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On This Day in History — October 2
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Highlights of October 2
- 2018 — The Washington Post journalist Jamal Khashoggi was assassinated in the Saudi consulate in Istanbul, Turkey. Read more
- 2006 — A gunman killed five Amish girls before committing suicide in a one-room schoolhouse in Nickel Mines, Pennsylvania. Read more
- 2005 — Typhoon Longwang made landfall in China as the deadliest tropical cyclone in that year to impact the country. Read more
- 1990 — A hijacked airliner collided with two other planes while attempting to land at Guangzhou Baiyun International Airport in China, killing 128 and injuring 71. Read more
- 1971 — Nguyễn Văn Thiệu was re-elected unopposed as President of South Vietnam. Read more
- 1967 — Thurgood Marshall was sworn in as the first African-American justice of the Supreme Court of the United States. Read more
- 1942 — Second World War: HMS Curacoa (pictured) was accidentally rammed and sunk by RMS Queen Mary while escorting the liner to provide protection from submarine attacks. Read more
- 1913 — The Shubert Theatre (pictured) opened on Broadway with a production of Hamlet. Read more
- 1879 — Qing China signed the Treaty of Livadia with the Russian Empire, but the terms were so unfavorable that the Chinese government refused to ratify the treaty. Read more
- 1835 — Mexican dragoons dispatched to disarm settlers at Gonzales in Mexican Texas encountered stiff resistance from a Texian militia at the Battle of Gonzales, the first armed engagement of the Texas Revolution. Read more
- 1766 — As part of wider food riots, citizens in Nottingham, England, looted large quantities of cheese; one man was killed during attempts to restore order. Read more
- 1470 — With King Edward IV of England forced to flee to the Burgundian Netherlands after a rebellion organised by Richard Neville, 16th Earl of Warwick, Henry VI was restored to the throne. Read more
Events
- 2025 — 2 people are killed and at least 4 others injured in an attack on a synagogue in Manchester, UK, during Yom Kippur. Read more
- 2019 — A privately owned Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress conducting a living history exhibition flight crashes shortly after takeoff from Windsor Locks, Connecticut, killing seven. Read more
- 2018 — The Washington Post journalist Jamal Khashoggi is assassinated in the Saudi consulate in Istanbul, Turkey. Read more
- 2016 — Ethiopian protests break out during a festival in the Oromia region, killing dozens of people. Read more
- 2007 — President Roh Moo-hyun of South Korea goes to North Korea for an Inter-Korean summit with North Korean leader Kim Jong-il. Read more
- 2006 — Five Amish girls are murdered in a shooting at a school in Pennsylvania, United States. Read more
- 2004 — The first parkrun, then known as the Bushy Park Time Trial, takes place in Bushy Park, London, UK. Read more
- 2002 — The Beltway sniper attacks begin in Washington, D.C., extending over three weeks and killing 10 people. Read more
- 1996 — Aeroperú Flight 603 crashes into the ocean near Peru, killing all 70 people on board. Read more
- 1996 — The Electronic Freedom of Information Act Amendments are signed by U.S. President Bill Clinton. Read more
- 1992 — Military police storm the Carandiru Penitentiary in São Paulo, Brazil during a prison riot. The resulting massacre leaves 111 prisoners dead. Read more
- 1990 — Xiamen Airlines Flight 8301 is hijacked and lands at Guangzhou, where it crashes into two other airliners on the ground, killing 132. Read more
- 1980 — Michael Myers becomes the first member of either chamber of Congress to be expelled since the Civil War. Read more
- 1971 — South Vietnamese President Nguyen Van Thieu is re-elected in a one-man election. Read more
- 1971 — British European Airways Flight 706 crashes near Aarsele, Belgium, killing 63. Read more
- 1970 — An aircraft carrying the Wichita State University football team, administrators, and supporters crashes in Colorado, killing 31 people. Read more
- 1968 — Mexican President Gustavo Díaz Ordaz orders soldiers to suppress a demonstration of unarmed students, ten days before the start of the 1968 Summer Olympics. Read more
- 1967 — Thurgood Marshall is sworn in as the first African-American justice of the United States Supreme Court. Read more
- 1958 — Guinea declares its independence from France. Read more
- 1944 — World War II: German troops end the Warsaw Uprising. Read more
- 1942 — World War II: Ocean Liner RMS Queen Mary accidentally rams and sinks HMS Curacoa, killing over 300 crewmen aboard Curacoa. Read more
- 1937 — Rafael Trujillo orders the execution of Haitians living in the border region of the Dominican Republic. Read more
- 1928 — The "Prelature of the Holy Cross and the Work of God", commonly known as Opus Dei, is founded. Read more
- 1920 — Ukrainian War of Independence: Mikhail Frunze orders the Red Army to immediately cease hostilities with the Revolutionary Insurgent Army of Ukraine. Read more
- 1919 — Seven days after suffering a "physical collapse" following a speech in Pueblo, Colorado, U.S. president Woodrow Wilson has a catastrophic stroke at the White House, leaving him physically and mentally incapacitated for the remainder of his presidency. Read more
- 1870 — By plebiscite, the citizens of the Papal States accept annexation by the Kingdom of Italy. Read more
- 1864 — American Civil War: Confederates defeat a Union attack on Saltville, Virginia. A massacre of wounded Union prisoners ensues. Read more
- 1835 — Texas Revolution: Mexican troops attempt to disarm the people of Gonzales, but encounter stiff resistance from a hastily assembled militia. Read more
- 1789 — The United States Bill of Rights is sent to the various States for ratification. Read more
- 1780 — American Revolutionary War: John André, a British Army officer, is hanged as a spy by the Continental Army. Read more
- 1766 — The Nottingham Cheese Riot breaks out at the Goose Fair in Nottingham, UK, in response to the excessive cost of cheese. Read more
- 1552 — Russo-Kazan Wars: Russian troops enter Kazan. Read more
- 1470 — The Earl of Warwick's rebellion forces King Edward IV of England to flee to the Netherlands, restoring Henry VI to the throne. Read more
- 1263 — The Battle of Largs is fought between Norwegians and Scots. Read more
- 1187 — Saladin wins Jerusalem after the city surrendered to his forces following a prolonged siege. Read more
- 939 — Battle of Andernach: Otto I, Holy Roman Emperor, crushes a rebellion against his rule, by a coalition of Eberhard of Franconia and other Frankish dukes. Read more
- 829 — Theophilos succeeds his father Michael II as Byzantine Emperor. Read more
- 811 — Michael I Rangabe is proclaimed as Byzantine Emperor, forcing the rival claimant Staurakios to abdicate his claim. Read more
- 48 BC — Julius Caesar arrives in Ptolemaic Egypt in his pursuit of Pompey and learns of the latter's death. Read more
Born on October 2
- 2005 — Sam Konstas, Australian cricketer Read more
- 2002 — Jacob Sartorius, American social media personality and singer Read more
- 2000 — Quadeca, American singer-songwriter and YouTuber Read more
- 1996 — Tom Trbojevic, Australian rugby league player Read more
- 1995 — Tepai Moeroa, Cook Islands rugby league player Read more
- 1993 — Lance McCullers Jr., American baseball player Read more
- 1992 — Alisson Becker, Brazilian footballer Read more
- 1992 — Shane Larkin, American-Turkish basketball player Read more
- 1992 — Nicol Ruprecht, Austrian rhythmic gymnast Read more
- 1991 — Roberto Firmino, Brazilian footballer Read more
- 1990 — Samantha Barks, Manx actress and singer Read more
- 1989 — Frederik Andersen, Danish ice hockey player Read more
- 1989 — Josh Bailey, Canadian ice hockey player Read more
- 1989 — Aaron Hicks, American baseball player Read more
- 1989 — George Nash, English rower Read more
- 1988 — Brittany Howard, American singer-songwriter and guitarist Read more
- 1987 — Joe Ingles, Australian basketball player Read more
- 1987 — Phil Kessel, American ice hockey player Read more
- 1987 — Ricky Stenhouse Jr., American race car driver Read more
- 1986 — Camilla Belle, American actress Read more
- 1985 — Çağlar Birinci, Turkish footballer Read more
- 1984 — Marion Bartoli, French tennis player Read more
- 1982 — Tyson Chandler, American basketball player Read more
- 1982 — Esra Gümüş, Turkish volleyball player Read more
- 1981 — Luke Wilkshire, Australian footballer Read more
- 1978 — Ayumi Hamasaki, Japanese singer, songwriter, actress Read more
- 1977 — Didier Défago, Swiss skier Read more
- 1976 — Mark Chilton, English cricketer Read more
- 1974 — Bjarke Ingels, Danish architect Read more
- 1974 — Sam Roberts, Canadian singer-songwriter and musician Read more
- 1974 — Paul Teutul Jr., American motorcycle designer, co-founded Orange County Choppers Read more
- 1973 — Melissa Harris-Perry, American journalist, author, and educator Read more
- 1973 — Lene Nystrøm, Norwegian singer, songwriter, and musician Read more
- 1973 — Efren Ramirez, American actor Read more
- 1973 — Scott Schoeneweis, American baseball player Read more
- 1972 — Aaron McKie, American basketball player Read more
- 1971 — Tiffany Darwish, American singer-songwriter Read more
- 1971 — Jim Root, American guitarist and songwriter Read more
- 1971 — Chris Savino, American comic book artist, writer, animator and creator of The Loud House Read more
- 1970 — Eddie Guardado, American baseball player Read more
Died on October 2
- 2024 — Susie Berning, American professional golfer (born 1941) Read more
- 2024 — Marissa Haque, Indonesian politician (born 1962) Read more
- 2023 — Francis Lee, English footballer (born 1944) Read more
- 2022 — Sacheen Littlefeather, American actress, model and activist for Native American civil rights (born 1946) Read more
- 2021 — Jack Biondolillo, American bowler (born 1940) Read more
- 2020 — Anne-Marie Hutchinson, British lawyer (born 1957) Read more
- 2018 — Jamal Khashoggi, Saudi journalist (born 1958) Read more
- 2017 — Tom Petty, American musician (born 1950) Read more
- 2016 — Neville Marriner, British conductor (born 1924) Read more
- 2015 — Brian Friel, Irish author, playwright, and director (born 1929) Read more
- 2015 — Coleridge Goode, Jamaican-English bassist and composer (born 1914) Read more
- 2015 — Johnny Paton, Scottish footballer and coach (born 1923) Read more
- 2014 — Robert Flower, Australian footballer (born 1955) Read more
- 2013 — Abraham Nemeth, American mathematician and academic (born 1918) Read more
- 2012 — Nguyễn Chí Thiện, Vietnamese-American poet and activist (born 1939) Read more
- 2012 — Charles Roach, Trinidadian-Canadian lawyer and activist (born 1933) Read more
- 2012 — J. Philippe Rushton, English-Canadian psychologist, theorist, academic (born 1943) Read more
- 2010 — Kwa Geok Choo, Singaporean lawyer and scholar (born 1920) Read more
- 2007 — Tex Coulter, American football player (born 1924) Read more
- 2007 — George Grizzard, American actor (born 1928) Read more
- 2007 — Dan Keating, Irish Republican Army volunteer (born 1902) Read more
- 2006 — Helen Chenoweth-Hage, American politician (born 1938) Read more
- 2006 — Paul Halmos, Hungarian-American mathematician (born 1916) Read more
- 2005 — Nipsey Russell, American comedian and actor (born 1918) Read more
- 2005 — August Wilson, American author and playwright (born 1945) Read more
- 2003 — John Thomas Dunlop, American scholar and politician, United States Secretary of Labor (born 1914) Read more
- 2002 — Heinz von Foerster, Austrian-American physicist and philosopher (born 1911) Read more
- 2001 — Franz Biebl, German composer and academic (born 1906) Read more
- 2000 — David Tonkin, Australian politician, Premier of South Australia (born 1929) Read more
- 1999 — Heinz G. Konsalik, German journalist and author (born 1921) Read more
- 1998 — Gene Autry, American actor, singer, and guitarist (born 1907) Read more
- 1996 — Robert Bourassa, Canadian lawyer and politician, Premier of Quebec (born 1933) Read more
- 1996 — Andrey Lukanov, Bulgarian politician, 40th Prime Minister of Bulgaria (born 1938) Read more
- 1991 — Hazen Argue, Canadian politician (born 1921) Read more
- 1991 — Demetrios I of Constantinople (born 1914) Read more
- 1988 — Alec Issigonis, English car designer, designed the Mini (born 1906) Read more
- 1988 — Hamengkubuwono IX, Indonesian politician, 2nd vice president of Indonesia (born 1912) Read more
- 1987 — Madeleine Carroll, English actress (born 1906) Read more
- 1987 — Peter Medawar, Brazilian-English biologist and zoologist, Nobel Prize laureate (born 1915) Read more
- 1985 — Rock Hudson, American actor (born 1925) Read more
Holidays & observances
Batik Day (Indonesia); Christian feast day:
Blessed Antoine Chevrier; Christian feast day:
Denha I of Tikrit (Syriac Orthodox Church); Christian feast day:
Blessed Jan Beyzym; Christian feast day:
Blessed Maria Antonina Kratochwil; Christian feast day:
Blessed María Francisca Ricart Olmos; Christian feast day:
Memorial of the Holy Guardian Angels; Christian feast day:
Leodegar; Christian feast day:
October 2 (Eastern Orthodox liturgics); Gandhi's birthday-related observances:
Gandhi Jayanti (India); Gandhi's birthday-related observances:
International Day of Non-Violence; Independence Day, celebrates the independence of Guinea from France in 1958; National Grandparents Day (Italy); International Day of Non-Violence
Events, births and deaths from Wikipedia contributors, “October 2”, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. Lists are selections; the full record lives at the source.