April 2 is the 92nd day of the year (93rd in Leap Year s) in the Gregorian Calendar , with 273 days remaining.
- 69 - Galba , Governor of Hispania , names himself ''legatus senatus populique Romani'', breaking the line of Roman Emperors begun with Julius Caesar and Augustus .
- 1453 - Mehmed II begins his siege of Constantinople ( İstanbul ), which would fall on May 29 .
- 1513 - Juan Ponce De Leon sets foot on Florida becoming the first known Europe an to do so.
- 1755 - Commodore William James captures Pirate fortress of Suvarnadurg on west coast of India .
- 1792 - The Coinage Act is passed establishing the United States Mint .
- - The British destroy the Danish fleet.
- shortages incite hundreds of angry women to Riot in Richmond, Virginia and demand the Confederate government to release emergency supplies.
- broken - Union troops capture the trenches around Petersburg, Virginia , forcing Confederate General Robert E. Lee to retreat.
- 1865 - Jefferson Davis and most of his Cabinet flee the Confederate capital of Richmond, Virginia .
- 1900 - The Foraker Act passes through Congress , giving Puerto Ricans limited Self-rule .
- 1902 - Dmitry Sipyagin , Minister Of Interior of the Russian Empire , is assassinated by a terrorist in the Marie Palace , St Petersburg .
- 1902 - "Electric Theatre", the first full-time Movie Theater in the United States , opens in Los Angeles, California .
- Woodrow Wilson asks the U.S. Congress for a Declaration Of War on Germany .
- 1917 - The first Woman ever elected to the U.S. Congress , Jeannette Rankin , takes her seat as a representative from Montana .
- 1930 - Haile Selassie is proclaimed Emperor of Ethiopia .
- 1956 - General Motors board member Alfred P. Sloan steps down after 19 years as chairman with Albert Bradley as his successor.
- 1956 - '' As The World Turns '' and '' The Edge Of Night '' first aired on the CBS network in the United States , as the first half-hour serial dramas.
- 1972 - Actor Charlie Chaplin returns to the United States for the first time since being labeled a Communist in the early 1950s during the Red Scare .
- 1972 - begins - North Vietnam ese soldiers of the 304th Division take the northern half of Quang Tri Province .
- 1973 - Launch of LexisNexis computerized legal research service.
- s flee from the Quang Ngai Province in front of advancing North Vietnam ese troops.
- 1975 - CN Tower completed in Toronto Ontario Canada : reaches 555.35 metres in height, becoming the world's tallest free-standing structure
- 1978 - The primetime soap opera '' Dallas '' premieres on CBS , beginning a 13-year run.
- 1980 - U.S. President Jimmy Carter signs the Crude Oil Windfall Profits Tax Act in an effort to help the U.S. Economy rebound.
- by Argentina . The disputed Islands are later retaken by the United Kingdom .
- 1989 - Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev arrives in Havana , Cuba to meet with Fidel Castro in an attempt to mend strained relations.
- 1992 - In New York , Mafia boss John Gotti is convicted of Murder and Racketeering and is later sentenced to life in prison.
- 1992 - Pierre Bérégovoy becomes Prime Minister of France .
- 2002 - Israel i forces surrounded the Church Of The Nativity in Bethlehem which has around 200 Palestinians inside. A siege ensues.
- 2004 - Islamist Terrorists involved in the 11 March 2004 Madrid Attacks attempt a thwarted bombing of the Spanish high-speed train AVE near Madrid .
- 2005 - Pope John Paul II dies. Hundreds of millions of Catholics and non- Catholics mourn worldwide.
- 2005 - James Stewart Jr. becomes first African American to win a major motorsports event.
- 2006 - Shaw Clifton becomes the 18th General Of The Salvation Army .
- 2006 - WWE 's WrestleMania 22 takes place in Chicago , Illinois where Rey Mysterio wins the World Heavyweight Championship at 165 pounds and John Cena retains his WWE Championship.
- 2006 - Over 50 Tornadoes Breakout , hardest hit is Tennessee . 28 people were killed.
- 1348 - Andronicus IV Palaeologus , Eastern Roman Emperor
- 1510 - Ashikaga Yoshiharu , Japanese shogun (d. 1550 )
- 1545 - Elizabeth Of Valois , wife of Philip II Of Spain (d. 1568 )
- 1565 - Cornelis De Houtman , Dutch explorer (d. 1599 )
- 1618 - Francesco Maria Grimaldi , Italian mathematician and physicist (d. 1663 )
- 1653 - Prince George Of Denmark , prince consort of Anne Of England (d. 1708 )
- 1719 - Johann Wilhelm Ludwig Gleim , German poet (d. 1803 )
- 1725 - Giacomo Casanova , Italian adventurer and writer (d. 1798 )
- 1781 - Bhagwan Swaminarayan , The Supreme God (d. 1830 )
- 1788 - Francisco Balagtas , Filipino poet (d. 1862 )
- 1798 - August Heinrich Hoffmann Von Fallersleben , German poet (d. 1874 )
- 1805 - Hans Christian Andersen , Danish writer (d. 1875 )
- 1827 - William Holman Hunt , English painter (d. 1910 )
- 1838 - Léon Gambetta , French statesman (d. 1882 )
- 1840 - Émile Zola , French novelist and critic (d. 1902 )
- 1862 - Nicholas Murray Butler , former president of Columbia University, recipient of the Nobel Peace Prize (d. 1947
- 1867 - Eugen Sandow , German bodybuilder and circus performer (d. 1925 )
- 1869 - Hughie Jennings , baseball player (d. 1928 )
- 1875 - Walter Chrysler , American automobile pioneer (d. 1940 )
- 1891 - Max Ernst , German painter (d. 1976 )
- 1900 - Roberto Arlt , Argentine writer (d. 1942 )
- 1907 - Luke Appling , Major League Baseball Player (d. 1991 )
- 1908 - Buddy Ebsen , American actor and dancer (d. 2003 )
- 1914 - Sir Alec Guinness , English actor (d. 2000 )
- 1917 - Lou Monte , American singer (d. 1989 )
- 1920 - Jack Webb , American actor, director, and producer (d. 1982 )
- 1923 - G. Spencer-Brown , English mathematician
- 1926 - George MacDonald Fraser , English author
- 1926 - Sir Jack Brabham , Australian race car driver
- 1927 - Carmen Basilio , American boxer
- 1927 - Ferenc Puskás , Hungarian footballer
- 1927 - Kenneth Tynan , English critic and writer (d. 1980 )
- 1928 - Joseph Cardinal Bernardin , American cardinal (d. 1996 )
- 1928 - Serge Gainsbourg , French singer (d. 1991 )
- 1934 - Paul Joseph Cohen , American mathematician
- 1934 - Brian Glover , British actor and wrestler (d. 1997 )
- 1937 - Dick Radatz , American baseball player (d. 2005 )
- 1938 - John Larsson , 17th General of The Salvation Army
- 1938 - Whirlaway , American racehorse, 1941 Triple Crown Winner (d. 1953 )
- 1939 - Marvin Gaye , American singer (d. 1984 )
- 1940 - Penelope Keith , English actress
- 1941 - Dr. Demento , American radio personality
- 1941 - Leon Russell , American blues-rock pianist/guitarist Session Musician
- 1942 - Hiroyuki Sakai , Japanese chef
- 1945 - Linda Hunt , American actress
- 1945 - Don Sutton , Major League Baseball player
- 1945 - Reggie Smith , Major League Baseball player
- 1947 - Emmylou Harris , American singer
- 1947 - Camille Paglia , American feminist writer
- 1949 - Pamela Reed , American actress
- 1951 - Ayako Okamoto , Japanese professional golfer
- 1951 - Moriteru Ueshiba , Japanese martial artist
- 1952 - Leon Wilkeson , American rock bassist ( Lynyrd Skynyrd )
- 1953 - Jim Allister , Northern Irish politician
- 1953 - David Robinson , American musician
- 1953 - Debralee Scott , American actress (d. 2005 )
- 1954 - Ron Palillo , American actor
- 1959 - Juha Kankkunen , Finnish race car driver
- 1960 - Linford Christie , British athlete
- 1961 - Christopher Meloni , American actor
- 1961 - Keren Woodward , British singer ( Bananarama )
- 1962 - Pierre Carles , French documentarist
- 1962 - Clark Gregg , American actor
- 1962 - Mark Shulman , American children's author
- 1965 - Rodney King , American victim of police brutality
- 1966 - Bill Romanowski , American football player
- 1966 - Teddy Sheringham , English footballer
- 1967 - Greg Camp , American guitarist and songwriter ( Smash Mouth )
- 1967 - Helen Chamberlain , British television presenter
- 1971 - Todd Woodbridge , Australian tennis player
- 1982 - Shandi Sullivan , American model
- 1984 - Ashley Peldon , American actress
- 1984 - Meryl Cassie , New Zealand actress
- 1118 - Baldwin I Of Jerusalem , King of Jerusalem
- 1272 - Richard, 1st Earl Of Cornwall , Holy Roman Emperor (b. 1209 )
- 1335 - Duke Henry Of Carinthia
- 1412 - Ruy Gonzáles De Clavijo , Spanish traveler and writer
- 1502 - Prince Arthur Tudor , son of Henry VII Of England (b. 1486 )
- 1507 - Francis Of Paola , Italian founder of the Order of the Minims (b. 1416 )
- 1657 - Ferdinand III, Holy Roman Emperor (b. 1608 )
- 1720 - Joseph Dudley , colonial Governor of Massachusetts (b. 1647 )
- 1742 - James Douglas , Scottish physician and anatomist (b. 1675 )
- 1747 - Johann Jacob Dillenius , German botanist (b. 1684 )
- 1754 - Thomas Carte , English historian (b. 1686 )
- 1787 - Thomas Gage , British general (b. 1719 )
- 1791 - Mirabeau , French statesman (b. 1749 )
- 1801 - Thomas Dadford Junior , British canal engineer
- 1803 - Sir James Montgomery, 1st Baronet , Scottish politican and judge (b. 1721 )
- 1817 - Johann Heinrich Jung , German author (b. 1740 )
- 1827 - Ludwig Heinrich Bojanus , German physician and naturalist (b. 1776 )
- 1865 - General A. P. Hill , American Confederate general (b. 1825 )
- 1872 - Samuel Morse , American inventor (b. 1791 )
- 1902 - Esther Morris , suffragist and first female American judge (b. 1814 )
- 1914 - Paul Von Heyse , German writer, Nobel Prize laureate (b. 1830 )
- 1922 - Hermann Rorschach , Swiss psychologist (b. 1884 )
- 1928 - Theodore William Richards , American chemist, Nobel Prize laureate (b. 1868 )
- 1930 - Empress Zauditu Of Ethiopia (b. 1876 )
- 1966 - C.S. Forester , British author (b. 1899 )
- 1972 - Gil Hodges , American baseball player (b. 1924 )
- 1974 - Georges Pompidou , President Of France (b. 1911 )
- 1987 - Buddy Rich , American drummer (b. 1917 )
- 1994 - Betty Furness , American actress (b. 1916 )
- 1995 - Harvey Penick , American golfer (b. 1904 )
- 1995 - Hannes Alfvén , Swedish physicist (b. 1908 )
- 2000 - Tommaso Buscetta , Italian gangster (b. 1928 )
- 2001 - Charles Daudelin , Canadian artist (b. 1920 )
- 2003 - Edwin Starr , American singer (b. 1942 )
- 2005 - Pope John Paul II (b. 1920 )
- 2006 - Nina Schenk Von Stauffenberg , German wife of freedom fighter Claus Schenk Von Stauffenberg (b. 1913 )
April 1 - April 3 - March 2 - May 2 - Listing Of All Days
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