Explore significant past events on April 2 Learn more about this date in history. 1513-Spanish explorer Juan Ponce de Leon landed on the coast of Florida. 1792 – The US dollar was introduced. 1800 – Ludwig van Beethoven’s First Symphony premiered. Read below for more about historical events that occurred on this day April 2.
What Happened on this day – April 2
Find More Details for What happened on April 2. Read below for more about historical events that occurred on this day April 2.
- 1513-Spanish explorer Juan Ponce de Leon landed on the coast of Florida.
- 1681-King Charles II of England officially proclaimed the charter he had granted in March to William Penn for the Quaker colony of Pennsylvania in North America.
- 1792 – The US dollar was introduced.
- 1800 – Ludwig van Beethoven’s First Symphony premiered.
- 1865-In the face of advancing Union forces, Confederate troops evacuated Richmond, Virginia, the capital of the Confederate States of America during the American Civil War.
- 1891-German sculptor and painter Max Ernst, who was a leading advocate of irrationality in art, was born.
- 1912 – The unfortunate mission of the RMS Titanic begins.
- 1914-British actor Alec Guinness, who was known for the variety and excellence of his stage and screen characterizations, was born
- 1917-U.S. President Woodrow Wilson asked Congress for a declaration of war against Germany
- 1964-Launch of the Soviet-built spherical spacecraft Jond-1.
- 1968-Stanley Kubrick’s 2001: A Space Odyssey had its world premiere in Washington, D.C.
- 1970-Meghalaya is an autonomous state under Assam in India
- 1978-The soap opera Dallas debuted as a five-part miniseries on American television; hugely popular, it became a running series and revolutionized prime-time dramas.
- 1979- Airborne arthrax virus infection by accident in Sverdlovsk, Soviet Union, kills more than six.
- 1982-Argentine troops seized the Falkland Islands (Islas Malvinas), precipitating the Falkland Islands War with Britain.
- 1992-American organized-crime boss John Gotti was convicted on 13 criminal counts including the murder of Paul Castellano and others, racketeering, and obstruction of justice and was sentenced to life in prison
- 1992- Massacre of 62 civilians by the Sabiya army in Bijljina, Basnia.
- 2002 – Israeli forces surround the Church of the Nativity in Bethlehem.
- 2015 – Terrorist attack on Garissa University College in Kenya kills 17 people.
- 2015-Portuguese filmmaker Manoel de Oliveira died at age 106.
Famous Personalities & Celebrities Birthday on April 2
- 1977-Michael Fassbender-German-Irish Actor and Racing Driver
- 1961-Christopher Meloni-American actor
- 1939-Marvin Gaye-American singer-songwriter
- 1891-Max Ernst-German Poet, painter & sculptor
- 1840-Emile Zola-French critic & author
- 1805-Hans Christian Andersen-Danish poet & author
- 1725-Giacomo Casanova-Italian author & explorer
- 0747-Charlemagne-1st Emperor of the Romans from 800 to 814
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