Major Events
- 366 The Alamanni cross the frozen Rhine River in large numbers, invading the Roman Empire
- 1492 Muhammad XII, the last Emir of Granada, surrenders his city to Ferdinand II of Aragon and Isabel I of Castile, ending both the Reconquista and centuries of Muslim rule in the Iberian peninsula
- 1570 Tsar Ivan the Terrible's march to Novgorod begins
- 1905 In Chicago, Illinois, a conference of 23 industrial trade unionists issues the 'Industrial Union Manifesto' calling for a convention to be held in Chicago in June, laying the groundwork for the formation of Industrial Workers of the World (IWW)
- 1942 World War II: The 28 nations at war with the Axis powers pledge to make no separate peace deals
- 1947 Mahatma Gandhi begins march for peace in East Bengal
- More January 2 Events
Jan 2 in Film & TV
- 1955 1st "Bob Cummings Show" premieres on NBC (later on CBS)
Jan 2 in Music
- 1843 Richard Wagner's opera "The Flying Dutchman" premieres in Dresden, Germany
Jan 2 in Sport
- 1982 "The Epic in Miami", in 85 degree heat (Fahrenheit), the San Diego Chargers defeat the Miami Dolphins 41-38 in overtime in the AFC Divisional Playoff Game, a game that set numerous playoff scoring records
Did You Know?
Willis Carrier receives a US patent for the world's first air conditioner
James Wolfe
Alice Mary Robertson
Isaac Asimov
Jim Bakker
Tommy Morrison
Gabrielle Carteris
Cuba Gooding Jr.
Christy Turlington
Roger Miller
Bryson Tiller
David Cone
François Pienaar
Fun Fact About January 2
Record 19.2 feet alligator shot in Louisiana by American businessman Edward Avery McIlhenny
Famous Weddings
- 1815 Leading Romantic poet Lord Byron (27) marries Anne Isabella Milbanke (22) by special licence, at Seaham Hall in County Durham
- 1845 Explorer and medical missionary David Livingstone (31) weds Mary Moffat
- 1890 Physicist J. J. Thomson (33) weds Rose Elisabeth Paget
More January 2 Weddings
James Longstreet
Emil Jannings
Fausto Coppi
Erroll Garner
Bill Veeck
Alan Hale Jr.Articles, Photos and Quiz
Completion of the Reconquista
The Surrender of Granada by Francisco Pradilla Ortiz: Ferdinand II of Aragon and Isabella I of Castile accept the surrender of Granada
January 2, 1492
Lunar 1 (Mechta)
Luna 1 as exhibited in the "Kosmos" pavilion of the Exhibition of Achievements of National Economy of the USSR
January 2, 1959
'The Most Famous of All Streaks'
Erika Roe bounced into the history books on this day when, topless, she skipped onto the pitch at a rugby game to the roar of 60,000 cheering spectators.
January 2, 1982
