Valéry Giscard d'Estaing
b. 1926
French academic and politician, 20th President of France
On This Day · The 33rd day of the year
February 2
February 2 carries 10 recorded events spanning between 506 and 2025. Alaric II, eighth king of the Visigoths, promulgates the Breviary of Alaric (Breviarium Alaricianum or Lex Romana Visigothorum), a collection of "Roman law".
Compiled & reviewed by Roman Tailor · Last reviewed July 13, 2026
What happened on February 2?
February 2 is the 33rd day of the year. It marks 10 notable events in history, dated between 506 and 2025. Famous people born on February 2 include Valéry Giscard d'Estaing, James Joyce and Jill Scott (footballer).
The shape of the day
Few dates reach as far back as February 2: its recorded history runs unusually deep, stretching to 506. Its center of gravity is the 21st century, and conflict is a recurring thread.
Aquarius is the sign for February 2 — read more on the Aquarius page, or see February's birthstone & birth flower.
Released on February 2
Movies, games, albums & shows2023
- Game Perish
- Game Deliver Us Mars
2022
- Game The Waylanders
Release data from TMDB & IGDB.
Events
10 notable moments- 506
Alaric II
Alaric II, eighth king of the Visigoths, promulgates the Breviary of Alaric (Breviarium Alaricianum or Lex Romana Visigothorum), a collection of "Roman law".
- 1207
Terra Mariana
Terra Mariana, eventually comprising present-day Latvia and Estonia, is established.
- 1438
Transylvanian peasant revolt
Nine leaders of the Transylvanian peasant revolt are executed at Torda.
- 1709
Alexander Selkirk
Alexander Selkirk is rescued after being shipwrecked on a desert island, inspiring Daniel Defoe's adventure book Robinson Crusoe.
- 1725
Johann Sebastian Bach
J. S. Bach leads the first performance of his chorale cantata Mit Fried und Freud ich fahr dahin, BWV 125, based on Luther's paraphrase of the Nunc dimittis.
- 1848
Mexican–American War
Mexican–American War: The Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo is signed.
- 1913
Grand Central Terminal
Grand Central Terminal opens in New York City.
- 1934
Export–Import Bank of the United States
The Export-Import Bank of the United States is incorporated.
- 2012
MV Rabaul Queen
The ferry MV Rabaul Queen sinks off the coast of Papua New Guinea near the Finschhafen District, with an estimated 146–165 dead.
- 2025
Slovenia
Slovenian NBA player Luka Doncic is traded from the Dallas Mavericks to the Los Angeles Lakers in exchange for Anthony Davis in one of the largest trades in American sports history.
Famous birthday twins
Born on February 2James Joyce
b. 1882
Irish novelist, short story writer, and poet
Jill Scott (footballer)
b. 1987
English footballer
Faye White
b. 1978
English footballer
Arfa Karim
b. 1995
Pakistani student and computer prodigy
Gerard Piqué
b. 1987
Spanish footballer
Stan Getz
b. 1927
American saxophonist
Shakira
b. 1977
Colombian singer-songwriter, producer, and actress
Deaths
- 1979Sid Vicious
- 1972Natalie Clifford Barney
- 1970Bertrand Russell
- 1945Carl Friedrich Goerdeler
- 1907Dmitri Mendeleev
- 1594Giovanni Pierluigi da Palestrina
Holidays & observances
- —Groundhog Day
- —Anniversary of Treaty of Tartu (Estonia)
- —Christian Feast Day: Adalbard
- —Christian Feast Day: Catherine de' Ricci
- —Christian Feast Day: Jeanne de Lestonnac
- —Christian Feast Day: Martyrs of Ebsdorf
- —Christian Feast Day: Presentation of Jesus
- —Christian Feast Day: February 2 (Eastern Orthodox liturgics)
Historical facts, event summaries, and biographical lines above are adapted from Wikipedia under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike (CC BY-SA) license. DateLore adds curation, structure, and original editorial commentary. DateLore is not affiliated with the Wikimedia Foundation.
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