April 02

Friday 02, 2004:

Islamist terrorists involved in the 11 March 2004 Madrid attacks attempt a thwarted bombing of the Spanish high-speed train AVE near Madrid.

Tuesday 02, 2002:

Israeli forces surrounded the Church of the Nativity in Bethlehem which has around 200 Palestinians inside. A siege ensues.

Thursday 02, 1992:

Pierre Bérégovoy becomes Prime Minister of France

Sunday 02, 1989:

Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev arrives in Havana, Cuba to meet with Fidel Castro in an attempt to mend strained relations.

Friday 02, 1982:

John Chancellor helms the news desk at the NBC Nightly News for the final time, after eleven-and-a-half years.

Wednesday 02, 1980:

U.S. President Jimmy Carter signs the Crude Oil Windfall Profits Tax Act in an effort to help the U.S. economy rebound.

Monday 02, 1973:

Vietnam War: Thousands of civilian refugees flee from the Quang Ngai Province in front of advancing North Vietnamese troops.

Sunday 02, 1972:

North Vietnamese soldiers of the 304th Division take the northern half of Quang Tri Province.

Friday 02, 1971:

The final broadcast of Dark Shadows aired on ABC-TV.

Thursday 02, 1964:

The Saab board started Project Gudmund to develop a new and larger car, later released as Saab 99.

Monday 02, 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.

Wednesday 02, 1941:

The radio program Life of Riley aired for the first time.

Wednesday 02, 1930:

Haile Selassie is proclaimed emperor of Ethiopia.

Monday 02, 1917:

The first woman ever elected to the U.S. Congress, Jeannette Rankin, takes her seat as a representative from Montana.

Wednesday 02, 1902:

"Electric Theatre", the first movie theater in the United States, opens in Los Angeles, California.

Sunday 02, 1865:

American Civil War: Confederate President Jefferson Davis and most of his Cabinet flee the Confederate capital of Richmond, Virginia.

Thursday 02, 1863:

Richmond Bread Riots: Food shortages incite hundreds of angry women to riot in Richmond, Virginia and demand the Confederate government to release emergency supplies.

Thursday 02, 1801:

The British destroy the Danish fleet.

Wednesday 02, 1800:

Manhattan Well Mystery: In New York City, the trial of Levi Weeks ends with an acquittal. Weeks was defended by Alexander Hamilton and Aaron Burr.

Monday 02, 1792:

The Coinage Act is passed establishing the United States Mint.

Wednesday 02, 1755:

Commodore William James captures pirate fortress of Severndroog on west coast of India.

Wednesday 02, 1513:

Juan Ponce de Leon sets foot on Florida becoming the first known European to do so.

Saturday 02, 1453:

Mehmed II begins his siege of Constantinople (İstanbul), which would fall on May 29

Tuesday 02, 69:

Galba, governor of Spain, names himself legatus senatus populique Romani, breaking the line of Roman emperors begun with Caesar and Augustus.

More on April, 02

• People Born on April, 02
• They left us on April, 02