December 2 facts for kids

December 2 is the 336th day of the year (337th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar; 29 days remain until the end of the year.

Every day holds a special place in history, and December 2nd is no different! From big changes in countries to amazing scientific discoveries and the births of famous people, this date has seen many important moments. Let's explore some of the exciting things that have happened on December 2nd throughout the years.

Historical Events

Early History (Before 1600)

• 1244 – Pope Innocent IV arrived in Lyon, France, for an important meeting called the First Council of Lyon.
• 1409 – The University of Leipzig officially opened its doors, becoming a new place for learning.

Major Changes (1601–1900)

• 1697 – St Paul's Cathedral in London was officially opened. It was rebuilt after the Great Fire of London by the famous architect Sir Christopher Wren.
• 1763 – The Touro Synagogue was dedicated in Newport, Rhode Island. This was the first synagogue in what would later become the United States.
• 1766 – Sweden's parliament made a new law called the Swedish Freedom of the Press Act. This law gave people the right to speak freely, making Sweden the first country in the world to do so.
• 1804 – In Paris, Napoleon Bonaparte crowned himself Emperor of the French at Notre Dame Cathedral.
• 1805 – During the War of the Third Coalition, French troops led by Napoleon won a huge victory against Russian and Austrian forces at the Battle of Austerlitz.
• 1823 – U.S. President James Monroe announced the Monroe Doctrine. This policy stated that the U.S. would stay neutral in European wars and warned European countries not to interfere in the Americas.
• 1845 – U.S. President James K. Polk suggested that the United States should expand westward. This idea was part of what was known as Manifest Destiny.
• 1848 – Franz Joseph I became the new Emperor of Austria.
• 1851 – French President Louis-Napoléon Bonaparte took control of the government, ending the French Second Republic.
• 1852 – Louis-Napoléon Bonaparte became Napoleon III, the Emperor of the French.
• 1859 – John Brown, an important leader who fought against slavery, faced consequences for his actions at Harpers Ferry, West Virginia.
• 1865 – Alabama and other states ratified the 13th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution. This amendment officially ended slavery in the United States.
• 1867 – The famous British author Charles Dickens gave his first public reading in the United States in Boston.
• 1899 – During the Philippine–American War, the brave Battle of Tirad Pass was fought.

Modern Times (1901–Present)

• 1908 – Puyi became the Emperor of China when he was only two years old.
• 1917 – In World War I, Russia and the Central Powers signed a ceasefire agreement at Brest-Litovsk. Peace talks began soon after.
• 1927 – After many years of making the Ford Model T, the Ford Motor Company introduced its new car, the Ford Model A.
• 1930 – During the Great Depression, U.S. President Herbert Hoover suggested a large public works program to create jobs and help the economy.
• 1939 – LaGuardia Airport in New York City officially opened.
• 1942 – In a major scientific breakthrough, a team led by Enrico Fermi created the first artificial self-sustaining nuclear chain reaction. This was part of the Manhattan Project.
• 1943 – In World War II, a German air raid on the harbor of Bari, Italy, sank many ships. One American ship was carrying a secret cargo of mustard gas.
• 1947 – Arabs in Jerusalem protested against the United Nations Partition Plan for Palestine.
• 1950 – The Battle of the Ch'ongch'on River ended with a Chinese victory in the Korean War. UN forces had to leave North Korea.
• 1954 – The United States Senate voted to criticize Senator Joseph McCarthy for his behavior, which they said brought dishonor to the Senate.
• 1954 – The Sino-American Mutual Defense Treaty was signed between the United States and Taiwan.
• 1956 – The yacht Granma arrived in Cuba. Fidel Castro, Che Guevara, and other members of the 26th of July Movement got off the boat to start the Cuban Revolution.
• 1961 – Cuban leader Fidel Castro announced that he was a Marxist–Leninist and that Cuba would become a Communist country.
• 1962 – After visiting Vietnam, U.S. Senator Mike Mansfield became the first American official to express concerns about the Vietnam War's progress.
• 1970 – The United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) began its work to protect the environment.
• 1971 – Six emirates – Abu Dhabi, Ajman, Fujairah, Sharjah, Dubai, and Umm al-Quwain – came together to form the United Arab Emirates.
• 1975 – The Pathet Lao took control of Laotian capital, Vientiane, and established the Lao People's Democratic Republic.
• 1976 – Fidel Castro became the President of Cuba.
• 1982 – At the University of Utah, Barney Clark became the first person to receive a permanent artificial heart.
• 1988 – Benazir Bhutto became the Prime Minister of Pakistan. She was the first woman to lead the government of a Muslim-majority country.
• 1989 – The Peace Agreement of Hat Yai was signed, ending a long-running communist conflict in Malaysia.
• 1990 – Space Shuttle Columbia launched on mission STS-35, carrying a special space observatory.
• 1991 – Canada and Poland were the first countries to recognize Ukraine's independence from the Soviet Union.
• 1993 – Space Shuttle Endeavour launched on mission STS-61 to repair the Hubble Space Telescope.
• 1999 – The United Kingdom gave political power to the Northern Ireland Executive in Northern Ireland, following the Good Friday Agreement.
• 2001 – Enron, a large energy company, went out of business.
• 2016 – A sad fire happened at a converted warehouse in Oakland, California, which was used by artists.

Famous Birthdays

Born Before 1600

• 1501 – Queen Munjeong, a powerful Korean queen.
• 1599 – Thomas Bruce, 1st Earl of Elgin, a Scottish nobleman.

Born Between 1601 and 1900

• 1759 – James Edward Smith, an English botanist who founded the Linnean Society.
• 1825 – Pedro II of Brazil, who was an emperor.
• 1859 – Georges Seurat, a famous French painter.
• 1863 – Charles Edward Ringling, who helped start the Ringling Brothers Circus.
• 1891 – Otto Dix, a German painter and illustrator.
• 1897 – Rewi Alley, a New Zealand writer and activist.
• 1899 – John Barbirolli, an English cellist and conductor.

Born After 1900

• 1915 – Takahito, Prince Mikasa of Japan.
• 1923 – Maria Callas, a famous American-Greek opera singer.
• 1924 – Alexander Haig, an American general and politician who served as United States Secretary of State.
• 1925 – Julie Harris, an American actress.
• 1930 – Gary Becker, an American economist who won the Nobel Prize.
• 1946 – Gianni Versace, a famous Italian fashion designer who founded the brand Versace.
• 1960 – Deb Haaland, an American politician who became the United States Secretary of the Interior.
• 1968 – Lucy Liu, an American actress and producer.
• 1973 – Monica Seles, a Serbian-American tennis player.
• 1978 – Nelly Furtado, a Canadian singer-songwriter.
• 1981 – Britney Spears, a famous American singer and dancer.
• 1983 – Aaron Rodgers, an American football player.
• 1983 – Daniela Ruah, a Portuguese-American actress.
• 1991 – Charlie Puth, an American singer-songwriter.
• 1998 – Juice Wrld, an American rapper and singer.

Notable Deaths

Died Before 1600

• 537 – Pope Silverius.
• 1547 – Hernán Cortés, a Spanish general and explorer.
• 1594 – Gerardus Mercator, a famous Flemish mapmaker and philosopher.

Died Between 1601 and 1900

• 1859 – John Brown, an American who fought against slavery.
• 1892 – Jay Gould, an American businessman and financier.

Died After 1900

• 1936 – John Ringling, who helped start the Ringling Brothers Circus.
• 1950 – Dinu Lipatti, a Romanian pianist and composer.
• 1969 – Kliment Voroshilov, a Russian marshal and politician.
• 1982 – Marty Feldman, an English actor and comedian.
• 1985 – Philip Larkin, an English poet and author.
• 1986 – Desi Arnaz, a Cuban-American actor and producer.
• 1987 – Luis Federico Leloir, an Argentinian physician and biochemist who won the Nobel Prize.
• 1990 – Aaron Copland, an American composer and conductor.
• 1995 – Robertson Davies, a Canadian author and playwright.
• 1997 – Michael Hedges, an American singer-songwriter and guitarist.
• 2008 – Odetta, an American singer-songwriter.
• 2014 – Jean Béliveau, a Canadian ice hockey player.
• 2020 – Pat Patterson, an American wrestler.

Holidays and Celebrations

• Armed Forces Day (Cuba)
• Christian feast day:
  • Avitus of Rouen
  • Bibiana
  • Channing Moore Williams (Anglicanism)
  • Chromatius
  • Habakkuk (Eastern Orthodox)
  • December 2 (Eastern Orthodox liturgics)
• International Day for the Abolition of Slavery (United Nations)
• Lao National Day
• National Day (United Arab Emirates)

See also

In Spanish: 2 de diciembre para niños