Lynn Conway
b. 1938
American computer scientist and electrical engineer
On This Day · The 2nd day of the year
January 2
January 2 carries 10 recorded events spanning between 533 and 2004. Mercurius becomes Pope John II, the first pope to adopt a new name upon elevation to the papacy.
Compiled & reviewed by Roman Tailor · Last reviewed July 13, 2026
What happened on January 2?
January 2 is the 2nd day of the year. It marks 10 notable events in history, dated between 533 and 2004. Famous people born on January 2 include Lynn Conway, Rudolf Clausius and Beatrice Hicks.
The shape of the day
This year marks the 50th anniversary of Gale of January 1976 — January 2 carries the weight of round numbers. Its center of gravity is the 20th century, and conflict is a recurring thread.
Capricorn is the sign for January 2 — read more on the Capricorn page, or see January's birthstone & birth flower.
Events
10 notable moments- 533
Pope John II
Mercurius becomes Pope John II, the first pope to adopt a new name upon elevation to the papacy.
- 1777
American Revolutionary War
American Revolutionary War: American forces under the command of General George Washington repulse a British attack led by General Charles Cornwallis at the Battle of the Assunpink Creek near Trenton, New Jersey.
- 1941
World War II
World War II: The Cardiff Blitz severely damages the cathedral in Cardiff, Wales.
- 1959
Luna 1
Luna 1, the first spacecraft to reach the vicinity of the Moon and to orbit the Sun, is launched by the Soviet Union.
- 1963
Vietnam War
Vietnam War: The Viet Cong wins its first major victory, at the Battle of Ap Bac.
- 1967
Ronald Reagan
Ronald Reagan, past movie actor and future President of the United States, is sworn in as Governor of California.
- 1976
Gale of January 1976
The Gale of January 1976 begins, resulting in coastal flooding around the southern North Sea coasts, affecting countries from Ireland to Yugoslavia and causing at least 82 deaths and US$1.3 billion in damage.
- 1991
Sharon Pratt
Sharon Pratt Dixon becomes the first African American woman mayor of a major city and first woman Mayor of the District of Columbia.
- 1993
Sri Lankan civil war
Sri Lankan Civil War: The Sri Lanka Navy kill 35–100 civilians on the Jaffna Lagoon.
- 2004
Stardust (spacecraft)
Stardust successfully flies past Comet Wild 2, collecting samples that are returned to Earth.
Famous birthday twins
Born on January 2Rudolf Clausius
b. 1822
Polish-German physicist and mathematician
Beatrice Hicks
b. 1919
American engineer
Dziga Vertov
b. 1896
Polish-Russian director and screenwriter
Luigi Zampa
b. 1905
Italian director and screenwriter
Saud bin Faisal Al Saud
b. 1940
Saudi Arabian economist and politician, Saudi Arabian Minister of Foreign Affairs
Walter Heitler
b. 1904
German physicist and chemist
Willi Graf
b. 1918
German physician and activist
Deaths
- 2016Nimr al-Nimr
- 2012Silvana Gallardo
- 1999Sebastian Haffner
- 1892George Biddell Airy
- 1861Frederick William IV
- 1470Heinrich Reuß von Plauen
Holidays & observances
- —Ancestry Day (Haiti)
- —Berchtold's Day (Switzerland)
- —Christian feast day: Basil the Great (Catholic Church and Church of England)
- —Christian feast day: Gregory of Nazianzus (Catholic Church)
- —Christian feast day: John the Good
- —Christian feast day: Macarius of Alexandria
- —Christian feast day: Blessed Marie Anne Blondin
- —Christian feast day: Seraphim of Sarov (Eastern Orthodox Church)
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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