What happened on March 2? There are more than 296 events that were made this day in history. Here are the important historical events, facts, and some myths about this day.

Interesting Facts & Myths About March 2

March 2 In HistoryMarch 2 is the 62nd day of the year 2024. There are 304 days remaining until the end of this year. The day of the week is Saturday. This day falls under the 9th week of the year 2024.

On this day in Harmony, Indiana 47853 sunrise occured at 07:17 AM and sunset occured at 06:43 PM (local time).

The zodiac sign of a person born on this day is Pisces. The modern birthstone for this month is Aquamarine while the mystical birthstone is Jade.

According to the Chinese calendar, there are 333 days remaining before the start of the next Chinese New Year (January 29, 2025).

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Historical Events For March 2

  • 986
    Louis V becomes King of the Franks.
  • 1127
    Assassination of Charles the Good, Count of Flanders.
  • 1444
    Skanderbeg organizes a group of Albanian nobles to form the League of Lezhë.
  • 1476
    Burgundian Wars: The Old Swiss Confederacy hands Charles the Bold, Duke of Burgundy, a major defeat in the Battle of Grandson in Canton of Neuchâtel.
  • 1717
    The Loves of Mars and Venus is the first ballet performed in England.
  • 1776
    American Revolutionary War: Patriot militia units arrest the Royal Governor of Georgia James Wright and attempt to prevent capture of supply ships in the Battle of the Rice Boats.
  • 1791
    Long-distance communication speeds up with the unveiling of a semaphore machine in Paris.
  • 1797
    The Bank of England issues the first one-pound and two-pound banknotes.
  • 1807
    The U.S. Congress passes the Act Prohibiting Importation of Slaves, disallowing the importation of new slaves into the country.
  • 1808
    The inaugural meeting of the Wernerian Natural History Society, a former Scottish learned society, is held in Edinburgh.
  • 1811
    Argentine War of Independence: A royalist fleet defeats a small flotilla of revolutionary ships in the Battle of San Nicolás on the River Plate.
  • 1815
    Signing of the Kandyan Convention treaty by British invaders and the King of Sri Lanka.
  • 1825
    Roberto Cofresí, one of the last successful Caribbean pirates, is defeated in combat and captured by authorities.
  • 1836
    Texas Revolution: Declaration of independence of the Republic of Texas from Mexico.
  • 1855
    Alexander II becomes Tsar of Russia.
  • 1861
    Emancipation reform of 1861 in Russia: Tsar Alexander II signs the emancipation reform into law, abolishing Russian serfdom.
  • 1865
    East Cape War: The Volkner Incident in New Zealand.
  • 1867
    The U.S. Congress passes the first Reconstruction Act.
  • 1877
    U.S. presidential election, 1876: Just two days before inauguration, the U.S. Congress declares Rutherford B. Hayes the winner of the election even though Samuel J. Tilden had won the popular vote on November 7, 1876.
  • 1882
    Queen Victoria narrowly escapes an assassination attempt by Roderick McLean in Windsor.
  • 1888
    The Convention of Constantinople is signed, guaranteeing free maritime passage through the Suez Canal during war and peace.
  • 1901
    The U.S. Congress passes the Platt Amendment, limiting the autonomy of Cuba as a condition of the withdrawal of American troops.
  • 1903
    In New York City the Martha Washington Hotel opens, becoming the first hotel exclusively for women.
  • 1917
    The enactment of the Jones-Shafroth Act grants Puerto Ricans United States citizenship.
  • 1919
    The first Communist International meets in Moscow.
  • 1933
    The film King Kong opens at New York’s Radio City Music Hall.
  • 1937
    The Steel Workers Organizing Committee signs a collective bargaining agreement with U.S. Steel, leading to unionization of the United States steel industry.
  • 1939
    Cardinal Eugenio Pacelli is elected Pope and takes the name Pius XII.
  • 1941
    World War II: First German military units enter Bulgaria after it joined the Axis Pact.
  • 1943
    World War II: Battle of the Bismarck Sea – United States and Australian forces sink Japanese convoy ships.
  • 1946
    Ho Chi Minh is elected the President of North Vietnam.
  • 1949
    Captain James Gallagher lands his B-50 Superfortress Lucky Lady II in Fort Worth, Texas after completing the first non-stop around-the-world airplane flight in 94 hours and one minute.
  • 1949
    The first automatic street light is installed in New Milford, Connecticut.
  • 1953
    The Academy Awards are first broadcast on television by NBC.
  • 1955
    King Norodom Sihanouk of Cambodia abdicates the throne in favor of his father, King Norodom Suramarit.
  • 1956
    Morocco gains its independence from France.
  • 1962
    In Burma, the army led by General Ne Win seizes power in a coup d'état.
  • 1962
    Wilt Chamberlain sets the single-game scoring record in the National Basketball Association by scoring 100 points.
  • 1965
    The US and South Vietnamese Air Force begin Operation Rolling Thunder, a sustained bombing campaign against North Vietnam.
  • 1969
    In Toulouse, France, the first test flight of the Anglo-French Concorde is conducted.
  • 1969
    Soviet and Chinese forces clash at a border outpost on the Ussuri River.
  • 1970
    Rhodesia declares itself a republic, breaking its last links with the British crown.
  • 1972
    The Pioneer 10 space probe is launched from Cape Canaveral, Florida with a mission to explore the outer planets.
  • 1978
    Czech Vladimír Remek becomes the first non-Russian or non-American to go into space, when he is launched aboard Soyuz 28.
  • 1983
    Compact Disc players and discs are released for the first time in the United States and other markets. They had only been available in Japan before then.
  • 1989
    Twelve European Community nations agree to ban the production of all chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) by the end of the century.
  • 1990
    Nelson Mandela is elected deputy President of the African National Congress.
  • 1991
    Battle at Rumaila Oil Field brings an end to the 1991 Gulf War.
  • 1992
    Armenia, Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Moldova, San Marino, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan join the United Nations.
  • 1995
    Researchers at Fermilab announce the discovery of the top quark.
  • 1998
    Data sent from the Galileo spacecraft indicates that Jupiter’s moon Europa has a liquid ocean under a thick crust of ice.
  • 2002
    U.S. invasion of Afghanistan: Operation Anaconda begins, (ending on March 19 after killing 500 Taliban and al Qaeda fighters, with 11 Western troop fatalities).
  • 2004
    War in Iraq: Al-Qaeda carries out the Ashoura Massacre in Iraq, killing 170 and wounding over 500.

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Who Were Born On March 2?

  • 1316
    King Robert II of Scotland (d. 1390)
  • 1409
    John II of Alençon, Duke of Alençon and Count of Perche (d. 1476)
  • 1459
    Pope Adrian VI (d. 1523)
  • 1545
    Thomas Bodley, English diplomat and library founder (d. 1613)
  • 1578
    George Sandys, English colonist and poet (d. 1644)
  • 1705
    William Murray, 1st Earl of Mansfield, Scottish judge and politician (d. 1793)
  • 1760
    Camille Desmoulins, French journalist and politician (d. 1794)
  • 1770
    Louis Gabriel Suchet, French Marshal (d. 1826)
  • 1779
    Joel Roberts Poinsett, American statesman and botanist (d. 1851)
  • 1793
    Sam Houston, American politician, 8th Governor of Tennessee and 7th Governor of Texas (d. 1863)
  • 1800
    Evgeny Baratynsky, Russian poet (d. 1844)
  • 1810
    Pope Leo XIII (d. 1903)
  • 1816
    Alexander H. Bullock, American politician and 26th Governor of Massachusetts (d. 1882)
  • 1817
    János Arany, Hungarian journalist (d. 1882)
  • 1820
    Multatuli, Dutch writer (d. 1887)
  • 1824
    Bedřich Smetana, Czech composer (d. 1884)
  • 1829
    Carl Schurz, German revolutionary and statesman (d. 1906)
  • 1836
    Henry Billings Brown, American jurist (d. 1913)
  • 1842
    Carl Jacobsen, Danish brewer (d. 1914)
  • 1843
    Princess Maria Clotilde of Savoy (d. 1911)
  • 1849
    Robert Means Thompson, American naval officer (d. 1930)
  • 1859
    Sholom Aleichem, Russian novelist (d. 1916)
  • 1860
    Susanna M. Salter, American politician (d. 1961)
  • 1862
    Boris Borisovich Galitzine, Russian physicist (d. 1916)
  • 1876
    Pope Pius XII (d. 1958)
  • 1878
    William Kissam Vanderbilt II, member of the Vanderbilt family (d. 1944)
  • 1886
    Willis O'Brien, American animator (d. 1962)
  • 1897
    Minor Hall, American jazz musician (d. 1959)
  • 1900
    Kurt Weill, German composer (d. 1950)
  • 1902
    Moe Berg, American baseball player and spy (d. 1972)
  • 1904
    Dr. Seuss (Theodor Seuss Geisel), American author (d. 1991)
  • 1908
    Fyodor Matveyevich Okhlopkov, Yakut-born Soviet sniper (d. 1968)
  • 1908
    Walter Bruch, German engineer (d. 1990)
  • 1909
    Mel Ott, American baseball player (d. 1958)
  • 1912
    Henry Katzman, American composer and pianist (d. 2001)
  • 1913
    Celedonio Romero, Spanish guitarist (d. 1996)
  • 1913
    Godfried Bomans, Flemish author and television personality (d. 1971)
  • 1913
    Mort Cooper, American baseball player (d. 1958)
  • 1914
    Martin Ritt, American director (d. 1990)
  • 1917
    David Goodis, American writer (d. 1967)
  • 1917
    Desi Arnaz, Cuban-born actor and bandleader (d. 1986)
  • 1917
    Jim Konstanty, American baseball player (d. 1976)
  • 1918
    Peter O'Sullevan, Irish horse racing commentator
  • 1919
    Jennifer Jones, American actress (d. 2009)
  • 1919
    Tamara Toumanova, Russian ballerina and actress (d. 1996)
  • 1920
    Heinz-Ludwig Schmidt, German football manager
  • 1922
    Eddie “Lockjaw” Davis, American jazz tenor saxophonist (d. 1986)
  • 1923
    Basil Hume, Cardinal Archbishop of Westminster, England (d. 1999)
  • 1923
    Orrin Keepnews, American writer and critic
  • 1923
    Robert H. Michel, American politician
  • 1924
    Cal Abrams, American baseball player
  • 1926
    Murray Rothbard, American economist (d. 1995)
  • 1927
    Roger Walkowiak, French cyclist and economist
  • 1928
    Father John Romanides, Greek priest and professor (d. 2001)
  • 1930
    Emma Penella, Spanish actress (d. 2007)
  • 1930
    John Cullum, American actor and singer
  • 1931
    Mikhail Gorbachev, Soviet Nobel laureate and statesman
  • 1931
    Tom Wolfe, American author
  • 1932
    Gun Hägglund, Swedish news presenter (d. 2011)
  • 1934
    Dottie Rambo, American singer (d. 2008)
  • 1935
    Al Waxman, Canadian actor (d. 2001)
  • 1937
    Abdelaziz Bouteflika, President of Algeria
  • 1937
    Denny Crum, College basketball coach
  • 1938
    Lawrence Payton, American singer and songwriter (The Four Tops) (d. 1997)
  • 1938
    Ricardo Lagos, former President of Chile
  • 1939
    BarBara Luna, American actress
  • 1940
    Tony Croatto, Italian-born composer (d. 2005)
  • 1941
    David Satcher, 16th United States Surgeon General
  • 1941
    Jon Finch, English actor
  • 1942
    John Irving, American author
  • 1942
    Jonathan Borofsky, American artist
  • 1942
    Kwang Jo Choi, Korean Choi Kwang-Do champion
  • 1942
    Lou Reed, American singer and guitarist
  • 1942
    Luc Plamondon, Canadian lyricist
  • 1942
    Mir-Hossein Mousavi, Last Prime Minister of Iran
  • 1942
    Peter Guber, American film producer
  • 1943
    Claude Larose, Canadian ice hockey player
  • 1943
    Peter Straub, American author
  • 1943
    Tony Meehan, English drummer (The Shadows) (d. 2005)
  • 1943
    Zygfryd Blaut, Polish footballer (d. 2005)
  • 1944
    Uschi Glas, German actress
  • 1947
    Harry Redknapp, English football manager
  • 1948
    Jeff Kennett, Australian former politician
  • 1948
    Larry Carlton, American guitarist
  • 1948
    Rory Gallagher, Irish guitarist (d. 1995)
  • 1949
    Alain Chamfort, French singer
  • 1949
    Gates McFadden, American actress
  • 1949
    J. P. R. Williams, Welsh rugby union player
  • 1950
    Jeffrey Chodorow, American restaurateur and financier
  • 1950
    Karen Carpenter, American singer and drummer (The Carpenters) (d. 1983)
  • 1952
    Laraine Newman, American actress
  • 1952
    Mark Evanier, American writer
  • 1953
    Russ Feingold, American politician
  • 1954
    Eddie Johnstone, Canadian ice hockey player
  • 1954
    Hans-Jürgen Baake, German footballer
  • 1955
    Jay Osmond, American musician (The Osmonds)
  • 1955
    Ken Salazar, American politician, United States Senator from Colorado, 50th United States Secretary of the Interior
  • 1955
    Shoko Asahara, Japanese cult leader
  • 1955
    Terrence Stone, Irish-American voice actor
  • 1956
    John Cowsill, American musician (The Cowsills)
  • 1956
    Mark Evans, Australian bassist (AC/DC)
  • 1958
    Ian Woosnam, Welsh golfer
  • 1958
    Kevin Curren, South African tennis player
  • 1959
    GX Jupitter-Larsen, American artist/writer
  • 1960
    Debra Marshall, American professional wrestler and manager
  • 1960
    Hector Calma, Filipino basketball player
  • 1961
    Simone Young, Australian conductor
  • 1962
    Al Del Greco, American football player
  • 1962
    Jon Bon Jovi, American musician (Bon Jovi)
  • 1962
    Michael Salinger, American poet
  • 1962
    Morioka Hiroyuki, Japanese writer
  • 1962
    Raimo Summanen, Finnish ice hockey player and coach
  • 1962
    Scott “La Rock” Sterling, American musician (Scott La Rock) (d. 1987)
  • 1962
    Tom Nordlie, Norwegian football coach
  • 1963
    Tanyu Kiryakov, Bulgarian pistol shooter
  • 1963
    Tuff Hedeman, American bull rider
  • 1964
    Laird Hamilton, American big-wave surfer
  • 1964
    Megan Leigh, American porn star (d. 1990)
  • 1964
    Mike Von Erich, American wrestler (d. 1987)
  • 1965
    Lembit Öpik, British politician
  • 1965
    Ron Gant, American baseball player
  • 1968
    Daniel Craig, English actor
  • 1969
    Alessandro Moscardi, Italian rugby player
  • 1970
    Alexander Armstrong, British comedian, actor and television presenter
  • 1971
    Amber Smith, American actress and model
  • 1971
    Dave Gorman, English documentary comedian
  • 1971
    Lisa Lackey, Australian actress
  • 1972
    Richard Ruccolo, American actor
  • 1973
    Dejan Bodiroga, Serbian basketball player
  • 1973
    Trevor Sinclair, English footballer
  • 1974
    Hayley Lewis, Australian swimmer
  • 1974
    Monika Niederstätter, Italian athlete
  • 1976
    Glenn Rubenstein, American writer and journalist
  • 1976
    JJ Fernandez, Malaysian radio personality
  • 1977
    Andrew Strauss, English cricket player
  • 1977
    Chris Martin, English musician (Coldplay)
  • 1977
    Dominique Canty, American basketball player
  • 1977
    Heather McComb, American actress
  • 1977
    Jay Gibbons, American baseball player
  • 1978
    Giannis Skopelitis, Greek footballer
  • 1978
    Tomáš Kaberle, Czech ice hockey player
  • 1979
    Damien Duff, Irish footballer
  • 1979
    Nicky Weaver, English footballer
  • 1979
    Sergei Davydov, Belarusian figure skater
  • 1980
    Édson Nobre, Angolan footballer
  • 1980
    Karl Dominik, Polish-born actor
  • 1980
    Lance Cade, American professional wrestler (d. 2010)
  • 1980
    Sunny Lane, American pornographic actress
  • 1980
    Vincent Walker, American musician (Suburban Legends)
  • 1981
    Bryce Dallas Howard, American actress
  • 1982
    Ben Roethlisberger, American football player
  • 1982
    Corey Webster, American football player
  • 1982
    Henrik Lundqvist, Swedish ice hockey player
  • 1982
    Jade Galbraith, Canadian ice hockey player
  • 1982
    Kevin Kurányi, German footballer
  • 1983
    Glen Perkins, American baseball player
  • 1983
    Jay McClement, Canadian ice hockey player
  • 1983
    Kolawole Agodirin, Nigerian footballer
  • 1983
    Ryan Shannon, American ice hockey player
  • 1984
    Elizabeth Jagger, English model and actress
  • 1985
    Luke Pritchard, British singer (The Kooks)
  • 1985
    Reggie Bush, American football player
  • 1985
    Robert Iler, American actor
  • 1985
    Suso Santana, Spanish football player
  • 1986
    Jon D'Aversa, Canadian ice hockey player
  • 1988
    Keith Jack, Scottish singer and actor
  • 1988
    Matthew Mitcham, Australian diver
  • 1988
    Nadine Samonte, Filipino actress
  • 1988
    Nicola Geuer, German tennis player
  • 1989
    Alemão, Brazilian footballer
  • 1989
    Shane Vereen, American college football player
  • 1989
    Toby Alderweireld, Belgian footballer
  • 1990
    Lee Hongki, Korean singer (F.T. Island)

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Who Died On March 2?

  • 855
    Lothair, King of the Franks and Holy Roman Emperor (b. 795)
  • 1316
    Marjorie Bruce, daughter of Robert I of Scotland (b. 1296)
  • 1572
    Mem de Sá, Portuguese Governor-General of Brazil
  • 1589
    Alessandro Farnese, Italian cardinal (b. 1520)
  • 1625
    James Hamilton, 2nd Marquess of Hamilton, Scottish nobleman and politician (b. 1589)
  • 1729
    Francesco Bianchini, Italian philosopher and scientist (b. 1662)
  • 1755
    Louis de Rouvroy, duc de Saint-Simon, French writer (b. 1675)
  • 1758
    Pierre Guérin de Tencin, French cardinal (b. 1679)
  • 1791
    John Wesley, English founder of Methodism (b. 1703)
  • 1793
    Carl Gustaf Pilo, Swedish-born artist
  • 1797
    Horace Walpole, English politician and writer (b. 1717)
  • 1829
    Josefa Ortiz de Domínguez, conspirator and supporter of the Mexican War of Independence (b. 1768)
  • 1830
    Samuel Thomas von Sömmering, German physician (b. 1755)
  • 1835
    Francis II, Holy Roman Emperor (b. 1768)
  • 1840
    Heinrich Wilhelm Matthäus Olbers, German astronomer (b. 1758)
  • 1855
    Tsar Nicholas I of Russia, Emperor of Russia (b. 1796)
  • 1864
    Ulric Dahlgren, American Unionist colonel (b. 1842)
  • 1865
    Carl Sylvius Völkner, German missionary to New Zealand (b. 1819)
  • 1880
    John MacNeill, Irish civil engineer (b. 1790)
  • 1895
    Berthe Morisot, French painter (b. 1841)
  • 1895
    Isma'il Pasha, Governor of Egypt (b. 1830)
  • 1919
    Melchora Aquino, Filipino revolutionary hero (b. 1812)
  • 1921
    Champ Clark, American politician (b. 1850)
  • 1921
    Nicholas I of Montenegro (b. 1841)
  • 1930
    D. H. Lawrence, English writer (b. 1885)
  • 1938
    Ben Harney, American composer and pianist (b. 1871)
  • 1939
    Howard Carter, British archaeologist (b. 1874)
  • 1942
    Charlie Christian, American swing and jazz guitarist (b. 1916)
  • 1945
    Emily Carr, Canadian artist (b. 1871)
  • 1946
    Fidél Pálffy, Hungarian National socialist (b. 1895)
  • 1946
    George E. Stewart, American Medal of Honor recipient (b. 1872)
  • 1950
    Rosli Dhobi, famous Malay Sarawakian (b. 1932)
  • 1953
    James Lightbody, American middle distance runner (b. 1882)
  • 1958
    Fred Merkle, American baseball figure (b. 1888)
  • 1959
    Eric Blore, English actor (b. 1887)
  • 1960
    Stanisław Taczak, Polish general, commander-in-chief of the Greater Poland Uprising (b. 1874)
  • 1962
    Charles Jean de la Vallée-Poussin, Belgian mathematician (b. 1866)
  • 1967
    José Martínez Ruiz, Spanish poet and writer (b. 1873)
  • 1970
    Marc-Aurèle Fortin, Canadian painter (b. 1888)
  • 1973
    Cleo A. Noel, Jr., US Chief of Mission to Sudan (b. 1918)
  • 1974
    Salvador Puig Antich, Spanish anarchist (b. 1948)
  • 1975
    Josiah Mwangi Kariuki, Kenyan politician (b. 1929)
  • 1979
    Christy Ring Irish hurler (b. 1920)
  • 1982
    Philip K. Dick, American author (b. 1928)
  • 1987
    Randolph Scott, American actor and director (b. 1898)
  • 1991
    Serge Gainsbourg, French singer (b. 1928)
  • 1992
    Sandy Dennis, American actress (b. 1937)
  • 1994
    Anita Morris, American actress (b. 1943)
  • 1994
    Maurice Bambier, French politician (b. 1925)
  • 1999
    David Ackles, American singer and songwriter (b. 1937)
  • 1999
    Dusty Springfield, English singer (b. 1939)
  • 2000
    Sandra Schmirler, Canadian curler (b. 1963)
  • 2001
    François Abadie, French politician (b. 1930)
  • 2001
    John Diamond, British journalist (b. 1953)
  • 2003
    Hank Ballard, American musician (b. 1927)
  • 2003
    Malcolm Williamson, Australian composer (b. 1931)
  • 2004
    Cormac McAnallen, Northern Irish Gaelic footballer (b. 1980)
  • 2004
    Marge Schott, American baseball team owner (b. 1928)
  • 2004
    Mercedes McCambridge, American actress (b. 1916)
  • 2005
    Martin Denny, American musician (b. 1911)
  • 2005
    Rick Mahler, American baseball player (b. 1953)
  • 2006
    Milton Katims, American violist and conductor (b. 1909)
  • 2007
    Clem Labine, American baseball player (b. 1926)
  • 2007
    Henri Troyat, French writer, dean of the Académie française (b. 1911)
  • 2007
    Ivan Safronov, Russian journalist (b. 1956)
  • 2007
    Thomas S. Kleppe, U.S. politician (b. 1919)
  • 2008
    Jeff Healey, Canadian musician (b. 1966)
  • 2009
    Chris Finnegan, British boxer (b. 1944)
  • 2009
    João Bernardo “Nino” Vieira, President of Guinea-Bissau (b. 1939)
  • 2010
    Winston Spencer-Churchill, British politician (b. 1940)

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