Did you know
The Texas Declaration of Independence was adopted at the Convention of 1836 in Washington-on-the-Brazos on March 2, 1836.
March 2 in History
1836 — Texas Revolution: The Declaration of independence of the Republic of Texas from Mexico is adopted
March 2 spans 66 recorded events across recorded history, from 537 to 2026. Below is a curated digest of the most significant moments tied to this date.
By thisDay.info Editorial Team · — Wikipedia
Historical Events
66 events
537 – 2026
Today in history
More major events on March 2
The featured story and these ranked highlights form a quick summary. Every recorded event remains available in the chronology below.
- 1859 The two-day Great Slave Auction, once thought to be the largest such auction in United States history, begins. Source
- 1978 Czech Vladimír Remek becomes the first non-Soviet or non-American to go into space, when he is launched aboard Soyuz 28. Source
- 1977 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". Source
- 1901 United States Steel Corporation is founded as a result of a merger between Carnegie Steel Company and Federal Steel Company which became the first corporation in the world with a market capital over $1 billion. Source
Did you know
George Childress is credited with writing the majority of the document, with the help of a committee that included James Gaines and Collin McKinney.
Did you know
The declaration was a formal statement of Texas's independence from Mexico during the Texas Revolution.
Did you know
The Convention of 1836 was a gathering of delegates from various Texas towns, who met to discuss and declare independence from Mexico.
Did you know
The Texas Declaration of Independence was influenced by the United States Declaration of Independence, with similar language and principles of liberty and self-governance.
537
Siege of Rome: The Ostrogoth army under king Vitiges begins the siege of the capital.
Belisarius conducts a delaying action outside the Flaminian Gate; he and a detachment of his bucellarii are almost cut off.
The siege of Rome took place on 2 March 537 – 12 March 538 AD and it was the city's first siege during the Gothic War (535–554) between the defending Byzantine Empire's forces under the leadership of Belisarius against…
986
Louis V becomes the last Carolingian king of West Francia after the death of his father, Lothaire.
King of West Francia from 979 to 987
Louis V, also known as Louis the Lazy, was a king of West Francia from 979 to his early death in 987. During his reign, the nobility essentially ruled the country.
1331
Fall of Nicaea to the Ottoman Turks after a siege.
1328–1331 capture of the Eastern Roman city of Nicaea by the Ottoman Empire
The Siege of Nicaea, or Siege of Iznik, by the forces of Orhan I from 1328 to 1331, resulted in the conquest of the key Byzantine city of Nicaea to the Ottomans.
1444
Skanderbeg organizes a group of Albanian nobles to form the League of Lezhë.
Albanian warlord and military commander (1405–1468)
Gjergj Kastrioti was an Albanian nobleman and military leader who led the League of Lezhë in the Ottoman-Albanian Wars until his death.
1458
George of Poděbrady is chosen as the king of Bohemia.
King of Bohemia (r. 1458–71)
George of Kunštát and Poděbrady, also known as Poděbrad or Podiebrad, was the sixteenth King of Bohemia, who ruled in 1458–1471. He was a leader of the Hussites, but moderate and tolerant toward the Catholic faith.
1476
Burgundian Wars: The Old Swiss Confederacy hands Charles the Bold, Duke of Burgundy, a major defeat in the Battle of Grandson in Canton of Neuchâtel.
1474–1477 Western European conflict
The Burgundian Wars (1474–1477) were a conflict between the Burgundian State and the Old Swiss Confederacy and its allies.
1484
The College of Arms is formally incorporated by Royal Charter signed by King Richard III of England.
Corporation responsible for heraldry in England and Wales
The College of Arms is the heraldic authority for England, Wales, Northern Ireland, and some Commonwealth realms; the heraldic authority for Scotland is the Court of the Lord Lyon.
1498
Vasco da Gama's fleet visits the Island of Mozambique.
Portuguese explorer (c. 1460s – 1524)
Vasco da Gama was a Portuguese mariner, explorer and nobleman.
1657
The Great Fire of Meireki begins in Edo (now Tokyo), Japan, causing more than 100,000 deaths before it exhausts itself three days later.
1657 fire destroying Edo (now Tokyo)
The Great Fire of Meireki , also known as the Great Furisode Fire, destroyed 60–70% of Edo, then de facto capital city of Japan, on 2 March 1657, the third year of the Meireki Era.
1776
American Revolutionary War: Patriot militia units attempt to prevent capture of supply ships in and around the Savannah River by a small fleet of the Royal Navy in the Battle of the Rice Boats.
1775–1783 conflict in North America
The American Revolutionary War, also known as the Revolutionary War or American War of Independence or simply the American Revolution, was the armed conflict that comprised the final eight years of the broader American…
1791
Claude Chappe demonstrates the first semaphore line near Paris.
Late 18th-century French inventor
Claude Chappe was a French inventor who in 1792 demonstrated a practical semaphore system that eventually spanned all of France.
1796
Napoleon Bonaparte is appointed to command the Army of Italy.
French general and emperor (1769–1821)
Napoleon Bonaparte, later known by his regnal name Napoleon I, was Emperor of the French from 18 May 1804 until his first abdication in 1814, with a brief restoration during the Hundred Days in 1815.
1797
The Bank of England issues the first one-pound and two-pound banknotes.
Central bank of the United Kingdom
The Bank of England is the central bank of the United Kingdom and the model on which most modern central banks have been based.
1807
The U.S.
Congress passes the Act Prohibiting Importation of Slaves, disallowing the importation of new slaves into the country.
The United States Congress is the legislative branch of the federal government of the United States. It is a bicameral legislature, including a lower body, the U.S. House of Representatives, and an upper body, the U.S.
1811
Argentine War of Independence: A royalist fleet defeats a small flotilla of revolutionary ships in the Battle of San Nicolás on the River Plate.
Secessionist civil war (1810–1825)
The Argentine War of Independence was a set of military events from 1810 to 1825 which resulted in the consolidation of Argentina as an independent country from Spanish rule.
1815
Signing of the Kandyan Convention treaty by British invaders and the leaders of the Kingdom of Kandy.
1815 treaty incorporating the Kandyan Kingdom into the British Empire
In the history of Sri Lanka, the Kandyan Convention was a treaty signed on 2 March 1815 between the British governor of Ceylon, Sir Robert Brownrigg, and the chiefs of the Kandyan Kingdom, British Ceylon, whereas,…
1855
Alexander II becomes Tsar of Russia.
Emperor of Russia from 1855 to 1881
Alexander II was Emperor of Russia, King of Poland, and Grand Duke of Finland from 2 March 1855 until his assassination on 13 March 1881.
1859
The two-day Great Slave Auction, once thought to be the largest such auction in United States history, begins.
1859 record-setting slave auction in the US
The Great Slave Auction was an auction of enslaved Americans of African descent held at Ten Broeck Race Course, near Savannah, Georgia, United States, on March 2 and 3, 1859.
1864
Ulysses S.
Grant is promoted to lieutenant general, giving him command of all Union Armies.
Ulysses S. Grant was the 18th president of the United States, serving from 1869 to 1877, and was the Commanding General of the Union Army, leading it to victory in the American Civil War in 1865.
1865
East Cape War: The Völkner Incident in New Zealand.
New Zealand wars (1865–1866)
The East Cape War, sometimes also called the East Coast War, was a series of conflicts fought in the North Island of New Zealand from April 1865 to October 1866 between colonial and Māori military forces.
1867
The U.S.
Congress passes the first Reconstruction Act.
The Reconstruction Acts, or the Military Reconstruction Acts, sometimes referred to collectively as the Reconstruction Act of 1867, were four landmark U.S.
1877
Just two days before inauguration, the U.S.
Congress declares Rutherford B. Hayes the winner of the 1876 U.S. presidential election even though Samuel J. Tilden had won the popular vote.
Rutherford Birchard Hayes was the 19th president of the United States, serving from 1877 to 1881.
1882
Queen Victoria narrowly escapes an assassination attempt by Roderick Maclean in Windsor.
Queen of the United Kingdom from 1837 to 1901
Victoria was Queen of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland from 20 June 1837 until her death in 1901.
1901
United States Steel Corporation is founded as a result of a merger between Carnegie Steel Company and Federal Steel Company which became the first corporation in the world with a market capital over $1 billion.
American steel-producing company
The United States Steel Corporation is a Japanese-owned American steel company based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, that maintains production facilities at several additional locations in the U.S. and Central Europe.
1901
The U.S.
Congress passes the Platt Amendment limiting the autonomy of Cuba, as a condition of the withdrawal of American troops.
The Platt Amendment was United States legislation enacted as part of the Army Appropriations Act of 1901 that defined the relationship between the United States and Cuba following the Spanish–American War.
1903
In New York City the Martha Washington Hotel opens, becoming the first hotel exclusively for women.
Historic hotel in Manhattan, New York
The Martha Washington Hotel is a building at 30 East 30th Street in the NoMad neighborhood of Manhattan in New York City.
1917
The enactment of the Jones–Shafroth Act grants Puerto Ricans United States citizenship.
1917 law granting U.S. citizenship to residents of Puerto Rico
The Jones–Shafroth Act, officially called An Act to provide a civil government for Porto Rico, and for other purposes and later the Puerto Rico Federal Relations Act of 1917, or unofficially the Organic Act of Puerto…
1919
The first Communist International meets in Moscow.
International communist organization (1919–1943)
The Communist International, also known as the Third International, was a Marxist political international that advocated world communism and existed from 1919 to 1943.
1932
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.
Pehr Evind Svinhufvud af Qvalstad served as the president of Finland from 1931 to 1937.
1933
The film King Kong premieres in Radio City Music Hall and RKO Roxy in New York City.
1933 Pre-Code adventure horror monster film by Merian C. Cooper and Ernest B. Schoedsack
King Kong is a 1933 American pre-Code adventure horror monster film directed and produced by Merian C. Cooper and Ernest B. Schoedsack, with special effects by Willis H. O'Brien and music by Max Steiner.
1937
The Steel Workers Organizing Committee signs a collective bargaining agreement with U.S.
Steel, leading to unionization of the United States steel industry.
The Steel Workers Organizing Committee (SWOC) was one of two precursor labor organizations to the United Steelworkers. It was formed by the CIO on June 7, 1936.
1939
Cardinal Eugenio Pacelli is elected Pope and takes the name Pius XII.
Senior church official
A cardinal is a senior member of the clergy of the Catholic Church.
1941
World War II: First German military units enter Bulgaria after it joins the Axis Pact.
Global conflict (1939–1945)
World War II, or the Second World War, was a global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies and the Axis powers.
1943
World War II: During the Battle of the Bismarck Sea Allied aircraft defeat a Japanese attempt to ship troops to New Guinea.
1943 Allied attack on a Japanese convoy
The Battle of the Bismarck Sea took place in the South West Pacific Area (SWPA) during World War II when aircraft of the U.S.
1949
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.
Military rank of the United States
Captain in the U.S. Army (USA), U.S. Marine Corps (USMC), U.S. Air Force (USAF), and U.S. Space Force (USSF) is a company-grade officer rank, with the pay grade of O-3. It ranks above first lieutenant and below major.
1955
Norodom Sihanouk, king of Cambodia, abdicates the throne in favor of his father, Norodom Suramarit.
King of Cambodia (1941–1955; 1993–2004)
Norodom Sihanouk was King, Chief of State and Prime Minister of Cambodia. He is known as Samdech Euv or by his nickname The Pink Prince.
1962
In Burma, the army led by General Ne Win seizes power in a coup d'état.
Country in Southeast Asia
Myanmar, officially the Republic of the Union of Myanmar and also referred to as Burma, is a country in northwest Southeast Asia.
1962
Wilt Chamberlain sets the single-game scoring record in the National Basketball Association by scoring 100 points.
American basketball player (1936–1999)
Wilton Norman Chamberlain was an American professional basketball player. Standing 7 feet 1 inch (2.16 m) tall, he played center in the National Basketball Association (NBA) for 14 seasons.
1965
The US and Republic of Vietnam Air Force begin Operation Rolling Thunder, a sustained bombing campaign against North Vietnam.
Air service branch of the U.S. military
The United States Air Force (USAF) is the air service branch of the United States Armed Forces.
1968
Baggeridge Colliery closes, marking the end of over 300 years of coal mining in the Black Country.
Colliery in Sedgley, West Midlands, England
Baggeridge Colliery was a colliery located in Sedgley, West Midlands England.
1969
In Toulouse, France, the first test flight of the Anglo-French Concorde is conducted.
Prefecture and commune in France
Toulouse is a city in Southern France, the prefecture of the Haute-Garonne department and of the Occitania region.
1970
Rhodesia declares itself a republic, breaking its last links with the British crown.
Unrecognised state in Southern Africa (1965–1979)
Rhodesia, officially the Republic of Rhodesia from 1970 onwards, was an unrecognised state in Southern Africa that existed from 1965 to 1979.
1972
The Pioneer 10 space probe is launched from Cape Canaveral, Florida with a mission to explore the outer planets.
First spacecraft to visit Jupiter and the outer Solar System (1972–2003)
Pioneer 10 is a NASA space probe launched in 1972 that completed the first mission to the planet Jupiter.
1977
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".
Country in North Africa
Libya, officially the State of Libya, is a country in the Maghreb region of North Africa.
1978
Czech Vladimír Remek becomes the first non-Soviet or non-American to go into space, when he is launched aboard Soyuz 28.
1918–1992 country in Central Europe
Czechoslovakia was a country in Central Europe. The country was bordered by Austria and Hungary to the south, Germany to the west and northwest, Poland to the northeast, and Ukraine to the southeast.
1978
The late iconic actor Charlie Chaplin's coffin is stolen from his grave in Switzerland.
English actor and filmmaker (1889–1977)
Sir Charles Spencer Chaplin Jr. was an English comic actor, filmmaker, singer, film editor and composer who rose to fame in the era of silent film.
1983
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.
The compact disc (CD) is a digital optical disc data storage format co-developed by Philips and Sony to store and play digital audio recordings.
1986
Aeroflot Flight F-77 crashes near Bugulma Airport, killing all 38 people aboard.
Airport in Tatarstan, Russia
Bugulma Airport is an airport in Tatarstan, Russia located 12 km north of Bugulma. It is a small airport with several hangars, servicing small prop transports. The 2000 m runway was constructed in 2000–2001.
1989
Twelve European Community nations agree to ban the production of all chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) by the end of the century.
Regional organisation from 1958 to 1993
The European Economic Community (EEC) was a regional organisation created by the Treaty of Rome of 1957, aiming to foster economic integration among its member states.
1990
Nelson Mandela is elected deputy president of the African National Congress.
President of South Africa from 1994 to 1999
Nelson Rolihlahla Mandela was a South African anti-apartheid activist, statesman, and revolutionary who was the first president of South Africa from 1994 to 1999.
1991
Establishment of Kuwait Democratic Forum, center-left political organization in Kuwait.
Kuwaiti political organization
The Kuwait Democratic Forum is a centre-left political organization founded in 1991. Members include Ahmad Al-Khatib, Abdullah Al-Naibari, and Saleh Al-Mulla.
1991
Battle at Rumaila oil field brings an end to the 1991 Gulf War.
Oil field in Basra, southern Iraq
The Rumaila oil field is a super-giant oil field located in southern Iraq, approximately 50km to the south west of Basra City.
1992
Start of the war in Transnistria.
1990–1992 separatist conflict in Moldova
The Transnistrian War was an armed conflict that broke out on 2 November 1990 in Dubăsari between pro-separatist forces, including the Transnistrian Republican Guard, militia and neo-Cossack units, which were supported…
1992
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.
Country in West Asia
Armenia, officially the Republic of Armenia, is a landlocked country in the Armenian highlands of West Asia.
1995
Researchers at Fermilab announce the discovery of the top quark.
High-energy particle physics laboratory in Illinois, US
Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory is a national laboratory for high-energy particle physics, located in Batavia, Illinois, United States, near Chicago.
1995
Space Shuttle Endeavour launches from the Kennedy Space Center on STS-67, carrying the ASTRO-2 spacelab observatory.
Space Shuttle orbiter (1992–2011)
Space Shuttle Endeavour is a retired orbiter from NASA's Space Shuttle program and the fifth and final operational Shuttle built.
1998
Data sent from the Galileo spacecraft indicates that Jupiter's moon Europa has a liquid ocean under a thick crust of ice.
First NASA mission to orbit Jupiter (1989–2003)
Galileo was an American robotic space probe that studied the planet Jupiter and its moons, as well as the asteroids Gaspra and Ida.
2002
U.S.
invasion of Afghanistan: Operation Anaconda begins, (ending on March 19 after killing 500 Taliban and al-Qaeda fighters, with 11 Western troop fatalities).
The war in Afghanistan was a prolonged armed conflict lasting from 2001 to 2021.
2004
War in Iraq: Al-Qaeda carries out the Ashoura Massacre in Iraq, killing 170 and wounding over 500.
2003–2011 conflict in Iraq
The Iraq War, also referred to as the Second Gulf War, was a protracted armed conflict in Iraq from 2003 to 2011.
2006
In Monterrey, Mexico, a man identified as Diego Santoy Riveroll commits a double murder against two children, followed by an attempted murder of his ex-partner, Erika.
The incident is popularly known as the Cumbres case.
Monterrey is the capital and largest city of the northeastern Mexican state of Nuevo León.
2012
A tornado outbreak occurs over a large section of the Southern United States and into the Ohio Valley region, resulting in 40 tornado-related fatalities.
Windstorms in the southern United States
On March 2 and 3, 2012, a large and deadly tornado outbreak occurred over a large section of the Southern United States into the Ohio Valley region, spawning up to 70 tornadoes in its wake.
2014
The Oscar Selfie, regarded as one of the most influential and important images of all time, is taken at the 86th Academy Awards.
2014 picture and viral tweet
Oscar selfie is the popular name of the selfie taken by actor Bradley Cooper at the 86th Academy Awards in 2014, featuring a variety of celebrities.
2017
The elements Moscovium, Tennessine, and Oganesson are officially added to the periodic table at a conference in Moscow, Russia.
Chemical element with atomic number 115 (Mc)
Moscovium is a synthetic chemical element; it has symbol Mc and atomic number 115.
2022
Russian forces capture the city of Kherson during the Russian invasion of Ukraine, which subsequently began the start of the Russian occupation and military-civilian administration in Kherson.
Kherson is the only regional capital in Ukraine that Russia captured.
The Battle of Kherson took place on 1 March 2022 on the southern front of the Russo-Ukrainian war.
2026
The Lebanese militant group Hezbollah launches several projectiles into northern Israel as a response to the assassination of Ali Khamenei, formally initiating the 2026 Lebanon War.
Islamist movement and militant group based in Lebanon
Hezbollah is a Lebanese Shia Islamist political party with an active paramilitary wing that has been banned by the Lebanese government since March 2026, amid Israel's war on Lebanon.