On This Day in History — March 2

Highlights of March 2

• 2022 — Russian forces captured the city of Kherson, the only regional capital to be taken during the Russian invasion of Ukraine. Read more
• 2017 — A naming ceremony for the chemical elements moscovium, tennessine, and oganesson took place at the Russian Academy of Sciences in Moscow. Read more
• 2014 — The Oscar selfie, considered to be one of the most influential photographs of all time, was taken at the 86th Academy Awards ceremony. Read more
• 1995 — Researchers at Fermilab in Illinois announced the discovery of the top quark, the most massive of all observed elementary particles. Read more
• 1978 — As a cosmonaut on Soyuz 28, Czechoslovak military pilot Vladimír Remek (pictured) became the first person from outside the Soviet Union or the United States to go into space. Read more
• 1970 — The Rhodesian monarchy was abolished by the government of Rhodesia, which declared the internationally unrecognised country to be a republic. Read more
• 1969 — The maiden flight of Concorde, the Anglo-French supersonic jet, was conducted in Toulouse, France using a prototype aircraft with the registration F-WTSS. Read more
• 1965 — Vietnam War: The American and South Vietnamese air forces began Operation Rolling Thunder, a sustained bombing campaign against North Vietnam that eventually became the most intense air–ground battle waged during the Cold War period. Read more
• 1965 — The Sound of Music (poster pictured) was released in American theatres; it became the highest-grossing film until 1971. Read more
• 1962 — Led by General Ne Win, the Burmese military seized power in a coup d'état. Read more
• 1962 — Playing for the Philadelphia Warriors, American basketball player Wilt Chamberlain (pictured) scored 100 points in a game against the New York Knicks, which remains an NBA record. Read more
• 1949 — The B-50 Superfortress Lucky Lady II landed in Fort Worth, Texas, to complete the first non-stop circumnavigation of the world by airplane. Read more
• 1943 — World War II: Australian and U.S. air forces attacked and destroyed a large Japanese naval convoy in the Bismarck Sea, north of Papua New Guinea. Read more
• 1937 — The Steel Workers Organizing Committee, the precursor of the United Steel Workers of America, had a major success when it signed a collective-bargaining agreement with U.S. Steel. Read more
• 1919 — Communist, revolutionary-socialist, and syndicalist delegates met in Moscow to establish the Communist International. Read more
• 1901 — U.S. Steel, the first billion-dollar corporation and once the world's largest producer of steel, was founded by financier J. P. Morgan. Read more
• 1877 — The Electoral Commission awarded twenty disputed electoral votes to Rutherford B. Hayes, thus assuring his victory in the 1876 U.S. presidential election. Read more
• 1865 — New Zealand Wars: Carl Sylvius Völkner, a Protestant missionary, was killed by Hauhau militants in Ōpōtiki for working as an agent for New Zealand governor-general George Grey. Read more
• 1859 — The Great Slave Auction, the largest single sale of slaves in U.S. history, with more than 400 people sold, began in Georgia. Read more
• 1836 — Texas Revolution: At a convention of delegates in Washington-on-the-Brazos, the Mexican state of Texas adopted a declaration of independence, establishing the Republic of Texas. Read more
• 1791 — French inventor Claude Chappe and his brothers first demonstrated the semaphore telegraph, a system to convey information by means of visual signals, using towers with pivoting crossarms. Read more
• 1776 — American Revolutionary War: Patriot militiamen from Georgia and South Carolina attempted to resist the British action to seize and remove supply ships anchored at Savannah, Georgia. Read more
• 1484 — The College of Arms, one of the few remaining official heraldic authorities in Europe, was incorporated by royal charter in the City of London. Read more
• 1444 — The League of Lezhë, an alliance of regional chieftains, was established in Venetian Albania with Skanderbeg as their commander. Read more

Events

• 2026 — The Lebanese militant group Hezbollah launches several projectiles into northern Israel as a response to the assassination of Ali Khamenei, formally initiating the 2026 Lebanon War. Read more
• 2022 — Russian forces capture the city of Kherson during the Russian invasion of Ukraine, which subsequently began the start of the Russian occupation and military-civilian administration in Kherson. Kherson is the only regional capital in Ukraine that Russia captured. Read more
• 2017 — The elements Moscovium, Tennessine, and Oganesson are officially added to the periodic table at a conference in Moscow, Russia. Read more
• 2014 — The Oscar Selfie, regarded as one of the most influential and important images of all time, is taken at the 86th Academy Awards. Read more
• 2012 — A tornado outbreak occurs over a large section of the Southern United States and into the Ohio Valley region, resulting in 40 tornado-related fatalities. Read more
• 2006 — In Monterrey, Mexico, a man identified as Diego Santoy Riveroll commits a double murder against two children, followed by an attempted murder of his ex-partner, Erika. The incident is popularly known as the Cumbres case. Read more
• 2004 — War in Iraq: Al-Qaeda carries out the Ashoura Massacre in Iraq, killing 170 and wounding over 500. Read more
• 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). Read more
• 1998 — Data sent from the Galileo spacecraft indicates that Jupiter's moon Europa has a liquid ocean under a thick crust of ice. Read more
• 1995 — Researchers at Fermilab announce the discovery of the top quark. Read more
• 1995 — Space Shuttle Endeavour launches from the Kennedy Space Center on STS-67, carrying the ASTRO-2 spacelab observatory. Read more
• 1992 — Start of the war in Transnistria. Read more
• 1992 — Armenia, Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Moldova, San Marino, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan, all of which (except San Marino) were former Soviet republics, join the United Nations. Read more
• 1991 — Establishment of Kuwait Democratic Forum, center-left political organization in Kuwait. Read more
• 1991 — Battle at Rumaila oil field brings an end to the 1991 Gulf War. Read more
• 1990 — Nelson Mandela is elected deputy president of the African National Congress. Read more
• 1989 — Twelve European Community nations agree to ban the production of all chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) by the end of the century. Read more
• 1986 — Aeroflot Flight F-77 crashes near Bugulma Airport, killing all 38 people aboard. Read more
• 1983 — Compact discs and players are released for the first time in the United States and other markets. They had previously been available only in Japan. Read more
• 1978 — Czech Vladimír Remek becomes the first non-Soviet or non-American to go into space, when he is launched aboard Soyuz 28. Read more
• 1978 — The late iconic actor Charlie Chaplin's coffin is stolen from his grave in Switzerland. Read more
• 1977 — Libya becomes the Socialist People's Libyan Arab Jamahiriya as the General People's Congress adopts the "Declaration on the Establishment of the Authority of the People". Read more
• 1972 — The Pioneer 10 space probe is launched from Cape Canaveral, Florida with a mission to explore the outer planets. Read more
• 1970 — Rhodesia declares itself a republic, breaking its last links with the British crown. Read more
• 1969 — In Toulouse, France, the first test flight of the Anglo-French Concorde is conducted. Read more
• 1968 — Baggeridge Colliery closes, marking the end of over 300 years of coal mining in the Black Country. Read more
• 1965 — The US and Republic of Vietnam Air Force begin Operation Rolling Thunder, a sustained bombing campaign against North Vietnam. Read more
• 1962 — In Burma, the army led by General Ne Win seizes power in a coup d'état. Read more
• 1962 — Wilt Chamberlain sets the single-game scoring record in the National Basketball Association by scoring 100 points. Read more
• 1955 — Norodom Sihanouk, king of Cambodia, abdicates the throne in favor of his father, Norodom Suramarit. Read more
• 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. Read more
• 1943 — World War II: During the Battle of the Bismarck Sea Allied aircraft defeat a Japanese attempt to ship troops to New Guinea. Read more
• 1941 — World War II: First German military units enter Bulgaria after it joins the Axis Pact. Read more
• 1939 — Cardinal Eugenio Pacelli is elected Pope and takes the name Pius XII. Read more
• 1937 — The Steel Workers Organizing Committee signs a collective bargaining agreement with U.S. Steel, leading to unionization of the United States steel industry. Read more
• 1933 — The film King Kong premieres in Radio City Music Hall and RKO Roxy in New York City. Read more
• 1932 — Finnish president P. E. Svinhufvud gives a radio speech, which four days later finally ends the Mäntsälä Rebellion and the far-right Lapua Movement that started it. Read more
• 1919 — The first Communist International meets in Moscow. Read more
• 1917 — The enactment of the Jones–Shafroth Act grants Puerto Ricans United States citizenship. Read more
• 1903 — In New York City the Martha Washington Hotel opens, becoming the first hotel exclusively for women. Read more
• 1901 — United States Steel Corporation is founded as a result of a merger between Carnegie Steel Company and Federal Steel Company which became the first corporation in the world with a market capital over $1 billion. Read more
• 1901 — The U.S. Congress passes the Platt Amendment limiting the autonomy of Cuba, as a condition of the withdrawal of American troops. Read more
• 1882 — Queen Victoria narrowly escapes an assassination attempt by Roderick Maclean in Windsor. Read more
• 1877 — Just two days before inauguration, the U.S. Congress declares Rutherford B. Hayes the winner of the 1876 U.S. presidential election even though Samuel J. Tilden had won the popular vote. Read more
• 1867 — The U.S. Congress passes the first Reconstruction Act. Read more
• 1865 — East Cape War: The Völkner Incident in New Zealand. Read more
• 1864 — Ulysses S. Grant is promoted to lieutenant general, giving him command of all Union Armies. Read more
• 1859 — The two-day Great Slave Auction, once thought to be the largest such auction in United States history, begins. Read more
• 1855 — Alexander II becomes Tsar of Russia. Read more
• 1836 — Texas Revolution: The Declaration of independence of the Republic of Texas from Mexico is adopted. Read more
• 1815 — Signing of the Kandyan Convention treaty by British invaders and the leaders of the Kingdom of Kandy. Read more
• 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. Read more
• 1807 — The U.S. Congress passes the Act Prohibiting Importation of Slaves, disallowing the importation of new slaves into the country. Read more
• 1797 — The Bank of England issues the first one-pound and two-pound banknotes. Read more
• 1796 — Napoleon Bonaparte is appointed to command the Army of Italy. Read more
• 1791 — Claude Chappe demonstrates the first semaphore line near Paris. Read more
• 1776 — American Revolutionary War: Patriot militia units attempt to prevent capture of supply ships in and around the Savannah River by a small fleet of the Royal Navy in the Battle of the Rice Boats. Read more
• 1657 — The Great Fire of Meireki begins in Edo (now Tokyo), Japan, causing more than 100,000 deaths before it exhausts itself three days later. Read more
• 1498 — Vasco da Gama's fleet visits the Island of Mozambique. Read more
• 1484 — The College of Arms is formally incorporated by Royal Charter signed by King Richard III of England. Read more

Born on March 2

• 2016 — Prince Oscar, Duke of Skåne Read more
• 2006 — Windy Zhan, Hong Kong singer and actress Read more
• 2002 — Brooks Barnhizer, American basketball player Read more
• 2000 — Bárbara Domingos, Brazilian rhythmic gymnast Read more
• 2000 — Illan Meslier, French footballer Read more
• 1999 — Isiah Pacheco, American football player Read more
• 1999 — Iñaki Peña, Spanish footballer Read more
• 1998 — Tua Tagovailoa, American football player Read more
• 1997 — Arike Ogunbowale, American basketball player Read more
• 1997 — Becky G, American singer and actress Read more
• 1996 — Jin Longguo, Chinese singer based in South Korea Read more
• 1995 — Miguel Andújar, Dominican baseball player Read more
• 1995 — Max Domi, Canadian ice hockey player Read more
• 1995 — Ange-Freddy Plumain, French footballer Read more
• 1993 — Nicolás Brussino, Argentine-Italian basketball player Read more
• 1993 — Adolis García, Cuban baseball player Read more
• 1992 — Charlie Coyle, American ice hockey player Read more
• 1991 — Nick Franklin, American baseball player Read more
• 1990 — Rauno Alliku, Estonian footballer Read more
• 1990 — Malcolm Butler, American football player Read more
• 1990 — Luke Combs, American singer-songwriter Read more
• 1990 — Tiger Shroff, Indian actor Read more
• 1989 — Toby Alderweireld, Belgian footballer Read more
• 1989 — Alemão, Brazilian footballer Read more
• 1989 — Nathalie Emmanuel, English actress Read more
• 1989 — Marcel Hirscher, Austrian skier Read more
• 1989 — André Bernardes Santos, Portuguese footballer Read more
• 1989 — Shane Vereen, American football player Read more
• 1989 — Chris Woakes, English cricketer Read more
• 1988 — Édgar Andrade, Mexican footballer Read more
• 1988 — James Arthur, English singer-songwriter Read more
• 1988 — Laura Kaeppeler, American beauty queen, Miss America 2012 Read more
• 1988 — Matthew Mitcham, Australian diver Read more
• 1988 — Dexter Pittman, American basketball player Read more
• 1988 — Geert Arend Roorda, Dutch footballer Read more
• 1987 — Jonas Jerebko, Swedish basketball player Read more
• 1986 — Jonathan D'Aversa, Canadian ice hockey player Read more
• 1986 — Jason Smith, American basketball player Read more
• 1985 — Reggie Bush, American football player Read more
• 1985 — Robert Iler, American actor Read more

Died on March 2

• 2024 — Janice Burgess, American television executive, screenwriter, and producer (born 1952) Read more
• 2024 — Jaclyn Jose, Filipino actress (born 1963) Read more
• 2019 — Mike Oliver, British sociologist, disability rights activist (born 1945) Read more
• 2018 — Billy Herrington, American actor (born 1969) Read more
• 2018 — Lin Hu, Chinese lieutenant general (born 1927) Read more
• 2016 — Benoît Lacroix, Canadian priest, historian, and philosopher (born 1915) Read more
• 2016 — Aubrey McClendon, American businessman (born 1959) Read more
• 2015 — Dean Hess, American minister and colonel (born 1917) Read more
• 2015 — Dave Mackay, Scottish-English footballer and manager (born 1934) Read more
• 2015 — Mal Peet, English author and illustrator (born 1947) Read more
• 2014 — Ryhor Baradulin, Belarusian poet and translator (born 1935) Read more
• 2013 — Peter Harvey, Australian journalist (born 1944) Read more
• 2013 — Giorgos Kolokithas, Greek basketball player (born 1945) Read more
• 2013 — Shabnam Shakeel, Pakistani poet and author (born 1942) Read more
• 2012 — Lawrence Anthony, South African environmentalist, explorer, and author (born 1950) Read more
• 2012 — Van T. Barfoot, American colonel, Medal of Honor recipient (born 1919) Read more
• 2012 — Norman St John-Stevas, English academic and politician, Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster (born 1929) Read more
• 2012 — James Q. Wilson, American political scientist and academic (born 1931) Read more
• 2010 — Winston Churchill, English journalist and politician (born 1940) Read more
• 2009 — João Bernardo Vieira, Bissau-Guinean politician, President of Guinea-Bissau (born 1939) Read more
• 2009 — Shigeru Morita, Japanese painter (born 1907) Read more
• 2008 — Jeff Healey, Canadian singer-songwriter and guitarist (born 1966) Read more
• 2007 — Thomas S. Kleppe, American soldier and politician, 41st United States Secretary of the Interior (born 1919) Read more
• 2007 — Clem Labine, American baseball player (born 1926) Read more
• 2007 — Ivan Safronov, Russian colonel and journalist (born 1956) Read more
• 2007 — Henri Troyat, Russian-French historian and author (born 1911) Read more
• 2005 — Martin Denny, American pianist and composer (born 1911) Read more
• 2004 — Cormac McAnallen, Irish footballer (born 1980) Read more
• 2004 — Mercedes McCambridge, American actress (born 1916) Read more
• 2004 — Marge Schott, American businesswoman (born 1928) Read more
• 2003 — Hank Ballard, American singer-songwriter (born 1927) Read more
• 2003 — Malcolm Williamson, Australian pianist and composer (born 1931) Read more
• 2000 — Sandra Schmirler, Canadian curler (born 1963) Read more
• 1999 — Dusty Springfield, English singer (born 1939) Read more
• 1994 — Anita Morris, American actress, singer, and dancer (born 1943) Read more
• 1992 — Sandy Dennis, American actress (born 1937) Read more
• 1991 — Serge Gainsbourg, French singer-songwriter, actor, and director (born 1928) Read more
• 1987 — Randolph Scott, American actor and director (born 1898) Read more
• 1987 — Lolo Soetoro, Indonesian geographer and academic (born 1935) Read more
• 1982 — Philip K. Dick, American philosopher and author (born 1928) Read more

Holidays & observances

Air Force Day (Sri Lanka); Baloch Culture Day (Balochistan); Christian feast day: Agnes of Bohemia; Christian feast day: Angela of the Cross; Christian feast day: Blessed Charles the Good, Count of Flanders; Christian feast day: Chad of Mercia (Catholic Church, Anglican Communion, Eastern Orthodox Church); Christian feast day: John Maron; Christian feast day: March 2 (Eastern Orthodox liturgics); Feast of 'Alá (Loftiness), First day of the 19th month of the Baháʼí calendar (Baháʼí Faith) and first day of the Baháʼí Nineteen Day Fast; National Read Across America Day (United States); Peasants' Day (Myanmar); Texas Independence Day; Adwa Victory Day (Ethiopia)

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