On This Day: 2 March

2 March in world history

• 2017A naming ceremony for the chemical elements moscovium, tennessine, and oganesson took place at the Russian Academy of Sciences in Moscow.
• 2014The Oscar selfie, considered to be one of the most influential photographs of all time, was taken at the 86th Academy Awards ceremony.
• 2004War in Iraq: Al-Qaeda carries out the Ashoura Massacre in Iraq, killing 170 and wounding over 500.
• 2002U.S. invasion of Afghanistan: Operation Anaconda begins, (ending on March 19 after killing 500 Taliban and al-Qaeda fighters, with 11 Western troop fatalities).
• 1992Armenia, Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Moldova, San Marino, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan, all of which (except San Marino) were former Soviet republics, join the United Nations.
• 1989Twelve European Community nations agree to ban the production of all chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) by the end of the century.
• 1977Libya becomes the Socialist People's Libyan Arab Jamahiriya as the General People's Congress adopts the "Declaration on the Establishment of the Authority of the People".
• 1970Rhodesia declares itself a republic, breaking its last links with the British crown.
• 1969The maiden flight of Concorde, the Anglo-French supersonic jet, was conducted in Toulouse, France using a prototype aircraft with the registration F-WTSS.
• 1965Vietnam War: The American and South Vietnamese air forces began Operation Rolling Thunder, a sustained bombing campaign against North Vietnam that eventually became the most intense air–ground battle waged during the Cold War period.
• 1962Playing for the Philadelphia Warriors, American basketball player Wilt Chamberlain scored 100 points in a game against the New York Knicks, which remains an NBA record.
• 1933The film King Kong premieres in Radio City Music Hall and RKO Roxy in New York City.
• 1917The enactment of the Jones–Shafroth Act grants Puerto Ricans United States citizenship.
• 1877Just two days before inauguration, the U.S. Congress declares Rutherford B. Hayes the winner of the 1876 U.S. presidential election even though Samuel J. Tilden had won the popular vote.
• 1836Texas Revolution: At a convention of delegates in Washington-on-the-Brazos, the Mexican state of Texas adopted a declaration of independence, establishing the Republic of Texas.
• 1811Argentine War of Independence: A royalist fleet defeats a small flotilla of revolutionary ships in the Battle of San Nicolás on the River Plate.
• 1776American Revolutionary War: Patriot militiamen from Georgia and South Carolina attempted to resist the British action to seize and remove supply ships anchored at Savannah, Georgia.
• 1484The College of Arms, one of the few remaining official heraldic authorities in Europe, was incorporated by royal charter in the City of London.

Born on 2 March

• 1990Tiger Shroff, Indian actorIndia
• 1989Marcel Hirscher, Austrian skier
• 1942Mir-Hossein Mousavi, Iranian architect and politician, 79th Prime Minister of Iran
• 1938Ricardo Lagos, Chilean economist, lawyer, and politician, 33rd President of Chile
• 1931Mikhail Gorbachev, Russian lawyer and politician, the 8th and final leader of the Soviet Union, Nobel Prize laureate (died 2022)
• 1905Marc Blitzstein, American composer and songwriter (died 1964)

Died on 2 March

• 2015Dave Mackay, Scottish-English footballer and manager (born 1934)
• 2000Sandra Schmirler, Canadian curler (born 1963)
• 1949Sarojini Naidu, Indian poet and activist (born 1879)India
• 1938Ben Harney, American pianist and composer (born 1871)

Frequently asked questions

What happened on 2 March in history?

2017: A naming ceremony for the chemical elements moscovium, tennessine, and oganesson took place at the Russian Academy of Sciences in Moscow. 2014: The Oscar selfie, considered to be one of the most influential photographs of all time, was taken at the 86th Academy Awards ceremony. 2004: War in Iraq: Al-Qaeda carries out the Ashoura Massacre in Iraq, killing 170 and wounding over 500. 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).

Which famous people were born on 2 March?

Tiger Shroff, Indian actor (1990); Marcel Hirscher, Austrian skier (1989); Mir-Hossein Mousavi, Iranian architect and politician, 79th Prime Minister of Iran (1942); Ricardo Lagos, Chilean economist, lawyer, and politician, 33rd President of Chile (1938).

Which day is observed on 2 March?

Air Force Day (Sri Lanka); Baloch Culture Day (Balochistan); Feast of 'Alá (Loftiness), First day of the 19th month of the Baháʼí calendar (Baháʼí Faith) and first day of the Baháʼí Nineteen Day Fast; National Read Across America Day (United States); Peasants' Day (Myanmar).