Vintage News · Odd history for January 2

What Happened On January 2

Q: What happened on January 2?

533: Mercurius, a Roman priest, was elected Pope John II; he was likely the first pope to adopt a new name upon elevation to the papacy. 533: Mercurius becomes Pope John II, the first pope to adopt a new name upon elevation to the papacy. 1680: Trunajaya rebellion: Amangkurat II of Mataram of Java and his courtiers stabbed Trunajaya to death a week after the rebel leader surrendered to VOC forces. 1818: The British Institution of Civil Engineers is founded by a group of six engineers; Thomas Telford would later become its first president. 1680: Trunajaya rebellion: Amangkurat II of Mataram and his bodyguards execute the rebel leader Trunajaya. 1492: Reconquista: The Emirate of Granada, the last Moorish stronghold in Spain, surrenders. 2004: The Stardust space probe flew by the comet Wild 2 and collected particle samples from its coma, which were later returned to Earth. 1991: Sharon Pratt Dixon was sworn in as the mayor of Washington, D.C., becoming the first African-American woman to hold the position. 1963: Vietnam War: The Viet Cong won its first major victory at the Battle of Ap Bac. 1959: The Soviet Luna 1, the first spacecraft to reach the vicinity of the Moon, was launched by a Vostok rocket from the Baikonur Cosmodrome.

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10 odd things that happened on January 2

533 First ever
Mercurius, a Roman priest, was elected Pope John II; he was likely the first pope to adopt a new name upon elevation to the papacy.
Read more →
Source: Wikipedia · CC BY-SA 4.0
533 First ever
Mercurius becomes Pope John II, the first pope to adopt a new name upon elevation to the papacy.
Read more →
Source: Wikipedia · CC BY-SA 4.0
1680 Oddly true
Trunajaya rebellion: Amangkurat II of Mataram of Java and his courtiers stabbed Trunajaya to death a week after the rebel leader surrendered to VOC forces.
Read more →
Source: Wikipedia · CC BY-SA 4.0
1818 First ever
The British Institution of Civil Engineers is founded by a group of six engineers; Thomas Telford would later become its first president.
Read more →
Source: Wikipedia · CC BY-SA 4.0
1680 Oddly true
Trunajaya rebellion: Amangkurat II of Mataram and his bodyguards execute the rebel leader Trunajaya.
Read more →
Source: Wikipedia · CC BY-SA 4.0
1492 Oddly true
Reconquista: The Emirate of Granada, the last Moorish stronghold in Spain, surrenders.
Read more →
Source: Wikipedia · CC BY-SA 4.0
2004 Oddly true
The Stardust space probe flew by the comet Wild 2 and collected particle samples from its coma, which were later returned to Earth.
Read more →
Source: Wikipedia · CC BY-SA 4.0
1991 First ever
Sharon Pratt Dixon was sworn in as the mayor of Washington, D.C., becoming the first African-American woman to hold the position.
Read more →
Source: Wikipedia · CC BY-SA 4.0
1963 First ever
Vietnam War: The Viet Cong won its first major victory at the Battle of Ap Bac.
Read more →
Source: Wikipedia · CC BY-SA 4.0
1959 First ever
The Soviet Luna 1, the first spacecraft to reach the vicinity of the Moon, was launched by a Vostok rocket from the Baikonur Cosmodrome.
Read more →
Source: Wikipedia · CC BY-SA 4.0

Observed today

2024Two aircraft collide on a runway at Haneda Airport in Tokyo, killing 5 and injuring 18. Wikipedia →
2022Massive nationwide protests and unrest break out in Kazakhstan over the sudden increase of liquefied petroleum gas prices, leading to 238 people dead and thousands injured by January 11. Wikipedia →
2004Stardust successfully flies past Comet Wild 2, collecting samples that are returned to Earth. Wikipedia →
1993Sri Lankan Civil War: The Sri Lanka Navy kill 35–100 civilians on the Jaffna Lagoon. Wikipedia →
1991Sharon Pratt Dixon becomes the first African American woman mayor of a major city and first woman Mayor of the District of Columbia. Wikipedia →
1988Condor Flugdienst Flight 3782 crashes near Seferihisar, Turkey, killing 16 people. Wikipedia →
1981One of the largest investigations by a British police force ends when serial killer Peter Sutcliffe, the "Yorkshire Ripper", is arrested in Sheffield, South Yorkshire. Wikipedia →
1978On the orders of the President of Pakistan, Muhammad Zia-ul-Haq, paramilitary forces opened fire on peaceful protesting workers in Multan, Pakistan; it is known as 1978 massacre at Multan Colony Textile Mills. Wikipedia →
1976The Gale of January 1976 begins, resulting in coastal flooding around the southern North Sea coasts, affecting countries from Ireland to Yugoslavia and causing at least 82 deaths and US$1.3 billion in damage. Wikipedia →
1975At the opening of a new railway line, a bomb blast at Samastipur, Bihar, India, fatally wounds Lalit Narayan Mishra, Minister of Railways. Wikipedia →
1971The second Ibrox disaster kills 66 fans at a Rangers-Celtic association football match. Wikipedia →
1967Ronald Reagan, past movie actor and future President of the United States, is sworn in as Governor of California. Wikipedia →
1963Vietnam War: The Viet Cong wins its first major victory, at the Battle of Ap Bac. Wikipedia →
1959Luna 1, the first spacecraft to reach the vicinity of the Moon and to orbit the Sun, is launched by the Soviet Union. Wikipedia →
1955Following the assassination of the Panamanian president José Antonio Remón Cantera, his deputy, José Ramón Guizado, takes power, but is quickly deposed after his involvement in Cantera's death is discovered. Wikipedia →
1954India establishes its highest civilian awards, the Bharat Ratna and the Padma Vibhushan. Wikipedia →
1949Luis Muñoz Marín is inaugurated as the first democratically elected Governor of Puerto Rico. Wikipedia →
1942The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) obtains the conviction of 33 members of a German spy ring headed by Fritz Joubert Duquesne in the largest espionage case in United States history; Also known as the Duquesne Spy Ring. Wikipedia →
1942World War II: Manila is captured by Japanese forces, enabling them to control the Philippines. Wikipedia →
1941World War II: The Cardiff Blitz severely damages the cathedral in Cardiff, Wales. Wikipedia →
1932The Young Brothers engaged in a gun battle resulting in the deaths of six law enforcement officers; the worst single killing of US police officers in the 20th century. Wikipedia →
1921World premiere of the science fiction play R.U.R. by the Czech writer Karel Čapek in a theater in Hradec Králové. Wikipedia →
1920The second Palmer Raid, ordered by the US Department of Justice, results in 6,000 suspected communists and anarchists being arrested and held without trial. Wikipedia →
1900American statesman and diplomat John Hay announces the Open Door Policy to promote trade with China. Wikipedia →
1900Chicago Canal opens. Wikipedia →
1865Uruguayan War: The Siege of Paysandú ends as the Brazilians and Coloradans capture Paysandú, Uruguay. Wikipedia →
1863American Civil War: The three-day Battle of Stones River ends in a Union victory when the Confederate Army of Tennessee under General Braxton Bragg are repulsed for the final time by the Army of the Cumberland under General William S. Rosecrans. Wikipedia →
1818The British Institution of Civil Engineers is founded by a group of six engineers; Thomas Telford would later become its first president. Wikipedia →
1791Northwest Indian War: The Big Bottom massacre is committed by Lenape and Wyandot warriors in the Ohio Country, North America. Wikipedia →
1788Georgia becomes the fourth state to ratify the United States Constitution. Wikipedia →
1777American Revolutionary War: American forces under the command of General George Washington repulse a British attack led by General Charles Cornwallis at the Battle of the Assunpink Creek near Trenton, New Jersey. Wikipedia →
1776Empress Maria Theresa of Austria amends the Constitutio Criminalis Theresiana to include the abolition of torture throughout the Habsburg-ruled countries of Austria and Bohemia. Wikipedia →
1680Trunajaya rebellion: Amangkurat II of Mataram and his bodyguards execute the rebel leader Trunajaya. Wikipedia →
1492Reconquista: The Emirate of Granada, the last Moorish stronghold in Spain, surrenders. Wikipedia →
1444Christian forces defeat the Turks in the battle of Kunovica. Wikipedia →
533Mercurius becomes Pope John II, the first pope to adopt a new name upon elevation to the papacy. Wikipedia →
366The Alemanni cross the frozen Rhine in large numbers, invading the Roman Empire. Wikipedia →
69The Roman legions in Germania Superior refuse to swear loyalty to Galba. They rebel and proclaim Vitellius as emperor. Wikipedia →

Facts from Wikipedia On This Day API (CC BY-SA 4.0) via Wikimedia. Thumbnails CC BY-SA. Headlines via The Guardian Open Platform. Historic pages via Library of Congress Chronicling America. Curated by OddlyTrue.