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On this dayNovember 2

Through history49 events, 189 births and 92 deaths in Wikipedia's lists for the date

Today

A hundred years before

The front pages of November 2, 1926

What 27 American newspapers printed that day, as the Library of Congress keeps them.

MEDIA
The front page of The Montgomery advertiser, Montgomery, Ala., November 2, 1926The Montgomery advertiserMontgomery, Ala.Read it, zoom in, mark it →
18 more front pages that day

All 27 front pages at the Library of Congress ↗From Chronicling America. Public domain: in the Library's words, newspapers published in the United States more than 95 years ago are in the public domain in their entirety.

What happened

On November 2

The anniversaries Wikipedia's editors chose for the date, oldest first.

REFERENCE
  1. 6191,407 years ago

    Emperor Gaozu of Tang allowed the assassination of a khagan of the Western Turkic Khaganate by Eastern Turkic rivals, one of the earliest events in the Tang campaigns against the Western Turks. · Great Khan · Göktürks

    Photo: author on the file pagePublic domain
  2. 1880146 years ago

    James A. Garfield was elected as president of the United States; the election is the closest to date by popular vote margin. · 1880 United States presidential election · List of United States presidential elections by popular vote margin

    Photo: author on the file pagePublic domain
  3. 1917109 years ago

    The British government issued the Balfour Declaration in support of a Jewish homeland in Palestine, then an Ottoman region with a small Jewish minority. · Homeland for the Jewish people · Ottoman Empire

    Photo: United Kingdom Government signed by Arthur BalfourPublic domain
  4. 193294 years ago

    The Australian military began a "war against emus", flightless native birds blamed for widespread damage to crops in Western Australia. · Australian Defence Force · Emu War

  5. 194383 years ago

    World War II: A U.S. Navy task force turned away an Imperial Japanese Navy formation at the Battle of Empress Augusta Bay, thus protecting the landings at Cape Torokina. · World War II · United States Navy

    Photo: Richard OpitzCC BY-SA 3.0 de
  6. 194977 years ago

    The Dutch–Indonesian Round Table Conference ended with the Netherlands agreeing to transfer sovereignty of the Dutch East Indies to the United States of Indonesia.

    Photo: Daan Noske / AnefoCC0
  7. 195769 years ago

    A large number of people witnessed a fiery object in the sky near Levelland, Texas, which the United States Air Force said was ball lightning. · Levelland UFO case

  8. 196363 years ago

    President Ngô Đình Diệm of South Vietnam was assassinated, marking the culmination of a coup d'état led by Dương Văn Minh. · Ngo Dinh Diem · Arrest and assassination of Ngo Dinh Diem

    Photo: Press and Information Office, Embassy of the Republic of Vietnam,…Public domain
  9. 198442 years ago

    The serial killer Velma Barfield became the first woman to be executed in the United States since 1962. · Capital punishment in the United States

  10. 199432 years ago

    A lightning strike ruptured three oil tanks near Dronka, Egypt, causing a flood that killed 469 people. · 1994 Durunka floods and lightning strike · Durunka

  11. 199729 years ago

    Tropical Storm Linda made landfall in the Mekong Delta in Vietnam, causing more than 3,000 deaths.

    Photo: The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, NCDCPublic domain
  12. 200026 years ago

    As members of Expedition 1, American astronaut William Shepherd and Russian cosmonauts Sergei Krikalev and Yuri Gidzenko (all pictured) became the first resident crew to arrive at the International Space Station. · Expedition 1

    Photo: NASAPublic domain
  13. 200818 years ago

    Lewis Hamilton overtook Timo Glock in the final corners of the Brazilian Grand Prix to win the Formula One championship by one point. · 2008 Brazilian Grand Prix · List of Formula One World Drivers' Champions

All 49 events Wikipedia lists for November 2, by year

Reading the list…

Born

On November 2

The best-known first, counted by the Wikipedia languages with an article on each.

REFERENCE
  1. 1795James K. PolkAmerican lawyer and politician, 11th President of the United States (died 1849)144 languagesPhoto: James_Polk.jpg : Brady, Mathew B., 1823 (ca.)-1896, photographer.…Public domain
  2. 1865Warren G. HardingAmerican journalist and politician, 29th President of the United States (died 1923)141 languagesPhoto: Harris & Ewing, photographerPublic domain
  3. 1965Shah Rukh KhanIndian film actor, producer and television host136 languages
  1. 1755Marie Antoinette, Austrian-French queen consort of Louis XVI of France (died 1793)134
  2. 1815George Boole, English mathematician and philosopher (died 1864)94
  3. 1911Odysseas Elytis, Greek poet and critic, Nobel Prize laureate (died 1996)86
  4. 1913Burt Lancaster, American actor (died 1994)84
  5. 1963Borut Pahor, Slovenian lawyer and politician, 4th President of Slovenia80
  6. 1844Mehmed V, Ottoman sultan (died 1918)73
  7. 1906Luchino Visconti, Italian director and screenwriter (died 1976)73
  8. 1966David Schwimmer, American actor70
  9. 1470Edward V, King of England (died 1483)68
  10. 971Mahmud of Ghazni (died 1030)66
  11. 1929Richard E. Taylor, Canadian physicist and academic, Nobel Prize laureate (died 2018)66
  12. 1938Queen Sofía of Spain, Queen Consort of King Juan Carlos of Spain61
  13. 1847Georges Sorel, French philosopher and author (died 1922)54
  14. 1808Jules Amédée Barbey d'Aurevilly, French author and critic (died 1889)53
  15. 1885Harlow Shapley, American astronomer and academic (died 1972)53
  16. 1892Alice Brady, American actress (died 1939)52
  17. 1699Jean-Baptiste-Siméon Chardin, French painter and educator (died 1779)51
  18. 1974Nelly, American rapper51
  19. 1980Diego Lugano, Uruguayan footballer50
  20. 1981Esha Deol is an Indian actress who appears in Hindi films.49
  21. 1946Alan Jones, Australian race car driver and sportscaster48
Everyone else born on November 2: 165 more, by year

Reading the list…

Died

On November 2

The best-known first, counted by the Wikipedia languages with an article on each.

REFERENCE
  1. 1950George Bernard ShawIrish author, playwright, and critic, Nobel Prize laureate (born 1856)187 languagesPhoto: Alvin Langdon CoburnPD-US
  2. 1975Pier Paolo PasoliniItalian actor, director, and screenwriter (born 1922)96 languagesPhoto: author on the file pagePublic domain
  3. 1966Peter DebyeDutch-American physicist and chemist, Nobel Prize laureate (born 1884)79 languages
  1. 19631963 South Vietnamese coup72
  2. 1887Jenny Lind, Swedish operatic soprano (born 1820)62
  3. 2004Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan, the 1st president and founder of the UAE (born 1918)58
  4. 2004Theo van Gogh, Dutch actor, director, and producer (born 1957)56
  5. 1083Matilda of Flanders, Queen Consort of England (born 1031)52
  6. 1961James Thurber, American humorist and cartoonist (born 1894)44
  7. 1996Eva Cassidy, American singer (born 1963)41
  8. 1944Thomas Midgley Jr., American chemist and engineer (born 1889)34
  9. 1960Dimitri Mitropoulos, Greek conductor and composer (born 1896)33
  10. 1905Albert von Kölliker, Swiss anatomist and physiologist (born 1817)32
  11. 1992Hal Roach, American actor, director, producer, and screenwriter (born 1892)32
  12. 1148Saint Malachy (born 1094)30
  13. 1930Viggo Jensen, Danish weightlifter, target shooter, and gymnast (born 1874)30
  14. 1966Mississippi John Hurt, American singer-songwriter and guitarist (born 1892)29
  15. 2005Ferruccio Valcareggi, Italian footballer and manager (born 1919)29
  16. 2007Igor Moiseyev, Russian dancer and choreographer (born 1906)29
  17. 2014Veljko Kadijević, Croatian general and politician, 5th Federal Secretary of People's Defence (born 1925)28
  18. 2012Han Suyin, Chinese-Swiss physician and author (born 1916)27
  19. 2014Acker Bilk, English singer and clarinet player (born 1929)27
  20. 2018Raymond Chow, Hong Kong film producer (born 1927)27
  21. 2024Alan Rachins, American actor (born 1942)27
Everyone else died on November 2: 68 more, by year

Reading the list…

Observed

On November 2

Holidays, feast days and observances, as Wikipedia lists them for the date.

REFERENCE

Christian feast day

Events, births, deaths and observances are Wikipedia's On this day for November 2, in its editors' words (CC BY-SA 4.0); the counts of languages are Wikidata's (CC0). Dates are the UTC day, as Wikipedia keeps them. Discover brings one of these at a time.