What Happened On
Representatives of the Empire of Japan on board USS Missouri during surrender ceremonies
Representatives of the Empire of Japan on board USS Missouri during surrender ceremonies
World War II - Japan Signs Surrender Terms
September 2, 1945
After announcing their surrender two weeks earlier, Japan signs the formal surrender terms aboard the battleship USS Missouri.
Speak Softly and Carry a Big Stick
September 2, 1901
Expressing his desire for a strong foreign policy, U.S. Vice President (soon to be President) Theodore Roosevelt makes his famous proclamation, "Speak Softly and Carry a Big Stick."
Roosevelt would become President two weeks later after the assassination of President McKinley. At age 42, this made Roosevelt the youngest U.S. President.
Note: John F. Kennedy was 43 years old when he became president, making him the youngest person elected U.S. president.
Great Fire of London
September 2, 1666
More than 13,000 homes were destroyed along with St. Paul's Cathedral. The fire burned for four days, destroying the homes of 70,000 of the city's 80,000 inhabitants. The fire started in a bakery; however, rumors of foreigners having set the fires caused them to be victims of lynchings and street violence.
Hurricane Katrina - Heck of a Job Brownie
September 2, 2005
U.S. President George W. Bush commends FEMA director Michael Brown, "Brownie, you're doing a heck of a job." The previous day the FEMA director stated that he was unaware that people were trapped in the New Orleans Convention Center (Apparently he didn't have access to a TV set).
Robocop
September 2, 1993
A five-hour standoff between Maryland police and a man who had killed his girlfriend is ended when a 3-foot tall remote-controlled robot enters the armed man's home and disables him with a water blast, allowing the police to enter.
5½-Year Horseback Ride
September 2, 1993
Two men complete their horseback journey from the southern tip of South America to the Arctic Circle. They had started out in February of 1988.
Chess
September 2, 1992
Bobby Fischer and Boris Spassky begin their controversial $5,000,000 chess rematch. Fischer won a month later, 10 games to 5.
Baltic States
September 2, 1991
The U.S. Recognizes the independence of the Baltic states Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania.
Vietnam Independence
September 2, 1945
Ho Chi Minh declares Vietnam an independent republic, naming himself as president.
Civil War
September 2, 1864
General William Tecumseh Sherman (Union) takes Atlanta, after four weeks of fighting.
U.S. Department of Treasury
September 2, 1789
U.S. Department of Treasury is established.
Gregorian Calendar Adopted by Great Britain
September 2, 1752
This included the American colonies. The following day became September 14. Also, New Year's Day was moved from March 25th to January 1st.
Birthdays
Christa McAuliffe
Born September 2, 1948 d. 1986
American high school teacher. She died in the Challenger disaster. She would have been the first ordinary citizen in space.
She had been selected from more than 11,000 applicants to the NASA Teacher in Space Project and was scheduled to become the first teacher to fly in space, but was killed along with the other astronauts in the Challenger disaster.
Keanu Reeves as Neo in The Matrix
Keanu Reeves as Neo in The Matrix
Keanu Reeves
Born September 2, 1964
Canadian actor. Film: Bill and Ted's Excellent Adventure (1989, Ted), Bram Stoker's Dracula (1993, Jonathan), The Matrix (1993, Neo), and The Devil's Advocate (1997).
Linda Purl
Born September 2, 1955
American actress. TV: Matlock (Charlene).
Jimmy Connors
Born September 2, 1952
American tennis player, ranked #1 in world (1974-78). He has won the U.S. Open five times and Wimbledon twice.
Mark Harmon
Born September 2, 1951
American actor. TV: St. Elsewhere (AIDS victim Dr. Caldwell).
Terry Bradshaw
Born September 2, 1948
American football quarterback, Hall-of-Famer, two-time Super Bowl MVP (1979-80). He led Pittsburgh to four Super Bowl titles.
Twinkie Murderer
Daniel James White
Born September 2, 1946 d. 1985
American assassin. In 1978, he killed Harvey Milk and San Francisco Mayor George Moscone. At his trial, White claimed diminished capacity due to depression caused by a diet of junk food and sugary drinks. This has become known as the "Twinkie Defense". Even though he avoided metal detectors, which would have detected his gun and 10 rounds of ammunition, by entering the building through a side window and later stated he intended to kill two other people as well, he was only convicted of voluntary manslaughter rather than first-degree murder and sentenced to seven years in prison. He served five years in prison before being paroled, but committed suicide less than two years later.
White had resigned from the San Francisco Board of Supervisors, but then applied for reappointment. White was angry because Moscone and Milk had opposed his reappointment.
Billy Preston
Born September 2, 1946 d. 2006
American singer, songwriter. Music: Will It Go Round in Circles (1973) and Nothing from Nothing (1974).
Hal Ashby
Born September 2, 1929 d. 1988
American Oscar-winning editor, director. Film: In the Heat of the Night (1967, Oscar for Film Editing), Harold and Maude (1971), and Shampoo (1975).
Cleveland Amory
Born September 2, 1917 d. 1998
American author, animal rights activist, founder of Fund for Animals (1967). Writings: The Cat Who Came for Christmas and The Cat and the Curmudgeon.
Frederick Soddy
Born September 2, 1877 d. 1956
English chemist, formed the theory of isotopes and won the 1921 Nobel Prize for chemistry.
Spalding Sports Equipment
Albert Goodwill Spalding
Born September 2, 1850 d. 1915
American Hall of Fame baseball player. As manager of the Chicago club, he won the first National League Pennant (1876). He and his brother founded the sporting goods company bearing their name (1876).
Lili'uokalani (Lydia Lili'u Loloku Walania Wewehi Kamaka'eha)
Born September 2, 1838 d. 1917
Hawaiian Queen (1891-93). She was the last Hawaiian monarch. She also wrote the song Aloha Oe (Farewell to Thee).
Kirkpatrick Macmillan
Born September 2, 1812 d. 1878
Scottish blacksmith. He is credited with inventing the rear-wheel-driven bicycle (1839), although many historians believe Thomas McCall was the inventor.
Deaths
Bob Denver
Died September 2, 2005 b. 1935
American actor. TV: The Many Loves of Dobie Gillis (1959-63, beatnik Maynard G. Krebs) and Gilligan's Island (1964-67, Gilligan).
Trivia: What was Gilligan's first name? Answer…
Sgt. York (Alvin Cullum York)
Died September 2, 1964 b. 1887
American World War I hero. In 1918 during the Meuse-Argonne offensive, he killed 25 members of a German machine-gun battalion and captured 132 others.
He had originally applied for conscientious objector status, but was denied.
Christiaan Barnard
Died September 2, 2001 b. 1922
South African surgeon. He performed the first successful human heart transplant (1967). The patient survived for 18 days.
J.R.R. Tolkien (John Ronald Reuel Tolkien)
Died September 2, 1973 b. 1892
British author. Writings: The Hobbit (1937) and The Lord of the Rings (1954). He also worked on the first edition of the Oxford English Dictionary.
Ho Chi Minh
Died September 2, 1969 b. 1890
Vietnamese leader. Founder and first president of North Vietnam (1954-69).
Baron Pierre de Coubertin
Died September 2, 1937 b. 1863
French educator, historian. He revived the Olympic games in 1896.