On This Day in History – June 2

by hpmom June 2, 2025

June 2, 2025

455 – The Vandals enter Rome and begin two weeks of plundering in what is known as the Sack of Rome.
1692 – Bridget Bishop is the first person to go on trial during the Salem witch trials in colonial Massachusetts.
1886 – U.S. President Grover Cleveland marries Frances Folsom in the White House, the only president to marry there.
1953 – Queen Elizabeth II is crowned at Westminster Abbey in London, following the death of her father King George VI.
1966 – Surveyor 1 lands on the Moon, becoming the first U.S. spacecraft to achieve a soft landing on the lunar surface.
1979 – Pope John Paul II becomes the first pope to visit a communist country when he arrives in his native Poland.
2012 – Former Egyptian president Hosni Mubarak is sentenced to life in prison for his role in the deaths of protestors during the Arab Spring.

Marquis de Sade (1740–1814), French nobleman, revolutionary, and writer whose works gave rise to the term “sadism.”
Thomas Hardy (1840–1928), English novelist and poet, best known for Tess of the d’Urbervilles and Far from the Madding Crowd.
Charlie Watts (1941–2021), English drummer for The Rolling Stones.
Dana Carvey (born 1955), American comedian and actor, known for Saturday Night Live and Wayne’s World.
Justin Long (born 1978), American actor known for roles in Dodgeball and Accepted.
Morena Baccarin (born 1979), Brazilian-American actress known for Deadpool and Firefly.

Giuseppe Garibaldi (1807–1882), Italian general and nationalist, a key figure in the unification of Italy.
Lou Gehrig (1903–1941), American baseball legend, whose battle with ALS brought awareness to the disease now bearing his name.
Rex Harrison (1908–1990), English actor, best known for his role in My Fair Lady.
Andrés Segovia (1893–1987), Spanish classical guitarist who elevated the guitar to a concert instrument.

Coronation Day (UK) – Celebrates the coronation of Queen Elizabeth II in 1953.
Republic Day (Italy) – Marks the 1946 referendum where Italians voted to abolish the monarchy and establish a republic.
Children’s Day (North Korea) – Celebrates children and their well-being.
International Sex Workers’ Day – Recognizes the rights and dignity of sex workers worldwide.

Queen Elizabeth II’s 1953 coronation was the first to be televised live, drawing an estimated 27 million viewers in the UK.
Lou Gehrig gave his iconic “luckiest man on the face of the Earth” speech on June 2, 1941 — the same day he died.
Italy’s Republic Day celebration includes military parades and aerial displays over Rome.
The Marquis de Sade was born on June 2 — a date now associated with challenging social taboos.
Pope John Paul II’s 1979 visit to Poland sparked movements that helped weaken Soviet influence in Eastern Europe.