On This Day in History
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Learn what happened on this day in history. Browse historical events, famous birthdays and notable deaths for any date, all sourced from Wikipedia.
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What Happened On This Day in History
Find out what happened on this day in history through today's featured event, latest article, famous birthday, notable death, holidays and observances, your birthday in history, and this month in history. Each card opens the complete history page.
How did Lewis Hamilton win the F1 title by one point?
Lewis Hamilton won the 2008 F1 Drivers' Championship by one point after finishing fifth at the Brazilian Grand Prix, while Felipe Massa won the race.
Read & QuizAlice Brady
Alice Brady was an American actress of stage and film. She began her career in the theatre in 1911, and her first important success came on Broadway in 1912 when she created the role of Meg March in the original production of Marian de Forest's Little Women.
See Born TodayMort Shuman
Mortimer Shuman was an American singer, pianist and songwriter, best known as co-writer of many 1960s rock and roll hits, including "Viva Las Vegas".
See Died Today
Holidays and Observances Today
National and international holidays on November 2, including International Day to End Impunity for Crimes Against Journalists.
See Today's HolidaysWhat Happened on Your Birthday?
Enter your birth date to see the events, famous birthdays and holidays of your birthday.
Find Your BirthdayNovember in History
Major events, famous birthdays and holidays of November, day by day.
See November in HistoryDaily History Challenge
Put Today's Events in Order
Four events that happened on this day, in four different years. Tap them from the oldest to the newest, you have three tries, then share your result. A new puzzle every day.
Play Today's ChallengeHolidays and Observances Today
International days, national holidays and religious feast days that fall on today's date. Each card opens the holiday in the full holidays calendar. See all 16 holidays today.
International Day to End Impunity for Crimes Against Journalists (United Nations)
Annual observance for advocacy of free expression
Read moreAll Souls' Day (Roman Catholic Church and Anglican Communion)
Day for commemoration of all the faithful departed
Read moreCoronation of Haile Selassie (Rastafari)
Abrahamic new religious movement originating in 1930s Jamaica
Read moreDay of the Dead, the second day of Day of the Dead or El Dia de los Muertos celebration (Mexico)
Mexican multi-day holiday
Read moreStatehood Day (North Dakota and South Dakota, United States)
A state of the United States is one of the 50 constituent entities that shares its sovereignty with the federal government. Americans are citizens of both…
Read moreBlessed Margaret of Lorraine
Recognition by the Catholic Church of a holy person
Read moreNovember 2 (Eastern Orthodox liturgics)
Day in the Eastern Orthodox liturgical calendar
Read moreWhat Happened This Month
November in History
See what happened in November in history, from the battles, treaties and discoveries that shaped the world to the famous November birthdays and holidays, with a page for every day of the month.
See November in HistoryOn This Day in History Articles
A new history article is published every day covering one significant event from the past. Each post explores the causes, key figures, immediate impact, and the legacy that still resonates in the world today.
How did Lewis Hamilton win the F1 title by one point?
Lewis Hamilton won the 2008 F1 Drivers' Championship by one point after finishing fifth at the Brazilian Grand Prix, while Felipe Massa won the race.
Read MoreHow did blocked exits shape the Club Cinq-Sept fire?
A fire at the Club Cinq-Sept nightclub in Saint-Laurent-du-Pont killed 146 young people after emergency exits were found blocked.
Read MoreHow did bodyguards Satwant and Beant Singh kill Indira Gandhi?
Indian Prime Minister Indira Gandhi was shot by her two Sikh bodyguards at her residence in New Delhi on October 31, 1984, following Operation Blue Star.
Read MorePassengers board an overloaded luzzu that capsizes off Qala
A luzzu carrying 27 people capsizes in the Gozo Channel off Qala, killing 23. The boat was overloaded with stranded ferry passengers.
Read MoreHow did bin Laden link the 1982 Lebanon War to 9/11?
Al Jazeera broadcasts a video where Osama bin Laden first explicitly accepts responsibility for the September 11 attacks and references the upcoming U.S…
Read MoreMino and Owari provinces experience a magnitude 8.0 earthquake
The 1891 Mino Owari earthquake struck the Nobi Plain with a surface wave magnitude of 8.0, becoming the largest inland quake in Japan's history.
Read MoreDeadly Smog Begins in Donora
A deadly smog event begins in Donora, Pennsylvania, caused by industrial emissions trapped by a temperature inversion, eventually killing 20 people.
Read MoreJordan and Israel sign a peace treaty
Israel and Jordan signed a peace treaty in the Arava valley, ending a state of war that had existed since the 1948 Arab-Israeli War.
Read MoreOur blog
Explore the Blog
A new history article every day covering one major event, with sourced facts and key figures behind it.
Visit the BlogHistory in 60 Seconds
Short videos covering one significant historical event each, told through archival imagery and narration. A new video goes up every day alongside the daily article.
How did Lewis Hamilton win the F1 title by one point?
Lewis Hamilton won the 2008 F1 Drivers' Championship by one point after finishing fifth...
Watch
Passengers board an overloaded luzzu that capsizes o...
A luzzu carrying 27 people capsizes in the Gozo Channel off Qala, killing 23. The boat ...
Watch
How did bin Laden link the 1982 Lebanon War to 9/11?
Al Jazeera broadcasts a video where Osama bin Laden first explicitly accepts responsibi...
Watch
Deadly Smog Begins in Donora
A deadly smog event begins in Donora, Pennsylvania, caused by industrial emissions trap...
Watch
Jordan and Israel sign a peace treaty
Israel and Jordan signed a peace treaty in the Arava valley, ending a state of war that...
Watch
How did Nixon fire Cox after two AGs resigned?
Nixon ordered the firing of special prosecutor Archibald Cox. Attorney General Richards...
Watch
What Happened at the First Battle of Ypres in 1914?
The First Battle of Ypres began on October 19, 1914, as part of the Race to the Sea. Ge...
Watch
How did Smith and Carlos protest during the 1968 ant...
Tommie Smith and John Carlos raised black-gloved fists during the US national anthem at...
WatchFeatured Videos
Watch Short History Videos
Historical events told through archival imagery and narration, daily.
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Explore History by Date
Click any date on the calendar to browse historical events, famous birthdays, and notable deaths from that day. Move between months to explore thousands of years of recorded history.
November
On This Day, November 2
- 2022: A peace agreement is signed between the Ethiopian government and the Tigray People's Liberation Front, ending the Tigray War.
- 2020: In Vienna's Innere Stadt district, an ISIL sympathizer shoots and kills four people and injures 23 more, before being shot and killed by the police.
- 2016: The Chicago Cubs defeat the Cleveland Indians in the World Series, ending the longest Major League Baseball championship drought at 108 years.
- 2008: Lewis Hamilton secured his maiden Formula One Drivers' Championship Title by one point ahead of Felipe Massa at the Brazilian Grand Prix, after a pass for fifth place against the Toyota of Timo Glock on the final lap of the race.
- 2000: Expedition 1 arrived at the International Space Station for the first long-duration stay onboard. From this day to present, a continuous human presence in space on the station remains uninterrupted.
thisDay.info is a free historical events calendar where you can explore what happened on any date in history. It covers wars, discoveries, natural disasters, famous birthdays and deaths, and landmark moments in world history, all sourced from Wikipedia.
Every day a new article is published covering one significant historical event from that calendar date. Each article includes background context, key figures, a Did You Know section, a Quick Facts block, and an analysis of the lasting impact on the world. A short quiz at the end lets you test what you have learned.
All historical events, birthdays, and deaths are sourced from Wikipedia's On This Day archives. Wikipedia is one of the most thorough and regularly updated references for world history, covering events from ancient civilizations right through to the present day on every continent.
Yes. Use the calendar on this page to go to any date of the year. Clicking a date opens a page listing everything notable that happened on that day in history, from ancient times right through to recent decades.
History in 60 Seconds is a short video series published on YouTube Shorts. Each video tells the story of one historical event using archival imagery and narration. A new video goes up every day so you can keep up with this day in history wherever you are.
A new article and a new video are published every single day. The events calendar is always current with today's On This Day data from Wikipedia. Famous birthdays and notable deaths for the current date load every time you visit the site.
Yes, thisDay.info is completely free. There is no account, no subscription, and no paywall. Every article, video, event listing, and the full historical calendar are open to everyone and will stay that way.
Yes. Every date page includes a list of notable people born or who died on that day, with links to their Wikipedia biographies. You can also browse person pages on thisDay.info to read about the historical figures who appear in our daily articles.
thisDay.info covers all major topics in world history including wars and conflicts, political revolutions, scientific discoveries, space exploration, natural disasters, cultural milestones, and sporting achievements. Events range from ancient history through to the 21st century, covering every part of the world.
Explore Today in History
Jump straight to today's events, birthdays and deaths, or browse the historical topics and people we cover across the site.