A Brief History
This article presents a chronological list of notable events that happened on October 2nd. For each date below, please click on the date to be taken to an article covering that date’s event.
Digging Deeper
On October 2, 1187, one of history’s most significant sieges ended: The Siege of Jerusalem in which Saladin captured Jerusalem after 88 years of Crusader rule.
On October 2, 1789, President George Washington sent to the States for ratification a list of Amendments to the Constitution, a list we now refer to as “The Bill of Rights.”
On October 2, 1864, US Army troops fought Confederate regulars and Home Guard troops at Saltville, Virginia, a Confederate victory that ended in a massacre of captured and wounded Union soldiers.
On October 2, 1869, Mahatma Gandhi (d. 1948), Indian freedom fighter, activist, and philosopher, was born.
From October 2, 1919 and for some weeks afterwards, First Lady Edith Wilson (October 15, 1872 — December 28, 1961) unofficially ran the U.S. government following her husband’s (then President Woodrow Wilson’s) life-changing stroke.
On October 2, 1919, First Lady of the United States (U.S.), Edith Wilson, the wife of President Woodrow Wilson, unofficially ran the U.S. government following her husband’s (then President Woodrow Wilson’s) life-changing stroke.
On October 2, 1942, the Royal Navy teamed up with the Cunard White Star Line to pull off yet another of Naval History’s great “Oops” moments.
On October 2, 1959, the television anthology series, The Twilight Zone, made its debut on CBS television.
On October 2, 1980, Michael Myers was expelled from Congress; the first person to suffer that indignity since the Civil War.
On October 2, 2006, a mentally disturbed 32 year old man went to an Amish schoolhouse in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania (often described as the “Capital” of Amish Country) and proceeded to shoot 11 people, of which six died, including himself.
On October 2, 2023, Americans celebrated National Name Your Car Day.
Question for students (and subscribers) to ponder: Which event that occurred on today’s date would you like to learn more about?
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Historical Evidence
For more information, please see…
Andrews, John and Matt Baker. Timeline of World History. Thunder Bay Press, 2020.
You can also watch video versions of this article on YouTube.