What Happened on Oct 2

Reign of Chongzhen Emperor: The 16th Emperor of the Ming Dynasty

The Chongzhen Emperor (traditional Chinese: 崇禎; pinyin: Chóngzhēn; Wade-Giles: Ch'ung-chen/old spelling: Ch'ung-cheng) (February 6, 1611 - April... Read more

Benjamin Franklin and Partner Buy Pennsylvania Gazette

Franklin and a partner bought the newspaper in 1729. A year later the partner resigned, leaving Franklin as the sole publisher. Under Franklin’s... Read more

Major John André Is Hanged

On October 2, 1780, British intelligence officer Major John André was hanged as a spy in Tappan, New York. Captured on his return to New York City... Read more

Battle of Gonzales

The Battle of Gonzales was the first military engagement of the Texas Revolution. It was fought near Gonzales, Texas, on October 2, 1835, between... Read more

Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi is Born in Gujarat, India

Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi was born in Porbandar, a coastal town in present-day Gujarat, India, on 2 October 1869. His father, Karamchand Gandhi... Read more

Addie Joss Pitches a Perfect Game

Addie Joss was born in the unincorporated community of Woodland in Dodge County, Wisconsin, where his father was a cheese maker. Several of his... Read more

"The Pawnshop" (film) is Released

The Pawnshop was Charlie Chaplin's sixth film for Mutual Film Company. Chaplin played the role of assistant to the pawnshop owner. Henry Bergman... Read more

1919 World Series, Game 2

Although they had not received their money, the players were still willing to go through with the fix. "Lefty" Williams, the starting pitcher in... Read more

"Faurot Field" Is Opened

Faurot Field (pronounced /fɔˈroʊ/) at Memorial Stadium is the home field of the University of Missouri Tigers in Columbia, Missouri. It is... Read more

1926 World Series

The 1926 World Series was the championship series of the 1926 Major League Baseball (MLB) season, featuring the St. Louis Cardinals against the New... Read more

1935 World Series

The 1935 World Series featured the Detroit Tigers and the Chicago Cubs, with the Tigers winning in six games for their first championship in five... Read more

Battle of Kock (1939)

On 30 September, the commander of 10th Army, Walther von Reichenau, ordered his staff to plan the destruction of a large Polish force which was... Read more

1940 World Series

The 1940 World Series matched the Cincinnati Reds against the Detroit Tigers, with the Reds winning the Series in seven games for their second... Read more

"One Foot In Heaven" Is Released

One Foot in Heaven is a 1941 biographical film which follows the life of a minister and his family as they move from parish to parish. It stars... Read more

Battle of Moscow Begins

The Battle of Moscow (Russian: Битва под Москвой, Romanized: Bitva pod Moskvoy, German: Schlacht um Moskau) is the name given by Soviet historians... Read more

Loss of HMS Curacoa

On 2 October 1942, she was escorting the ocean liner RMS Queen Mary carrying nearly 20,000 American troops of the 29th Infantry Division to join... Read more

Capitulation of Remaining Polish Forces in Warsaw

On October 2 General Tadeusz Bór-Komorowski signed the capitulation of the remaining Polish forces (Warszawski Korpus Armii Krajowej or Home Army... Read more

First Canadian Army Begins Advance North from Antwerp

On October 2, the 2nd Canadian Division began its advance north from Antwerp. Stiff fighting at Woensdrecht ensued on October 6, the objective of... Read more

Bukken Bruse Disaster

The Bukken Bruse disaster was the crash of a flying boat upon landing at Hommelvika in Malvik municipality, nearby Trondheim, Trøndelag, Norway, on... Read more

Edward R. Murrow Begins Hosting 'Person To Person'

Person to Person was a popular television program in the United States that ran from 1953 to 1961. Well-respected news reporter Edward R. Murrow... Read more

"The Bridge On The River Kwai" Is Released

The Bridge on the River Kwai is a 1957 British World War II film by David Lean based on the novel The Bridge over the River Kwai by French writer... Read more

1957 World Series

The 1957 World Series featured the defending champions, the New York Yankees (American League), playing against the Milwaukee Braves (National... Read more

Johnny Carson takes over as host of The Tonight Show

Johnny Carson premiered as the new host of The Tonight Show today. His first late-night guests included Joan Crawford, Tony Bennett and Mel Brooks.... Read more

1963 World Series

The 1963 World Series matched the two-time defending champion New York Yankees against the Los Angeles Dodgers, with the Dodgers sweeping the... Read more

Thurgood Marshall Is Sworn In As A Supreme Court Justice

On October 2, 1967, Thurgood Marshall was sworn in as a Supreme Court justice. Long before President Lyndon Johnson appointed him the first... Read more