March 2 in history — What Happened Today in History

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.

Establishment of Kuwait Democratic Forum, center-left political organization in Kuwait.

Battle at Rumaila oil field brings an end to the 1991 Gulf War.

Nelson Mandela is elected deputy president of the African National Congress.

Twelve European Community nations agree to ban the production of all chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) by the end of the century.

Aeroflot Flight F-77 crashes near Bugulma Airport, killing all 38 people aboard.

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.

Czech Vladimír Remek becomes the first non-Soviet or non-American to go into space, when he is launched aboard Soyuz 28.

The late iconic actor Charlie Chaplin's coffin is stolen from his grave in Switzerland.

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".

The Pioneer 10 space probe is launched from Cape Canaveral, Florida with a mission to explore the outer planets.

Rhodesia declares itself a republic, breaking its last links with the British crown.

In Toulouse, France, the first test flight of the Anglo-French Concorde is conducted.

Baggeridge Colliery closes, marking the end of over 300 years of coal mining in the Black Country.

The US and Republic of Vietnam Air Force begin Operation Rolling Thunder, a sustained bombing campaign against North Vietnam.

In Burma, the army led by General Ne Win seizes power in a coup d'état.

Wilt Chamberlain sets the single-game scoring record in the National Basketball Association by scoring 100 points.

Norodom Sihanouk, king of Cambodia, abdicates the throne in favor of his father, Norodom Suramarit.

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.

World War II: During the Battle of the Bismarck Sea Allied aircraft defeat a Japanese attempt to ship troops to New Guinea.

World War II: First German military units enter Bulgaria after it joins the Axis Pact.

Cardinal Eugenio Pacelli is elected Pope and takes the name Pius XII.

The Steel Workers Organizing Committee signs a collective bargaining agreement with U.S. Steel, leading to unionization of the United States steel industry.

The film King Kong premieres in Radio City Music Hall and RKO Roxy in New York City.

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.

The first Communist International meets in Moscow.

The enactment of the Jones–Shafroth Act grants Puerto Ricans United States citizenship.

In New York City the Martha Washington Hotel opens, becoming the first hotel exclusively for women.

Max Domi, Canadian ice hockey player

Ange-Freddy Plumain, French footballer

Nicolás Brussino, Argentine-Italian basketball player

Adolis García, Cuban baseball player

Charlie Coyle, American ice hockey player

Nick Franklin, American baseball player

Rauno Alliku, Estonian footballer

Malcolm Butler, American football player

Luke Combs, American singer-songwriter

Tiger Shroff, Indian actor

Toby Alderweireld, Belgian footballer

Alemão, Brazilian footballer

Nathalie Emmanuel, English actress

Giorgos Kolokithas, Greek basketball player (born 1945)

Shabnam Shakeel, Pakistani poet and author (born 1942)

Lawrence Anthony, South African environmentalist, explorer, and author (born 1950)

Van T. Barfoot, American colonel, Medal of Honor recipient (born 1919)

Norman St John-Stevas, English academic and politician, Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster (born 1929)

James Q. Wilson, American political scientist and academic (born 1931)

Winston Churchill, English journalist and politician (born 1940)

João Bernardo Vieira, Bissau-Guinean politician, President of Guinea-Bissau (born 1939)

Shigeru Morita, Japanese painter (born 1907)

Jeff Healey, Canadian singer-songwriter and guitarist (born 1966)

Thomas S. Kleppe, American soldier and politician, 41st United States Secretary of the Interior (born 1919)

Clem Labine, American baseball player (born 1926)

Ivan Safronov, Russian colonel and journalist (born 1956)