August 2 in history — What Happened Today in History
Welcome to August 2 in history! Here you can discover what happened on August 2, including the major events, the famous people born on August 2 and the notable deaths on August 2, with the newest story starting in 2014.
On this page, August 2 in history is arranged as a timeline of major events in reverse order, with birthdays and deaths in their own sections, plus a short FAQ about August 2 in history at the bottom.
Major Events on August 2 in History 40
- 2014
At least 146 people are killed and more than 114 injured in a factory explosion in Kunshan, Jiangsu, China.
- 2005
Air France Flight 358 lands at Toronto Pearson International Airport and runs off the runway, causing the plane to burst into flames, leaving 12 injuries and no fatalities.
- 1999
The Gaisal train disaster claims 285 lives in Assam, India.
- 1991
Space Shuttle Atlantis is launched on STS-43 to deploy the TDRS-5 satellite.
- 1990
Iraqi invasion of Kuwait: Iraq invades Kuwait and temporarily establishes the Republic of Kuwait puppet state on the orders of Saddam Hussein, eventually leading to the Gulf War.
- 1989
Pakistan is re-admitted to the Commonwealth of Nations after having restored democracy for the first time since 1972.
- 1989
A massacre is carried out by an Indian Peace Keeping Force in Sri Lanka killing 64 ethnic Tamil civilians.
- 1985
Delta Air Lines Flight 191, a Lockheed L-1011 TriStar, crashes at Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport killing 137.
- 1982
The Helsinki Metro, the first rapid transit system of Finland, is opened to the general public.
- 1980
A bomb explodes at the railway station in Bologna, Italy, killing 85 people and wounding more than 200.
- 1973
A flash fire kills 50 people at the Summerland amusement centre at Douglas, Isle of Man.
- 1968
An earthquake hits Casiguran, Aurora, Philippines killing more than 270 people and wounding 261.
All entries for August 2（+28）
- 1947
A British South American Airways Avro Lancastrian airliner crashes into a mountain during a flight from Buenos Aires, Argentina to Santiago, Chile. The wreckage would not be found until 1998.
- 1945
World War II: The Potsdam Conference ends.
- 1944
ASNOM: Birth of the Socialist Republic of Macedonia, celebrated as Day of the Republic in North Macedonia.
- 1944
World War II: The largest trade convoy of the world wars arrives safely in the Western Approaches.
- 1943
The Holocaust: Jewish prisoners stage a revolt at Treblinka, one of the deadliest of Nazi death camps where approximately 900,000 persons were murdered in less than 18 months.
- 1943
World War II: After the Motor Torpedo Boat PT-109 is rammed and sunk by the Japanese destroyer Amagiri, Lt. John F. Kennedy, future U.S. president, saves all but two of his crew.
- 1939
Albert Einstein and Leo Szilard write a letter to Franklin D. Roosevelt, urging him to begin the Manhattan Project to develop a nuclear weapon.
- 1937
The Marihuana Tax Act of 1937 is passed in America, the effect of which is to render marijuana and all its by-products illegal.
- 1934
Reichskanzler Adolf Hitler becomes Führer of Germany following the death of President Paul von Hindenburg.
- 1932
The positron (antiparticle of the electron) is discovered by Carl D. Anderson.
- 1923
U.S. Vice President Calvin Coolidge becomes president upon the death of President Warren G. Harding.
- 1922
A typhoon hits Shantou, Republic of China, killing more than 50,000 people.
- 1918
The first general strike in Canadian history takes place in Vancouver.
- 1916
World War I: Austrian sabotage causes the sinking of the Italian battleship Leonardo da Vinci in Taranto.
- 1914
World War I: The German occupation of Luxembourg begins.
- 1909
End of the Tragic Week in Barcelona, a series of antiwar and antigovernment protests in Spain and especially in Barcelona.
- 1903
The Ilinden–Preobrazhenie Uprising against the Ottoman Empire begins.
- 1897
Anglo-Afghan War: The Siege of Malakand ends when a relief column is able to reach the British garrison in the Malakand states.
- 1873
The Clay Street Hill Railroad begins operating the first cable car in San Francisco's famous cable car system.
- 1870
Tower Subway, the world's first underground tube railway, opens in London, England, United Kingdom.
- 1869
Japan's Edo society class system is abolished as part of the Meiji Restoration reforms.
- 1858
The Government of India Act 1858 replaces Company rule in India with that of the British Raj.
- 1830
July Revolution: Charles X of France abdicates the throne in favor of his grandson Henri.
- 1798
French Revolutionary Wars: The Battle of the Nile concludes in a British victory.
- 1790
The first United States Census is conducted.
- 1784
The first British mail coach service runs from Bristol to London.
- 1776
American Revolution: The signing of the United States Declaration of Independence by the Second Continental Congress takes place.
- 1610
During Henry Hudson's search for the Northwest Passage, he sails into what is now known as Hudson Bay.
Famous Birthdays on August 2 in History 25
- 2006
Héctor Fort, Spanish footballer
- 2000
Varvara Gracheva, Russian tennis player
- 2000
Mohammed Kudus, Ghanaian footballer
- 1999
Anastasios Douvikas, Greek footballer
- 1999
Mark Lee, Korean-Canadian singer
- 1999
Joël Piroe, Dutch-Surinamese footballer
- 1997
Austin Theory, American wrestler
- 1996
Keston Hiura, American baseball player
- 1996
Simone Manuel, American swimmer
- 1995
Kristaps Porziņģis, Latvian basketball player
- 1995
Vikkstar123, English internet personality
- 1994
Emil Krafth, Swedish footballer
All entries for August 2（+13）
- 1994
Laura Pigossi, Brazilian tennis player
- 1994
Laremy Tunsil, American football player
- 1994
MoistCr1tikal, American YouTuber and streamer
- 1993
Gael Bussa, Congolese politician
- 1993
Joey Florez, American scholar and cultural critic
- 1992
Charli XCX, English singer-songwriter
- 1991
Evander Kane, Canadian ice hockey player
- 1990
Ima Bohush, Belarusian tennis player
- 1990
Vitalia Diatchenko, Russian tennis player
- 1990
Skylar Diggins, American basketball player
- 1989
Nacer Chadli, Belgian footballer
- 1988
Rob Kwiet, Canadian ice hockey player
- 1988
Golden Tate, American football player
Notable Deaths on August 2 in History 25
- 2023
Nitin Chandrakant Desai, Indian art director, production designer, and film and television producer (born 1965)
- 2022
Vin Scully, American sportscaster and game show host (born 1927)
- 2020
Suzanne Perlman, Hungarian-Dutch visual artist (born 1922)
- 2017
Judith Jones, American literary and cookbook editor (born 1924)
- 2016
Terence Bayler, New Zealand actor (born 1930)
- 2016
David Huddleston, American actor (born 1930)
- 2016
Franciszek Macharski, Polish cardinal (born 1927)
- 2016
Ahmed Zewail, Egyptian-American chemist and academic, Nobel Prize laureate (born 1946)
- 2015
Forrest Bird, American pilot and engineer (born 1921)
- 2015
Giovanni Conso, Italian jurist and politician, Italian Minister of Justice (born 1922)
- 2015
Piet Fransen, Dutch footballer (born 1936)
- 2015
Jack Spring, American baseball player (born 1933)
All entries for August 2（+13）
- 2014
Ed Joyce, American journalist (born 1932)
- 2014
Billie Letts, American author and educator (born 1938)
- 2014
Barbara Prammer, Austrian social worker and politician (born 1954)
- 2014
James Thompson, American-Finnish author (born 1964)
- 2013
Julius L. Chambers, American lawyer and activist (born 1936)
- 2013
Richard E. Dauch, American businessman, co-founded American Axle (born 1942)
- 2013
Alla Kushnir, Russian–Israeli chess player (born 1941)
- 2012
Gabriel Horn, English biologist and academic (born 1927)
- 2012
Magnus Isacsson, Canadian director and producer (born 1948)
- 2012
Jimmy Jones, American singer-songwriter (born 1930)
- 2012
John Keegan, English historian and journalist (born 1934)
- 2012
Bernd Meier, German footballer (born 1972)
- 2012
Marguerite Piazza, American soprano (born 1920)
That is the story of August 2 in history. Bookmark this page and come back next year on August 2 to relive these world-changing moments — or take a random trip through time and see what happened on another day in history.
❓ Frequently Asked Questions
What happened on August 2 in history?
The biggest event on August 2 in history is: 2014 — At least 146 people are killed and more than 114 injured in a factory explosion in Kunshan, Jiangsu, China.. In total, 40 major events are recorded for this day.
Who was born on August 2?
25 famous people were born on August 2 in history, the best known being 2006 — Héctor Fort, Spanish footballer.
Who died on August 2?
25 notable people died on August 2 in history, including 2023 — Nitin Chandrakant Desai, Indian art director, production designer, and film and television producer (born 1965).
Why should I read about August 2 in history?
Exploring August 2 in history helps you grasp the day's place in history in just a few minutes: events, birthdays and deaths in one read — perfect for students, teachers and curious minds.
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