1700s / 18th century history on the 2nd of August

1776 : The United States Declaration of Independence signing took place. The declaration was the pronouncement adopted by the Second Continental Congress meeting in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, which explained why the Thirteen Colonies at war with the Kingdom of Great Britain regarded themselves as 13 independent sovereign states, that are no longer under British rule.

1790 : The 1st United States Census was conducted. Official website : census.gov

1800s / 19th century history on the 2nd of August

1870 : Tower Subway, the world’s 1st underground tube railway, opened in London, England.

1892 : Jack L. Warner, the American film executive was born Jacob Warner, in London, Ontario, Canada (died in 1978 aged 86). He was the co-founder and president of Warner Bros. Entertainment, in Burbank, California, USA. Official website : WarnerBros.com

1900s / 20th century history on the 2nd of August

1916 : Austrian sabotage caused the sinking of the Italian battleship Leonardo da Vinci in Taranto, during World War I.

1932 : The positron aka antielectron, was discovered by Carl D. Anderson. The positron is the antiparticle or the antimatter counterpart of the electron.

1932 : Peter O’Toole, the British actor was born in Leeds, England (died in 2013 aged 81). He is best known for playing T. E. Lawrence in Lawrence of Arabia, in 1962, in his film debut. He originally gained recognition as a Shakespearean actor with the English Stage Company, until he made his West End debut in 1959.

1934 : Adolf Hitler became Führer of Germany, after the death of President Paul von Hindenburg during Gleichschaltung.

1937 : The Marihuana Tax Act of 1937 was passed in America, to render marijuana and all its by-products illegal.

1939 : Albert Einstein and Leó Szilárd wrote a letter to Franklin D. Roosevelt, to urge him to begin the Manhattan Project, to develop a nuclear weapon.

1939 : Wes Craven, the American horror film director, was born in Cleveland, Ohio, USA (died in 2015 aged 76). He was also a screenwriter, producer, and editor. Wes Craven was best known for creating A Nightmare on Elm Street films from 1984 to 2010, and directing the Scream first 4 films from 1996 to 2011.

1944 : The largest trade convoy of all world wars arrived safely in the Western Approaches, which is the area to the west of Ireland and parts of Great Britain, during World War II.

1945 : Alex Jesaulenko (MBE) aka Jezza, the Austrian-Australian footballer and coach, was born Oleksandr Jesaulenko, in Salzburg, Austria. He is in the Australian Football Hall of Fame, and best known taking the most iconic mark in football history, during the 1970 VFL Grand Final, playing for Carlton Football Club, and defeating Collingwood Football Club.

1964 : Mary-Louise Parker, the American actress and writer, was born in Columbia, South Carolina, USA. She is best known for her roles in many films : Grand Canyon (1991), Fried Green Tomatoes (1991), The Client (1994), Bullets over Broadway (1994), A Place for Annie (1994), Boys on the Side (1995), The Portrait of a Lady (1996), and The Maker (1997).

1965 : Joe Hockey, the 38th Treasurer of Australia, was born in North Sydney, New South Wales, Australia.

1968 : The Casiguran earthquake in Aurora, Philippines, resulted in the deaths of up to 271 people, and 261 injured, mostly due to the collapse of a 6 story building in Manila.1973 : Summerland leisure centre fire disaster at Douglas Isle of Man, resulted in the deaths of 50 people, and injured 80 others.

1973 : Susie O’Neill, the Australian swimmer, was born in Mackay, Queensland, Australia.

1980 : Bologna massacre : A terrorist bomb exploded at the railway station in Bologna, Italy, resulting in the deaths of 85 people, and injuries to more than 200 other people.

1985 : Delta Air Lines Flight 191 Lockheed L-1011 TriStar crashed at Dallas, about 1.6 km (1 mile) from the runway at Fort Worth International Airport, due to a microburst. The crash resulted in the deaths of 136 of the 163 people on board the aircraft, plus 1 person killed in the car which was hit. A total of 27 people survived the crash.

1989 : Pakistan was re-admitted to the Commonwealth of Nations, after they restored democracy in their country for the first time since 1972.

1990 : Iraq invaded Kuwait, which led to the Gulf War.

1999 : The Gaisal train disaster : 2 trains collided at high speed in Assam, India, which resulted in the deaths of 285 people, and caused injuries to over 300 people.

2000s / 21st century history on the 2nd of August

2014 : Kunshan explosion in a metal production factory in Jiangsu province, in China. The  metal polishing dust explosion resulted in the deaths of 146 people, and injured 114 people.

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This page was last updated on the 3rd August 2022

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