On This Day in History – November 2

Major Events

1. 1721 – Peter the Great is proclaimed Emperor of All Russia, officially changing the title from Tsar to Emperor.
2. 1755 – Marie Antoinette, future Queen of France, is born in Vienna, Austria.
3. 1889 – North Dakota and South Dakota are admitted as the 39th and 40th U.S. states.
4. 1898 – Cheerleading is introduced at the University of Minnesota, marking the birth of organized cheerleading.
5. 1930 – Haile Selassie is crowned Emperor of Ethiopia, later becoming a symbol for the Rastafari movement.
6. 1947 – Howard Hughes pilots the Spruce Goose, the largest flying boat ever built, on its first and only flight.
7. 1948 – President Harry S. Truman wins an upset victory over Thomas E. Dewey in the U.S. presidential election.
8. 1957 – The Soviet Union launches Sputnik 2, carrying Laika, the first living creature to orbit Earth.
9. 1983 – U.S. President Ronald Reagan signs a bill designating Martin Luther King Jr. Day as a national holiday.
10. 2000 – The first crew arrives at the International Space Station, beginning continuous human presence in space.
11. 2016 – The Chicago Cubs win their first World Series in 108 years, defeating the Cleveland Indians in Game 7.
12. 1988 – The Morris Internet Worm is released, one of the first major computer viruses to spread widely.

Famous Birthdays

1. Daniel Boone (1734–1820) – American frontiersman and folk hero.
2. Marie Antoinette (1755–1793) – Queen of France and historical figure of the French Revolution.
3. James K. Polk (1795–1849) – 11th President of the United States.
4. Warren G. Harding (1865–1923) – 29th President of the United States.
5. Burt Lancaster (1913–1994) – American film actor and producer.
6. Rosemary DeCamp (1910–2001) – American actress of film and television.
7. Steve Ditko (1927–2018) – American comic book artist and co-creator of Spider-Man.
8. Pat Buchanan (born 1938) – American political commentator and presidential candidate.
9. David Schwimmer (born 1966) – American actor known for Friends.
10. Nelly (born 1974) – American rapper and entrepreneur.
11. Marisol Nichols (born 1973) – American actress known for Riverdale.
12. Kendall Schmidt (born 1990) – American singer and actor, member of Big Time Rush.

Notable Deaths

1. George Bernard Shaw (1856–1950) – Irish playwright and Nobel laureate.
2. Pier Paolo Pasolini (1922–1975) – Italian film director and writer.
3. Irvine Wallace “Ace” Bailey (1903–1992) – Canadian ice hockey player.
4. Meir Kahane (1932–1990) – American-Israeli rabbi and politician.
5. Hal Moore (1922–2017) – U.S. Army general and author of We Were Soldiers Once… and Young.
6. Eva Cassidy (1963–1996) – American singer known for her soulful renditions.
7. Willie McCovey (1938–2018) – American Baseball Hall of Famer.
8. John Montgomery Ward (1860–1925) – Baseball player, lawyer, and labor organizer.
9. Theodore Roosevelt (1858–1919) – Former U.S. President, died on this day in 1919.

Holidays

• All Souls’ Day – Christian commemoration of the faithful departed.
• Day of the Dead (Día de los Muertos) – Celebrated in Mexico and Latin America to honor deceased loved ones.
• Coronation of Haile Selassie (Rastafari) – Observed by Rastafarians worldwide.
• National Deviled Egg Day (USA) – A fun culinary observance celebrating the popular snack.

Fun Facts

1. Sputnik 2 carried Laika, the first living creature in orbit, on November 2, 1957.
2. The Spruce Goose flew for just under one minute but remains the largest wooden aircraft ever built.
3. On this day in 2000, humans began their continuous presence in space aboard the ISS.
4. The Morris Worm of 1988 was the first computer worm to receive widespread attention.
5. The Chicago Cubs’ 2016 World Series win ended the longest championship drought in American sports history.