Summary of the Day ✨ 2 May (02/05)
On this date in history, tragedy struck both in Afghanistan with devastating mudslides leaving thousands missing and in Burma with Cyclone Nargis claiming over 138,000 lives, while also witnessing significant moments including the death of Osama bin Laden in a US military operation and a record-breaking art auction where Munch’s The Scream sold for $120 million.
Historical Events 📜
- 2014: Two mudslides in Badakhshan, Afghanistan, leave up to 2,500 people missing.
- 2012: A pastel version of The Scream, by Norwegian painter Edvard Munch, sells for $120 million in a New York City auction, setting a new world record for a work of art at auction.
- 2011: Osama bin Laden, the suspected mastermind behind the September 11 attacks and the FBI’s most wanted man, is killed by the United States Navy SEALs in Abbottabad, Pakistan.
- 2011: An E. coli outbreak strikes Europe, mostly in Germany, leaving more than 30 people dead and many others are taken ill.
- 2008: Cyclone Nargis makes landfall in Burma killing over 138,000 people and leaving millions of people homeless.
- 2008: Chaitén Volcano begins erupting in Chile, forcing the evacuation of more than 4,500 people.
- 2004: The Yelwa massacre concludes. It began on 4 February 2004 when armed Muslims killed 78 Christians at Yelwa, Nigeria. In response, about 630 Muslims were killed by Christians on May 2.
- 2000: President Bill Clinton announces that accurate GPS access would no longer be restricted to the United States military.
- 1999: Panamanian general election: Mireya Moscoso becomes the first woman to be elected President of Panama.
- 1998: The European Central Bank is founded in Brussels in order to define and execute the European Union’s monetary policy.
- 1995: During the Croatian War of Independence, the Army of the Republic of Serb Krajina fires cluster bombs at Zagreb, killing seven and wounding over 175 civilians.
- 1989: Cold War: Hungary begins dismantling its border fence with Austria, which allows a number of East Germans to defect.
- 1986: Chernobyl disaster: The City of Chernobyl is evacuated six days after the disaster.
- 1982: Falklands War: The British nuclear submarine HMS Conqueror sinks the Argentine cruiser ARA General Belgrano.
- 1972: In the early morning hours a fire breaks out at the Sunshine Mine located between Kellogg and Wallace, Idaho, killing 91 workers.
Famous Births 👶
- 2015: Princess Charlotte of Wales, British royal, and third in line to the British throne
- 1997: BamBam, Thai singer
- 1996: Cherprang Areekul, Thai singer
- 1996: Julian Brandt, German footballer
- 1996: Schuyler Bailar, American swimmer
- 1995: Lucy Dacus, American singer-songwriter
- 1993: Owain Doull, Welsh track cyclist
- 1993: Isyana Sarasvati, Indonesian singer
- 1993: Huang Zitao, Chinese singer and rapper
- 1992: Sunmi, South Korean singer
- 1992: María Teresa Torró Flor, Spanish tennis player
- 1991: Jeong Jinwoon, South Korean actor and singer
- 1991: Jonathan Villar, Dominican baseball player
- 1990: Kay Panabaker, American actress
- 1990: Paul George, American basketball player
Notable Deaths 🕊️
- 2025: Ricky Davao, Filipino actor and director (born 1961)
- 2025: George Ryan, American politician, 39th Governor of Illinois (born 1934)
- 2024: Sjoukje Dijkstra, Dutch figure skater (born 1942)
- 2024: Darius Morris, American basketball player (born 1991)
- 2024: Peter Oosterhuis, English golfer and broadcaster (born 1948)
- 2021: Marcel Stellman, Belgian record producer and lyricist (born 1925)
- 2020: Arif Wazir, Pakistani politician, leader of the Pashtun Tahafuz Movement (born 1982)
- 2016: Afeni Shakur, American music businesswoman, activist, and Black Panther (born 1947)
- 2015: Stuart Archer, English colonel and architect (born 1915)
- 2015: Michael Blake, American author and screenwriter (born 1945)
- 2015: Guy Carawan, American singer and musicologist (born 1927)
- 2015: Maya Plisetskaya, Russian-Lithuanian ballerina, choreographer, actress, and director (born 1925)
- 2015: Ruth Rendell, English author (born 1930)
- 2014: Tomás Balduino, Brazilian bishop (born 1922)
- 2014: Žarko Petan, Slovenian director, playwright, and screenwriter (born 1929)
Holidays & Observances 🎉
- Christian feast day:
Ahudemmeh (Syriac Orthodox Church). - Christian feast day:
Athanasius of Alexandria (Western Christianity) - Christian feast day:
Bolesław Strzelecki (Catholic Church) - Christian feast day:
Boris I of Bulgaria (Bulgarian Orthodox Church) - Christian feast day:
Germanus of Normandy - Christian feast day:
Joseph Luu Van Nguyen (Catholic Church) - Christian feast day:
Wiborada (Catholic Church) - Christian feast day:
William Tirry (Catholic Church) - Christian feast day:
May 2 (Eastern Orthodox liturgics) - The last day of the Festival of Ridván (Baháʼí Faith) (this date is non-Gregorian and may change according to the March equinox, see List of observances set by the Baháʼí calendar)
- Anniversary of the Dos de Mayo Uprising (Community of Madrid, Spain)
- Birth Anniversary of Third Druk Gyalpo (Bhutan)
- Flag Day (Poland)
- Indonesia National Education Day
- Teachers’ Day (Iran) (this date is non-Gregorian and may change according to the March Equinox, see List of observances set by the Solar Hijri calendar)