December 2 in history — What Happened Today in History

Space Shuttle Atlantis is launched on STS-27, a classified mission for the United States Department of Defense.

At the University of Utah, Barney Clark becomes the first person to receive a permanent artificial heart.

Salvadoran Civil War: Four American missionaries are raped and murdered by a death squad.

A Tupolev Tu-154 crashes near Benghazi, Libya, killing 59.

Fidel Castro becomes President of Cuba, replacing Osvaldo Dorticós Torrado.

Laotian Civil War: The Pathet Lao seizes the Laotian capital of Vientiane, forces the abdication of King Sisavang Vatthana, and proclaims the Lao People's Democratic Republic.

Gough Whitlam is elected the 21st Prime Minister of Australia in the 1972 Australian federal election, defeating William McMahon and leading the Australian Labor Party back into office after 23 years in Opposition.

Abu Dhabi, Ajman, Fujairah, Sharjah, Dubai, and Umm al-Quwain form the United Arab Emirates.

The United States Environmental Protection Agency begins operations.

Wien Consolidated Airlines Flight 55 crashes into Pedro Bay, Alaska, killing all 39 people on board.

Vietnam War: After a trip to Vietnam at the request of U.S. President John F. Kennedy, U.S. Senate Majority Leader Mike Mansfield becomes the first American official to comment adversely on the war's progress.

In a nationally broadcast speech, Cuban leader Fidel Castro declares that he is a Marxist–Leninist and that Cuba will adopt Communism.

United Nations Security Council Resolution 126 relating to the Kashmir conflict is adopted.

The Granma reaches the shores of Cuba's Oriente Province. Fidel Castro, Che Guevara and 80 other members of the 26th of July Movement disembark to initiate the Cuban Revolution.

Cold War: The United States Senate votes 65 to 22 to censure Joseph McCarthy for "conduct that tends to bring the Senate into dishonor and disrepute".

The Sino-American Mutual Defense Treaty, between the United States and Taiwan, is signed in Washington, D.C.

Korean War: The Battle of the Ch'ongch'on River ends with a decisive Chinese victory and UN forces are completely expelled from North Korea.

Convention for the Suppression of the Traffic in Persons and of the Exploitation of the Prostitution of Others is adopted.

Jerusalem Riots of 1947: Arabs riot in Jerusalem in response to the United Nations Partition Plan for Palestine.

World War II: A Luftwaffe bombing raid on the harbour of Bari, Italy, sinks numerous cargo and transport ships, including the American SS John Harvey, which is carrying a stockpile of mustard gas.

World War II: During the Manhattan Project, a team led by Enrico Fermi initiates the first artificial self-sustaining nuclear chain reaction.

New York City's LaGuardia Airport opens.

Great Depression: In a State of the Union message, U.S. President Herbert Hoover proposes a $150 million public works program to help generate jobs and stimulate the economy.

Following 19 years of Ford Model T production, the Ford Motor Company unveils the Ford Model A as its new automobile.

Ukrainian War of Independence: Ukrainian Bolsheviks attempt to assassinate Nestor Makhno as part of the Polonsky conspiracy.

World War I: Russia and the Central Powers sign an armistice at Brest-Litovsk, and peace talks leading to the Treaty of Brest-Litovsk begin.

Puyi becomes Emperor of China at the age of two.

Philippine–American War: The Battle of Tirad Pass, known as the "Filipino Thermopylae", is fought.

Elias Lindholm, Swedish ice hockey player

Fumika Shimizu, Japanese actress and model

Tomokaze Yūta, Japanese sumo wrestler

Haruka Ishida, Japanese singer and actress

Kostas Stafylidis, Greek footballer

Sim Bhullar, Canadian basketball player

Gary Sánchez, Dominican baseball player

Chloé Dufour-Lapointe, Canadian skier

Brandon Knight, American basketball player

Charlie Puth, American singer-songwriter and pianist

Emmanuel Agyemang-Badu, Ghanaian footballer

Gastón Ramírez, Uruguayan footballer

Etta Bond, English singer-songwriter

Josie Cichockyj, English basketball player and coach (born 1964)

Bobby Keys, American saxophonist (born 1943)

Don Laws, American figure skater and coach (born 1929)

William Allain, American soldier and politician, 58th Governor of Mississippi (born 1928)

Jean-Claude Beton, Algerian-French engineer and businessman, founded Orangina (born 1925)

Marcelo Déda, Brazilian lawyer and politician (born 1960)

Junior Murvin, Jamaican singer-songwriter (born 1946)

Tom Hendry, Canadian playwright, co-founded the Manitoba Theatre Centre (born 1929)

Ehsan Naraghi, Iranian sociologist and author (born 1926)

Foge Fazio, American football player and coach (born 1938)

Eric Woolfson, Scottish singer-songwriter, pianist, and producer (born 1945)

Odetta, American singer-songwriter, guitarist, and actress (born 1930)

Henry Molaison, American memory disorder patient (born 1926)