461day.year
Majorian is arrested near Tortona (northern Italy) and deposed by the Suebian general Ricimer as puppet emperor.
Suebian general Ricimer arrests and deposes Emperor Majorian near Tortona in 461, consolidating his influence over the Western Roman Empire.
On August 2, 461, the powerful Suebian general Ricimer betrayed his nominal ally, Emperor Majorian, at Tortona in northern Italy.
Majorian had ascended the Western Roman throne through military support but faced challenges preserving imperial authority.
Ricimer's coup stripped Majorian of power, effectively turning the emperor into a figurehead under Suebian control.
The deposition highlighted the fragmentation of imperial authority and the rise of barbarian military leaders within Rome.
Majorian's removal underscored the Western Empire's decline, leading to further instability in the decades ahead.
461
Majorian
Tortona
Suebian
Ricimer
puppet emperor
1274day.year
Edward I of England returns from the Ninth Crusade and is crowned King seventeen days later.
Edward I of England returns from the Ninth Crusade in 1274 and is crowned king seventeen days later.
Edward I arrived back in Dover on August 2, 1274, following his participation in the ill-fated Ninth Crusade.
Despite limited military success, Edward's presence in the Holy Land enhanced his reputation among the English nobility.
Seventeen days after his return, he was formally crowned King of England at Westminster Abbey.
His reign would become known for legal reforms, castle-building, and campaigns against Wales and Scotland.
Edward's coronation marked the beginning of a significant era in medieval English history.
1274
Edward I of England
Ninth Crusade
1415day.year
Thomas Grey is executed for participating in the Southampton Plot.
Thomas Grey is executed in 1415 for his role in the Southampton Plot against King Henry V.
In 1415, Sir Thomas Grey was implicated in the Southampton Plot, a conspiracy to depose King Henry V.
The plot aimed to install Edmund Mortimer as king and redirect the upcoming invasion of France.
Arrested and tried swiftly, Grey was found guilty of treason and beheaded on August 2.
His execution served as a stern warning against dissent among the English nobility.
The failed conspiracy solidified Henry V's authority before his celebrated campaign in the Hundred Years' War.
1415
Thomas Grey
Southampton Plot
1492day.year
The Jews are expelled from Spain: 40,000–200,000 leave. Sultan Bayezid II of the Ottoman Empire, learning of this, dispatches the Ottoman Navy to bring the Jews safely to Ottoman lands, mainly to the cities of Thessaloniki (in modern-day Greece) and İzmir (in modern-day Turkey).
The 1492 Alhambra Decree forces Jews to leave Spain, prompting Bayezid II to welcome refugees into the Ottoman Empire.
On August 2, 1492, the Alhambra Decree mandated the expulsion of Spain's Jewish population, forcing up to 200,000 to choose exile or conversion.
Many Jewish families resettled across the Mediterranean, the most significant influx arriving in Ottoman ports such as Thessaloniki and İzmir.
Sultan Bayezid II famously dispatched his navy to ensure their safe passage and integration into Ottoman society.
The arrival of skilled Jewish artisans, merchants, and scholars enriched the empire's economy and cultural life.
This mass migration reshaped the demographics of both Spain and the Ottoman Empire, leaving a lasting legacy on Sephardic Jewry.
1492
The Jews are expelled from Spain
Bayezid II
Ottoman Empire
Ottoman Navy
Thessaloniki
İzmir
Turkey
1776day.year
The signing of the United States Declaration of Independence took place.
Delegates to the Continental Congress officially signed the Declaration of Independence, cementing the birth of the United States.
On August 2, 1776, members of the Second Continental Congress added their signatures to the Declaration of Independence.
This formalized the American colonies' decision to separate from British rule.
Signers included notable figures such as John Hancock and Thomas Jefferson.
Though adopted on July 4, the August 2 signing made the document legally binding.
The Declaration outlined grievances against King George III and articulated the colonies' ideals of liberty.
This act remains a cornerstone of American democracy and national identity.
1776
United States Declaration of Independence
1790day.year
The first United States Census is conducted.
The United States conducts its inaugural census, establishing the framework for federal representation and resource allocation.
On August 2, 1790, the newly formed U.S. government carried out its first national census.
Mandated by the Constitution, the population count determined representation in the House of Representatives and tax distribution.
Marshals visited every household, recording data on free persons, slaves, and Native Americans.
The census tallied just under 4 million inhabitants, providing the first detailed demographic snapshot of the young republic.
Results guided the size of Congress and allocation of federal resources.
The decennial census became a cornerstone of American governance and planning.
1790
first
United States Census
1830day.year
Charles X of France abdicates the throne in favor of his grandson Henri.
King Charles X of France abdicates amidst revolution, passing the crown to his young grandson, the Duke of Bordeaux.
Amid the July Revolution of 1830, King Charles X faced widespread unrest and uprisings in Paris.
On August 2, he signed his abdication documents, naming his 10-year-old grandson Henri, Duke of Bordeaux, as heir to the throne.
The attempt to preserve the Bourbon dynasty failed as revolutionaries instead offered the crown to Louis-Philippe.
Charles X's abdication ended direct Bourbon rule and ushered in the July Monarchy.
Henri, known by royalists as Henry V, never reigned and spent his life in exile.
The abdication marked a pivotal shift toward constitutional monarchy in France.
1830
Charles X of France
Henri
1858day.year
The Government of India Act 1858 replaces Company rule in India with that of the British Raj.
The British government assumes control of India from the East India Company, inaugurating the era of the British Raj.
On August 2, 1858, the British Parliament passed the Government of India Act, ending the rule of the East India Company.
Sovereignty over the Indian subcontinent was transferred directly to the British Crown under Queen Victoria.
The Act established the office of the Secretary of State for India and an executive council to oversee administration.
This shift aimed to stabilize governance and prevent future rebellions after the Indian Uprising of 1857.
The formal beginning of the British Raj had profound political, economic, and social impacts on India.
The colonial system introduced new institutions that shaped the subcontinent for nearly a century.
1858
Government of India Act 1858
1923day.year
Vice President Calvin Coolidge becomes U.S. President upon the death of President Warren G. Harding.
Calvin Coolidge is sworn in as the 30th President of the United States following President Harding’s sudden death.
Upon the unexpected death of President Warren G. Harding, Vice President Calvin Coolidge assumed the presidency on August 2, 1923. The oath of office was administered in the middle of the night by his father, Justice of the Peace John Calvin Coolidge Sr., at the family home in Plymouth Notch, Vermont. This informal ceremony marked the first time a U.S. president was sworn in by his own father. Later in Washington, Coolidge took the oath again in a formal ceremony to solidify his authority. Known for his quiet demeanor, President Coolidge earned the nickname ‘Silent Cal’ as he guided the nation through the Roaring Twenties. His administration emphasized fiscal conservatism, limited government intervention, and a pro-business agenda.
1923
Calvin Coolidge
U.S. President
Warren G. Harding
1934day.year
Reichskanzler Adolf Hitler becomes Führer of Germany following the death of President Paul von Hindenburg.
Adolf Hitler consolidates power by merging the offices of President and Chancellor, becoming Führer of Germany.
Following the death of President Paul von Hindenburg, Adolf Hitler declared himself Führer on August 2, 1934, uniting the head of state and head of government roles. A referendum held shortly thereafter gave popular approval to Hitler’s assumption of near-absolute power. This move effectively dismantled the Weimar Republic’s last checks on executive authority. The Reichstag and federal states were subordinated to Nazi control, and all competing political parties were banned. Hitler’s new title formalized his dictatorship and set the stage for aggressive expansionism and the militarization that would lead to World War II. The transformation of Germany’s political structure under Hitler had profound and tragic consequences for Europe and the world.
1934
Reichskanzler
Führer
Paul von Hindenburg
1937day.year
The Marihuana Tax Act of 1937 is passed in America, the effect of which is to render marijuana and all its by-products illegal.
U.S. Congress enacts the Marihuana Tax Act of 1937, effectively banning cannabis use and cultivation.
On August 2, 1937, President Franklin D. Roosevelt signed the Marihuana Tax Act into law, imposing strict regulations and prohibitive taxes on cannabis and its derivatives. The legislation required anyone producing, distributing, or using marijuana to pay a hefty tax and register with the federal government. Violations of the act carried severe penalties, effectively criminalizing possession and sale. The law was influenced by sensationalist media campaigns and political pressure from industrialists. Medical and industrial hemp industries were curtailed, and cannabis was removed from the U.S. Pharmacopeia. The act laid the foundation for modern drug prohibition policies and shaped public attitudes toward marijuana for decades to come.
1937
Marihuana Tax Act of 1937
marijuana
1939day.year
Albert Einstein and Leo Szilard write a letter to Franklin D. Roosevelt, urging him to begin the Manhattan Project to develop a nuclear weapon.
Albert Einstein and Leo Szilard urge President Roosevelt to launch a nuclear weapons program, paving the way for the Manhattan Project.
On August 2, 1939, renowned physicists Albert Einstein and Leo Szilard sent a pivotal letter to U.S. President Franklin D. Roosevelt.
They warned of the potential for Nazi Germany to develop atomic weapons and emphasized the need for America to secure similar capabilities.
Their appeal laid the intellectual and political groundwork for what would become the Manhattan Project.
The letter highlighted the strategic importance of uranium research and prompted the U.S. government to allocate resources toward nuclear fission studies.
This moment is widely regarded as a key catalyst in the development of the first atomic bombs.
It marked a turning point in scientific collaboration and government-funded research during World War II.
1939
Albert Einstein
Leo Szilard
a letter
Franklin D. Roosevelt
Manhattan Project