Dee Dee Meyers, The Verve" (Season 1998, Episode 123) aired on 1998-08-03.
Total Request Live had teenagers calling in around the clock. Here's what was charting:
The #1 most requested video on TRL on this date in 1999
#2 on TRL — Blink-182, "What's My Age Again?"
#3 on TRL — Will Smith, "Wild Wild West"
#4 on TRL — Santana, "Smooth"
#5 on TRL — Smash Mouth, "All Star"
#6 on TRL — Jennifer Lopez, "If You Had My Love"
#7 on TRL — Ricky Martin, "Livin' la Vida Loca"
#8 on TRL — Backstreet Boys, "I Want It That Way"
#9 on TRL — Savage Garden, "I Want You"
#10 on TRL — Eminem, "My Name Is"
By Year
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