From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
January 2 is the second day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. 363 days (364 in leap years) remain in the year after this day.
[edit] Events
- 366 - Alamanni cross the frozen Rhine River in large numbers, invading the Roman Empire.
- 533 - Mercurius becomes Pope John II, the first pope to adopt a new name upon elevation to the papacy.
- 1492 - Reconquista: Granada, the last Moorish stronghold in Spain, surrenders.
- 1757 - The United Kingdom captures Calcutta, India.
- 1788 - Georgia becomes the fourth state to ratify the United States Constitution.
- 1793 - Russia and Prussia partition Poland.
- 1818 - The British Institution of Civil Engineers is formed.
- 1860 - The discovery of the planet Vulcan is announced at a meeting of the Académie des Sciences in Paris.
- 1870 - The construction of the Brooklyn Bridge begins.
- 1871 - Amadeus I becomes King of Spain.
- 1872 - Brigham Young is arrested for bigamy due to having 25 wives.
- 1879 - Fred Spofforth claims the first hat-trick in test cricket on the Sydney Cricket Ground against England.
- 1882 - John D. Rockefeller unites his oil holdings into the Standard Oil trust.
- 1890 - Alice Sanger becomes the first female staffer for the White House.
- 1893 - Webb C. Ball of the General Railroad Timepiece Standards in North America introduces railroad chronometers.
- 1900 - John Hay announces the Open Door Policy to promote trade with China.
- 1905 - Russo-Japanese War: The Russian fleet surrenders at Port Arthur, China.
- 1905 - The American anarcho-syndicalist union known as the Industrial Workers of the World forms.
- 1917 - The Royal Bank of Canada takes over Quebec Bank.
- 1920 - The Palmer Raids begin in the United States.
- 1921 - The first religious radio broadcast (KDKA AM in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania) .
- 1923 - U.S. Interior Secretary Albert Fall resigns due to the Teapot Dome scandal.
- 1929 - Canada and the United States agree on a plan to preserve Niagara Falls.
- 1935 - Bruno Hauptmann goes on trial for the murder of Charles Lindbergh, Jr., infant son of aviator Charles Lindbergh.
- 1941 - World War II: German bombing severely damages the Llandaff Cathedral in Cardiff, Wales.
- 1941 - World War II: The U.S. government announces its Liberty ship program to build freighters in support of the war effort.
- 1942 - World War II: Manila is captured by Japanese forces.
- 1942 - The United States Navy opens a blimp base at Lakehurst, New Jersey.
- 1946 - Unable to resume rule after World War II, King Zog of Albania abdicates but retains his claim to the throne.
- 1949 - Luis Muñoz Marín became the first democratically elected Governor of Puerto Rico.
- 1955 - Panamanian president Jose Antonio Remon is assassinated.
- 1957 - The San Francisco Stock and Bond Exchange and Los Angeles Oil Exchange merge.
- 1959 - The first artificial satellite to orbit the sun, Luna 1, is launched by the U.S.S.R.
- 1960 - Sen. John F. Kennedy of Massachusetts announces his candidacy for the Democratic presidential nomination.
- 1965 - The New York Jets sign University of Alabama quarterback Joe Namath for a reported $400,000.
- 1969 - Luis Ferré becomes the first statehooder Governor of Puerto Rico.
- 1969 - Operation Barrier Reef began in Mekong Delta, Vietnam
- 1971 - The second Ibrox disaster kills 66 fans at a Rangers-Celtic football game.
- 1974 - Richard Nixon signs a bill lowering the maximum US speed limit to 55 MPH in order to conserve gasoline during an OPEC embargo.
- 1979 - Sid Vicious goes on trial for the murder of Nancy Spungen.
- 1981 - Peter Sutcliffe, the Yorkshire Ripper, is arrested.
- 1991 - Sharon Pratt Dixon is sworn in as mayor of Washington, DC, becoming the first African American woman to lead a city of that size and importance.
- 1993 - Leaders of the three warring factions in Bosnia meet to discuss peace plans.
- 1998 - Russia begins to circulate new rubles to stem inflation and promote confidence.
- 1999 - A brutal snowstorm smashes into the Midwestern United States, causing 14 inches (359 mm) of snow at Milwaukee, Wisconsin, and 19 inches (487 mm) at Chicago, where temperatures plunge to -13°F (-25°C); 68 deaths are reported.
- 2001 - Sila Calderón becomes the first female Governor of Puerto Rico.
- 2002 - Levy Mwanawasa takes office as the third President of Zambia.
- 2002 - Eduardo Duhalde is appointed interim President of Argentina by the Legislative Assembly.
- 2004 - Stardust successfully flies past Comet Wild 2, collecting samples that it will return to Earth two years later.
- 2006 - An explosion in a coal mine leads to the death of 12 of 13 miners in the 2006 Sago Mine disaster in West Virginia.
- 2006 - Fifteen people die in the Bad Reichenhall ice rink roof collapse tragedy in Bavaria, Germany.
- 2007 - The Detroit Red Wings of the NHL retire the #19 jersey of Steve Yzerman.
[edit] Births
- 1642 - Mehmed IV, Ottoman Sultan (d. 1693)
- 1647 - Nathaniel Bacon, English-born American colonist (d. 1676)
- 1713 - Marie Dumesnil, French actress (d. 1803)
- 1719 - Jacques-Alexandre Laffon de Ladebat, French shipbuilder (d. 1797)
- 1727 - James Wolfe, British general (d. 1759)
- 1777 - Christian Daniel Rauch, German sculptor (d. 1857)
- 1822 - Rudolf Clausius, German physicist (d. 1888)
- 1827 - Peter Semenov of Tian Shan, Russian explorer (d. 1914)
- 1836 - Mendele Moykher Sforim, Jewish writer (d. 1917)
- 1837 - Mily Balakirev, Russian composer (d. 1910)
- 1870 - Ernst Barlach, German sculptor (d. 1938)
- 1873 - Thérèse de Lisieux, French Roman-Catholic nun (d. 1897)
- 1877 - Slava Raskaj, Croatian painter (d.1906)
- 1886 - Florence Lawrence, Canadian actress (d. 1938)
- 1896 - Dziga Vertov, Russian filmmaker (d. 1954)
- 1897 - Jim Londos, wrestler (d. 1975)
- 1904 - Sally Rand, American fan dancer (d. 1979)
- 1905 - Michael Tippett, English composer (d. 1998)
- 1905 - Lev Schnirelmann, Russian mathematician (d. 1938)
- 1910 - Srirangam Srinivasarao, also known as Sri Sri, Famous Modern Telugu Poet (d. 1983)
- 1913 - Anna Lee, English actress (d. 2004)
- 1917 - Vera Zorina, German dancer (d. 2003)
- 1920 - Isaac Asimov, Russian-born author (d. 1992)
- 1921 - Glen Harmon, National Hockey League defenceman
- 1928 - Robert Goralski, American journalist (d. 1988)
- 1928 - Daisaku Ikeda, Japanese writer, president of SGI
- 1930 - Julius LaRosa, American singer
- 1933 - Morimura Seiichi, Japanese novelist
- 1935 - Neil Downing, Irish writer and musician
- 1936 - Roger Miller, American singer (d. 1992)
- 1938 - Ian Brady, British serial killer
- 1938 - Hans Herbjørnsrud, Norwegian author
- 1940 - Jim Bakker, American televangelist
- 1940 - S. R. S. Varadhan, Indian-American mathematician
- 1942 - Dennis Hastert, 59th Speaker of the United States House of Representatives
- 1942 - Hugh Shelton, 15th Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff
- 1944 - Prince Norodom Ranariddh, Cambodian politician
- 1946 - Richard Cole, American tour manager
- 1947 - Jack Hanna, American zoologist
- 1947 - Calvin Hill, American football player
- 1949 - Christopher Durang, American playwright
- 1950 - David Shifrin, American classical clarinetist
- 1951 - Alexander Pogrebinsky, Russian-born painter
- 1951 - Bill Madlock, Major League Baseball player
- 1954 - Henry Bonilla, American politician
- 1954 - Dawn Silva, American singer (The Brides of Funkenstein, P-Funk)
- 1955 - Tex Brashear, American voice actor
- 1957 - Joanna Pacula, Polish actress
- 1958 - Vladimir Ovchinnikov, Russian pianist
- 1960 - Christian Bartolf, German scientist
- 1960 - Naoki Urasawa, Japanese manga author
- 1961 - Gabrielle Carteris, American actress
- 1961 - Todd Haynes, American film director
- 1963 - David Cone, American baseball player
- 1963 - Edgar Martinez, American baseball player
- 1964 - Pernell Whitaker, American boxer
- 1965 - Greg Swindell, American baseball player
- 1967 - Tia Carrere, American actress
- 1968 - Cuba Gooding Jr., American actor
- 1968 - Anky van Grunsven, Dutch dressage champion
- 1968 - Evan Parke, Jamaican actor
- 1969 - Tommy Morrison, American boxer
- 1969 - Christy Turlington, American model
- 1969 - Róbert Švehla, Slovak ice hockey player
- 1969 - Patrick Huard, Quebec actor and comedian
- 1970 - Royce Clayton, American baseball player
- 1970 - Robert Fertitta, American opera singer
- 1970 - Sanda Ladoşi, Romanian singer
- 1971 - Taye Diggs, American actor
- 1971 - Lisa Harrison, American basketball player
- 1971 - Renee Elise Goldsberry, African American actress and singer
- 1972 - Hristos Meletoglou, Greek triple jumper
- 1973 - Lucy Davis, British actress
- 1974 - Patrick Fonti, American musician
- 1975 - Reuben Thorne, New Zealand rugby union player
- 1975 - Doug Robb, American singer (Hoobastank)
- 1975 - Chris Cheney, Australian musician (The Living End)
- 1975 - Sundra Oakley, American actress and Survivor contestant
- 1976 - Cletidus Hunt, American football player
- 1976 - Danilo di Luca, Italian cyclist
- 1976 - Paz Vega, Spanish actress
- 1976 - Hrysopiyi Devetzi, triple jump & long jump athlete
- 1977 - Ales Pisa, Czech ice hockey player
- 1978 - Toyoguchi Megumi, Japanese seiyuu (voice actress)
- 1979 - Suranne Jones, British actress
- 1980 - Mac Danzig, American Mixed martial arts combatant
- 1981 - Hanno Balitsch, German footballer
- 1981 - Kirk Hinrich, basketball player
- 1981 - Maxi Rodríguez, Argentine footballer
- 1981 - Ryan Garko, American baseball player
- 1982 - Athanasia Tsoumeleka, Greek race walker
- 1983 - Kate Bosworth, American actress
- 1984 - Colleen Taylor, American journalist
- 1985 - Heather O'Reilly, American soccer player
- 1987 - Loui Batley, British actress
[edit] Deaths
- 1512 - Svante, Regent of Sweden (b. 1460)
- 1514 - William Smyth, English bishop and statesman (bc. 1460)
- 1557 - Pontormo, Italian painter (b. 1494)
- 1685 - Harbottle Grimston, English politician (b. 1603)
- 1694 - Henry Booth, 1st Earl of Warrington, English politician (b. 1651)
- 1726 - Domenico Zipoli, Italian composer (b. 1688)
- 1833 - Seraphim of Sarov, Russian Orthodox saint (b. 1759)
- 1892 - George Airy, British Astronomer Royal (b. 1801)
- 1893 - John Obadiah Westwood, British entomologist (b. 1805)
- 1904 - James Longstreet, American Confederate general (b. 1821)
- 1913 - Léon Teisserenc de Bort, French meteorologist (b. 1855)
- 1917 - Edward Burnett Tylor, English anthropologist (b. 1832)
- 1924 - Sabine Baring-Gould, English composer and novelist (b. 1834)
- 1939 - Roman Dmowski, Polish politician (b. 1864)
- 1946 - Joe Darling, Australian cricketer (b. 1870)
- 1960 - Fausto Coppi, Italian cyclist (b. 1919)
- 1960 - Paul Sauvé, Canadian politician (b. 1907)
- 1963 - Dick Powell, American actor (b. 1904)
- 1963 - Jack Carson, American actor (b. 1910)
- 1974 - Tex Ritter, American actor (b. 1905)
- 1977 - Errol Garner, American musician (b. 1921)
- 1986 - Una Merkel, American actress (b. 1903)
- 1986 - Bill Veeck, baseball executive (b. 1914)
- 1986 - Dick James, English music publisher (Northern Songs) (b. 1920)
- 1990 - Alan Hale Jr., American actor (b. 1918)
- 1995 - Siad Barre, President of Somalia (b. 1919)
- 1995 - Nancy Kelly, American actress (b. 1921)
- 1996 - Karl Targownik, Hungarian psychiatrist (b. 1915)
- 1997 - Randy California, American guitarist & songwriter (Spirit) (b. 1951)
- 2000 - Nat Adderley, American musician and composer (b. 1931)
- 2000 - Patrick O'Brian, British novelist (b. 1914)
- 2000 - Elmo R. Zumwalt, Jr., U.S. admiral (b. 1920)
- 2001 - Teri Diver, American actress (b. 1971)
- 2004 - Lynn Cartwright, American actress (b. 1927)
- 2004 - Jess Collins, American artist (b. 1923)
- 2005 - Cyril Fletcher, British comedian (b. 1913)
- 2005 - Frank Kelly Freas, American artist (b. 1922)
- 2005 - Ronald 'Bo' Ginn, American politician (b. 1934)
- 2005 - Maclyn McCarty, American geneticist (b. 1911)
- 2005 - Edo Murtić, Croatian painter (b. 1921)
- 2007 - Teddy Kollek, Austrian-born mayor of Jerusalem (b. 1911)
- 2007 - Robert C. Solomon, American scholar of continental philosophy (b. 1942)
- 2007 - Dan Shaver, NASCAR driver and ARCA race car driver/owner (b. 1950)
- 2007 - David Perkins, Stanford University geneticist (b 1919)
- 2007 - Paek Nam-sun, North Korean Foreign Affairs minister (b. 1929)
- 2007 - Richard Newton, Australian-born technology pioneer and professor (b. 1951)
- 2007 - Don Massengale, American PGA Tour golf player (b. 1937)
- 2007 - Mauno Jokipii, Finnish professor and World War II researcher (b. 1924)
- 2007 - Sergio Jiménez, Mexican actor (b. 1937)
- 2007 - Elizabeth Fox-Genovese, American historian (b. 1941)
- 2007 - Charles (Garry) Betty, American CEO of Earthlink (b. 1957)
[edit] Holidays and observances
[edit] External links
