On this day: April 2nd

On this day: April 2nd

There are many and several events on this day in history. Read and discover what happened on this day: On this day: April 2nd

On this day: April 2nd

Events On this day: April 2nd

• 1513: Juan Ponce de Leon sets foot on Florida, becoming the first known European to do so.
• 1792: Congress established the first U.S. Mint at Philadelphia.
• 1800: Ludwig van Beethoven’s First Symphony is premiered. The German composer conducted the orchestra himself. The premiere received exceptionally positive reviews.
• 1863: A bread riot occurred in the Confederate capital of Richmond, Virginia, as angry people demanded bread from a bakery wagon then wrecked nearby shops. The mob dispersed only after Confederate President Jefferson Davis made a personal plea and threatened to use force.
• 1865: General Robert E. Lee informed Confederate President Jefferson Davis that he must evacuate the Confederate capital at Richmond, Virginia. Davis and his cabinet then fled by train.
• 1902: The first movie theater opens in the US.
• 1968: Stanley Kubrick’s “2001: A Space Odyssey” receives its world premiere. Upon release, the epic about human evolution, technology, and extraterrestrial life polarized audiences and critics alike. Today, it is considered a classic in its genre.
• 1982: The beginning of the Falkland Islands War as troops from Argentina invaded and occupied the British colony located near the tip of South America.
• 2002: Israeli forces besiege the Church of the Nativity in Bethlehem. The Israel Defense Force had occupied Bethlehem to capture wanted Palestinians. The 39-day siege ensued after some militants fled into the church, which is believed to stand on the birthplace of Jesus of Nazareth.

Birthdays On this day: April 2nd

• 742: Charlemagne (King of France and Roman Emperor)
• 1725: Giacomo Casanova (Italian explorer, author)
• 1805: Hans Christian Andersen (Author)
• 1840: French writer Emile Zola (1840-1902) was born in Paris
• 1891: Max Ernst (German painter, sculptor, poet)
• 1914: Alec Guinness (Actor)
• 1939: Marvin Gaye (Singer)
• 1947: Emmylou Harris (Country Singer)
• 1955: Dana Carvey (Actor)

Deaths On this day: April 2nd

• 1872: Samuel Morse (American painter, inventor, co-invented the Morse code)
• 1933: Ranjitsinhji (Indian cricketer)
• 1974: Georges Pompidou (French politician, Prime Minister, President of France)
• 2005: Pope John Paul II
• 2015: Manoel de Oliveira (Portuguese director, screenwriter)

Read also: On this day: April 1st