March 2 in History

Historical Events on March 2

1776 American Revolutionary War: Patriot militia units arrest the Royal Governor of Georgia James Wright and attempt to prevent capture of supply ships in the Battle of the Rice Boats.

1941 World War II: First German military units enter Bulgaria after it joins the Axis Pact.

1943 World War II: Battle of the Bismarck Sea: United States and Australian forces sink Japanese convoy ships.

1961 John F. Kennedy announces the creation of the Peace Corps in a nationally televised broadcast.

1962 In Burma, the army led by General Ne Win seizes power in a coup d'état.

1977 Libya becomes the Socialist People's Libyan Arab Jamahiriya as the General People's Congress adopted the "Declaration on the Establishment of the Authority of the People".

1990 Nelson Mandela is elected deputy President of the African National Congress.

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).

2004 War in Iraq: Al-Qaeda carries out the Ashoura Massacre in Iraq, killing 170 and wounding over 500.

All Events

Famous Birthdays on March 2

1876 Pope Pius XII

1931 Mikhail Gorbachev

1962 Gabriele Tarquini

1982 Ben Roethlisberger

All Births

Famous Deaths on March 2

1619 Anne of Denmark

1791 John Wesley

1982 Philip K. Dick

1999 Dusty Springfield

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