From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
April 2 is the 92nd day of the year (93rd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar, with 273 days remaining.
[edit] Events
- 69 - Galba, governor of Hispania, names himself legatus senatus populique Romani, breaking the line of Roman emperors begun with Julius Caesar and Augustus.
- 1453 - Mehmed II begins his siege of Constantinople (İstanbul), which would fall on May 29.
- 1513 - Juan Ponce de Leon sets foot on Florida becoming the first known European to do so.
- 1755 - Commodore William James captures pirate fortress of Suvarnadurg on west coast of India.
- 1792 - The Coinage Act is passed establishing the United States Mint.
- 1801 - Napoleonic Wars: Battle of Copenhagen - The British destroy the Danish fleet.
- 1804 - Forty merchantmen are wrecked when a convoy led by HMS Apollo runs aground off Portugal.
- 1863 - Richmond Bread Riot: Food shortages incite hundreds of angry women to riot in Richmond, Virginia and demand the Confederate government to release emergency supplies.
- 1865 - American Civil War: Siege of Petersburg broken - Union troops capture the trenches around Petersburg, Virginia, forcing Confederate General Robert E. Lee to retreat.
- 1865 - American Civil War: Confederate President Jefferson Davis and most of his Cabinet flee the Confederate capital of Richmond, Virginia.
- 1900 - The Foraker Act passes through Congress, giving Puerto Ricans limited self-rule.
- 1902 - Dmitry Sipyagin, Minister of Interior of the Russian Empire, is assassinated by a terrorist in the Marie Palace, St Petersburg.
- 1902 - "Electric Theatre", the first full-time movie theater in the United States, opens in Los Angeles, California.
- 1917 - World War I: The Battle of Vimy Ridge commences when the Canada Corps launches an artillary bombardment of the German trenches. To that time, the biggest artillery bombardment in history.
- 1917 - World War I: U.S. President Woodrow Wilson asks the U.S. Congress for a declaration of war on Germany.
- 1917 - The first woman ever elected to the U.S. Congress, Jeannette Rankin, takes her seat as a representative from Montana.
- 1930 - Haile Selassie is proclaimed emperor of Ethiopia.
- 1956 - As the World Turns and The Edge of Night first aired on the CBS network in the United States, as the first half-hour serial dramas.
- 1972 - Actor Charlie Chaplin returns to the United States for the first time since being labeled a communist in the early 1950s during the Red Scare.
- 1972 - Vietnam War: Easter Offensive begins - North Vietnamese soldiers of the 304th Division take the northern half of Quang Tri Province.
- 1973 - Launch of LexisNexis computerized legal research service.
- 1975 - Vietnam War: Thousands of civilian refugees flee from the Quang Ngai Province in front of advancing North Vietnamese troops.
- 1975 - CN Tower completed in Toronto Ontario Canada: reaches 553.33 metres in height, becoming the world's tallest free-standing structure.
- 1980 - U.S. President Jimmy Carter signs the Crude Oil Windfall Profits Tax Act in an effort to help the U.S. economy rebound.
- 1982 - Falklands War: 1982 invasion of the Falkland Islands by Argentina. The disputed islands are later retaken by the United Kingdom.
- 1984 - Sqn Ldr Rakesh Sharma is launched aboard Soyuz T-11, and becomes the first Indian in space.
- 1989 - Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev arrives in Havana, Cuba to meet with Fidel Castro in an attempt to mend strained relations.
- 1992 - In New York, Mafia boss John Gotti is convicted of murder and racketeering and is later sentenced to life in prison.
- 2002 - Israeli forces surrounded the Church of the Nativity in Bethlehem into which armed Palestinians retreated. A siege ensues.
- 2004 - Islamist terrorists involved in the 11 March 2004 Madrid attacks attempt a thwarted bombing of the Spanish high-speed train AVE near Madrid.
- 2005 - James Stewart Jr. becomes first African American to win a major motorsports event.
- 2005 - Pope John Paul II dies at the age of 84. His funeral is broadcast to every corner of the globe through the modern media. Millions of Catholic pilgrims journey to Rome, Italy to pay final respects.
- 2006 - Over 60 tornadoes breakout, hardest hit is Tennessee with 29 people killed.
[edit] Births
- 742 - Charlemagne(d. 814)
- 1348 - Andronicus IV Palaeologus, Eastern Roman Emperor (d. 1385)
- 1510 - Ashikaga Yoshiharu, Japanese shogun (d. 1550)
- 1527 - Abraham Ortelius, Flemish cartographer and geographer (d. 1598)
- 1545 - Elizabeth of Valois, wife of Philip II of Spain (d. 1568)
- 1565 - Cornelis de Houtman, Dutch explorer (d. 1599)
- 1618 - Francesco Maria Grimaldi, Italian mathematician and physicist (d. 1663)
- 1653 - Prince George of Denmark, prince consort of Anne of England (d. 1708)
- 1719 - Johann Wilhelm Ludwig Gleim, German poet (d. 1803)
- 1725 - Giacomo Casanova, Italian adventurer and writer (d. 1798)
- 1781 - Bhagwan Swaminarayan, religious leader (d. 1830)
- 1788 - Francisco Balagtas, Filipino poet (d. 1862)
- 1798 - August Heinrich Hoffmann von Fallersleben, German poet (d. 1874)
- 1805 - Hans Christian Andersen, Danish writer (d. 1875)
- 1827 - William Holman Hunt, English painter (d. 1910)
- 1838 - Léon Gambetta, French statesman (d. 1882)
- 1840 - Émile Zola, French novelist and critic (d. 1902)
- 1862 - Nicholas Murray Butler, former president of Columbia University, recipient of the Nobel Peace Prize (d. 1947)
- 1867 - Eugen Sandow, German bodybuilder and circus performer (d. 1925)
- 1869 - Hughie Jennings, baseball player (d. 1928)
- 1875 - Walter Chrysler, American automobile pioneer (d. 1940)
- 1891 - Max Ernst, German painter (d. 1976)
- 1900 - Roberto Arlt, Argentine writer (d. 1942)
- 1902 - Jan Tschichold, German typographer (d. 1974)
- 1907 - Luke Appling, Major League Baseball player (d. 1991)
- 1908 - Buddy Ebsen, American actor and dancer (d. 2003)
- 1914 - Sir Alec Guinness, English actor (d. 2000)
- 1917 - Lou Monte, American singer (d. 1989)
- 1920 - Jack Webb, American actor, director, and producer (d. 1982)
- 1923 - G. Spencer-Brown, English mathematician
- 1923 - Clifford Scott Green, American Federal Judge
- 1926 - George MacDonald Fraser, English author
- 1926 - Sir Jack Brabham, Australian race car driver
- 1927 - Carmen Basilio, American boxer
- 1927 - Ferenc Puskás, Hungarian footballer (d. 2006)
- 1927 - Kenneth Tynan, English critic and writer (d. 1980)
- 1928 - Joseph Cardinal Bernardin, American cardinal (d. 1996)
- 1928 - Serge Gainsbourg, French singer (d. 1991)
- 1934 - Paul Joseph Cohen, American mathematician
- 1934 - Brian Glover, British actor and wrestler (d. 1997)
- 1937 - Dick Radatz, American baseball player (d. 2005)
- 1938 - John Larsson, 17th General of The Salvation Army
- 1938 - Whirlaway, American racehorse, 1941 Triple Crown Winner (d. 1953)
- 1939 - Marvin Gaye, American singer (d. 1984)
- 1940 - Penelope Keith, English actress
- 1941 - Dr. Demento, American radio personality
- 1942 - Leon Russell, American blues-rock pianist/guitarist session musician
- 1942 - Hiroyuki Sakai, Japanese chef
- 1945 - Linda Hunt, American actress
- 1945 - Don Sutton, Major League Baseball player
- 1945 - Reggie Smith, Major League Baseball player
- 1947 - Emmylou Harris, American singer
- 1947 - Camille Paglia, American feminist writer
- 1949 - Pamela Reed, American actress
- 1951 - Ayako Okamoto, Japanese professional golfer
- 1951 - Moriteru Ueshiba, Japanese martial artist
- 1952 - Leon Wilkeson, American rock bassist (Lynyrd Skynyrd)
- 1952 - Pat Drummond, Australian singer-songwriter
- 1953 - Jim Allister, Northern Irish politician
- 1953 - David Robinson, American musician
- 1953 - Debralee Scott, American actress (d. 2005)
- 1954 - Ron Palillo, American actor
- 1955 - Allan Davis, Australian diplomat
- 1959 - Juha Kankkunen, Finnish race car driver
- 1959 - Badou Zaki, Morrocan football player and manager
- 1960 - Linford Christie, British athlete
- 1961 - Christopher Meloni, American actor
- 1961 - Keren Woodward, British singer (Bananarama)
- 1962 - Pierre Carles, French documentarist
- 1962 - Clark Gregg, American actor
- 1962 - Mark Shulman, American children's author
- 1964 - Pete Incaviglia, American baseball player
- 1965 - Rodney King, American victim of police brutality
- 1966 - Bill Romanowski, American football player
- 1966 - Teddy Sheringham, English footballer
- 1967 - Greg Camp, American musician (Smash Mouth)
- 1967 - Helen Chamberlain, British television presenter
- 1971 - Todd Woodbridge, Australian tennis player
- 1971 - ZEEBRA, Japanese hip hop artist
- 1972 - Chico Slimani, Moroccoan-British singer
- 1974 - Håkan Hellström, Swedish musician
- 1975 - Adam Rodriguez, American actor
- 1976 - Andreas Anastasopoulos, Greek shot putter
- 1978 - John Gall, baseball player
- 1981 - Michael Clarke, Australian cricketer
- 1980 - Carlos Salcido, Mexican footballer
- 1981 - Bethany Joy Lenz-Galeotti, American actress
- 1982 - Jeremy Bloom, American skier and football player
- 1982 - Jack Evans, American wrestler
- 1982 - Leyla Milani, Canadian actress and model
- 1983 - Felix Borja, Ecuadorian footballer
- 1983 - Paul Capdeville, Chilean tennis player
- 1984 - Ashley Peldon, American actress
- 1984 - Meryl Cassie, New Zealand actress
- 1989 - Clare Thomas, English actress
- 1990 - JD Hylton, co-founder of the American acoustic/polka/metal band, The JD And Matt Experience.
[edit] Deaths
- 1118 - Baldwin I of Jerusalem, King of Jerusalem
- 1272 - Richard, 1st Earl of Cornwall, Holy Roman Emperor (b. 1209)
- 1335 - Duke Henry of Carinthia
- 1412 - Ruy Gonzáles de Clavijo, Spanish traveler and writer
- 1502 - Prince Arthur Tudor, son of Henry VII of England (b. 1486)
- 1507 - Francis of Paola, Italian founder of the Order of the Minims (b. 1416)
- 1657 - Ferdinand III, Holy Roman Emperor (b. 1608)
- 1720 - Joseph Dudley, colonial Governor of Massachusetts (b. 1647)
- 1742 - James Douglas, Scottish physician and anatomist (b. 1675)
- 1747 - Johann Jacob Dillenius, German botanist (b. 1684)
- 1754 - Thomas Carte, English historian (b. 1686)
- 1787 - Thomas Gage, British general (b. 1719)
- 1791 - Mirabeau, French statesman (b. 1749)
- 1801 - Thomas Dadford Junior, British canal engineer
- 1803 - Sir James Montgomery, 1st Baronet, Scottish politician and judge (b. 1721)
- 1817 - Johann Heinrich Jung, German author (b. 1740)
- 1827 - Ludwig Heinrich Bojanus, German physician and naturalist (b. 1776)
- 1845 - Philip Charles Durham, Royal Navy Admiral (b. 1763)
- 1865 - General A. P. Hill, American Confederate general (b. 1825)
- 1872 - Samuel F. B. Morse, American painter and inventor of the telegraph (b. 1791)
- 1902 - Esther Morris, suffragist and first female American judge (b. 1814)
- 1914 - Paul von Heyse, German writer, Nobel Prize laureate (b. 1830)
- 1922 - Hermann Rorschach, Swiss psychologist (b. 1884)
- 1928 - Theodore William Richards, American chemist, Nobel Prize laureate (b. 1868)
- 1930 - Empress Zauditu of Ethiopia (b. 1876)
- 1936 - Jean-Baptiste Eugène Estienne, French general (b. 1860)
- 1953 - Hugo Sperrle, German field marshal (b. 1885)
- 1966 - C.S. Forester, British author (b. 1899)
- 1972 - Gil Hodges, American baseball player (b. 1924)
- 1972 - Franz Halder, German general (b. 1884)
- 1974 - Georges Pompidou, President of France (b. 1911)
- 1987 - Buddy Rich, American drummer (b. 1917)
- 1994 - Betty Furness, American actress (b. 1916)
- 1995 - Harvey Penick, American golfer (b. 1904)
- 1995 - Hannes Alfvén, Swedish physicist (b. 1908)
- 2001 - Charles Daudelin, Canadian artist (b. 1920)
- 2001 - Jennifer Syme, American actress (b. 1972)
- 2003 - Edwin Starr, American singer (b. 1942)
- 2004 - John Argyris, Greek aeronautical engineer (d. 1913)
- 2005 - Pope John Paul II, Polish Pope (b. 1920)
- 2006 - Nina Schenk von Stauffenberg, German wife of freedom fighter Claus Schenk von Stauffenberg (b. 1913)
[edit] Holidays and observances
[edit] Liturgical feasts
[edit] External links
