Discover what happened on April 2 in history, along with notable events that shaped science, exploration, and entertainment.
What Happened on April 2 in History?
Important events on this day include the creation of NASA, the start of Titanic sea trials, and the premiere of 2001: A Space Odyssey.
APRIL 2 – TODAY IN HISTORY:
1792 – Congress passed the Coinage Act to regulate the coins of the United States. The act authorized $10 Eagles, $5 Half Eagles, $2.50 Quarter Eagle gold coins, silver dollars, dollars, quarters, dimes and half-dimes to be minted.
1872 – G.B. Brayton received a patent for the gas-powered streetcar.
1877 – The first Egg Roll was held on the grounds of the White House in Washington, DC.
1881 – J.L. Hudson’s Haberdashery opened in Detroit. It would later become Hudson’s Department Store.
1889 – Charles Hall patented aluminum.
1902 – “The Electric Theatre”, the first full-time movie theater in the U.S., opened in Los Angeles, CA.
1910 – Karl Harris perfected the process for the artificial synthesis of rubber.
1912 – The ill-fated RMS Titanic began sea trials.
1917 – Jeannette Rankin, first women ever elected to Congress, assumed office.
1917 – President Woodrow Wilson presented a declaration of war against Germany to Congress.
1932 – A $50,000 ransom was paid for the infant son of Charles and Anna Lindbergh. The child was not returned and was found dead the next month.
1935 – Sir Watson-Watt was granted a patent for RADAR.
1956 – Television soap operas “The Edge of Night” and “As the World Turns” debuted on CBS.
1958 – The National Advisory Council on Aeronautics was renamed NASA.
1962 – The City of Walker, MI was incorporated.
1963 – Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. began the first nonviolent civil rights campaign in Birmingham, AL.
1964 – Grand Rapids Magazine was founded.
1966 – The first of 850,000 coho salmon were planted into streams emptying into Lake Michigan. Their success has made them the backbone of Michigan open-water sport fishing.
1968 – Stanley Kubrick’s movie “2001: A Space Odyssey” premiered in theaters.
1972 – Burt Reynolds appeared nude in “Cosmopolitan” magazine.
1974 – Robert Opel streaked naked across the stage at the Academy Awards. Actor David Niven remarked: “Just think, the only laugh that man will probably ever get is for stripping and showing his shortcomings.”
1975 – Construction of the CN Tower was completed in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. It reached 1,815.4 feet in height, becoming the world’s tallest free-standing structure.
1977 – A new anti-smoking law banned smoking in grocery stores and required no smoking areas in restaurants.
1978 – The television show “Dallas”, the first of the ultra-popular nighttime soaps about wealth and power, premiered on CBS.
1985 – The NCAA Rules Committee adopted the 45-second shot clock for men’s basketball to begin in the 1986 season.
1987 – The speed limit on interstate highways was increased to 65 miles per hour in limited areas.
1988 – U.S. Special Prosecutor James McKay declined to indict Attorney General Edwin Meese for criminal wrongdoing.
1992 – Mob boss John Gotti was convicted in New York, NY of murder and racketeering. He was later sentenced to life in prison.
1995 – The costliest strike in professional sports history ended when baseball owners agreed to let players play without a contract.
1999 – The first ever floorless roller coaster opened at Six Flags Great Adventure in New Jersey. It was originally called “Medusa”, but has since been renamed “Bizarro”.
2014 – The Supreme Court ruled that limits on the total amount of money individuals can give political candidates and political action committees were unconstitutional.
2014 – A shooting spree occurred at the Fort Hood Army base in Texas. Four people died, including the gunman, with 16 others injured.
2020 – Michigan’s Governor Gretchen Whitmer officially suspended in-person learning for the rest of the school year at K-12 schools across the state due to COVID-19. The state of Michigan ranked 3rd in number of COVID-19 cases and deaths.
2020 – The total number of confirmed COVID-19 cases reached 1 million.
CELEBRITY BIRTHDAYS ON APRIL 2:
Al Weis – 88 years old (1938) – Baseball player
Anthony Lake – 87 years old (1939) – Academic and diplomat, 18th United States National Security Advisor
Dr. Demento – 85 years old (1941) – Radio host
Sonny Throckmorton – 85 years old (1941) – Country singer-songwriter
Bill Malinchak – 82 years old (1944) – Football player
Linda Hunt – 81 years old (1945) – Actress
Reggie Smith – 81 years old (1945) – Baseball player and coach
Anne Waldman – 81 years old (1945) – Poet
Emmylou Harris – 79 years old (1947) – Singer-songwriter and guitarist
Camille Paglia – 79 years old (1947) – Author and critic
Daniel Okrent – 78 years old (1948) – Journalist and author
Joan D. Vinge – 78 years old (1948) – Author
Paul Gambaccini – 77 years old (1949) – American-English radio and television host
Pamela Reed – 77 years old (1949) – Actress
David Robinson – 77 years old (1949) – Drummer
Lynn Westmoreland – 76 years old (1950) – Politician
Gregory Abbott – 72 years old (1954) – Singer-songwriter and producer
Donald Petrie – 72 years old (1954) – Actor and director
Larry Drew – 68 years old (1958) – Basketball player and coach
David Frankel – 67 years old (1959) – Director, producer, and screenwriter
Buddy Jewell – 65 years old (1961) – Singer-songwriter
Christopher Meloni – 65 years old (1961) – Actor
Billy Dean – 64 years old (1962) – Singer-songwriter and guitarist
Clark Gregg – 64 years old (1962) – Actor
Pete Incaviglia – 62 years old (1964) – Baseball player and coach
Jonathon Sharkey – 62 years old (1964) – Wrestler
Bill Romanowski – 60 years old (1966) – Football player and actor
Greg Camp – 59 years old (1967) – Singer-songwriter and guitarist
Phil Demmel – 59 years old (1967) – Guitarist and songwriter
Zane Lamprey – 54 years old (1972) – Actor, director, producer, and screenwriter
Roselyn Sánchez – 53 years old (1973) – Puerto Rican-American actress
Randy Livingston – 51 years old (1975) – Basketball player
Pedro Pascal – 51 years old (1975) – Chilean and American actor
Drew Van Acker – 40 years old (1986) – Actor, model and producer
Jesse Plemons – 38 years old (1988) – Actor
Quavo – 35 years old (1991) – Rapper
Zack Steffen – 31 years old (1995) – Soccer player
Zach Bryan – 30 years old (1996) – Singer-songwriter
Dillon Bassett – 29 years old (1997) – Race car driver
Austin Riley – 29 years old (1997) – Baseball player
Emma Myers – 24 years old (2002) – Actress
DAYS OF THE YEAR FOR APRIL 2:
No events found for this date.
For additional information check out websites like: www.on-this-day.com, www.born-today.com, www.famousbirthdays.com, and www.daysoftheyear.com.
