Osun Defender History Corner: February 2 In Focus
Today, on the history corner, we take a trip in the realm of flashback and recall some events that marked this day.
February 2, 962
Pope John XII crowns German king Otto I the Great Holy Roman Emperor.
February 2, 1653
New Amsterdam (later New York City) is incorporated.
February 2, 1848
The Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo is signed, ending the Mexican-American War.
February 2, 1887
In Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania, the first Groundhog Day is observed.
February 2, 1925
Serum run to Nome: Dog sleds reach Nome, Alaska, with diphtheria serum, saving the town from an epidemic.
February 2, 1935
Leonarde Keeler administers polygraph tests to two murder suspects, the first time the lie detector is used in court.
February 2, 1943
Battle of Stalingrad: The Soviet Union announces the liberation of the city.
February 2, 1945
World War II: The Yalta Conference between the leaders of the Allied powers begins.
February 2, 1971
Idi Amin replaces President Milton Obote as leader of Uganda in a military coup.
February 2, 1980
Reports surface that FBI and CIA had investigated possible Soviet infiltration of the American political system.
February 2, 1990
South African President F.W. de Klerk announces the end of apartheid and promises to release Nelson Mandela.
February 2, 1998
A Cebu Pacific Flight 387 DC-9-32 crashes into a mountain near Cagayan de Oro, Philippines, killing 104.
February 2, 2002
The 19th Winter Olympics opens in Salt Lake City, Utah.
February 2, 2004
Swiss tennis player Roger Federer becomes the world No. 1 in the ATP rankings for the first time.
February 2, 2011
A winter storm hits North America, leaving over two million people without power.
February 2, 2012
The ferry MV Rabaul Queen sinks off the coast of Papua New Guinea, resulting in the deaths of at least 162 people.
February 2, 2014
The opening ceremony of the Winter Olympics takes place in Sochi, Russia.
February 2, 2019
The United States withdraws from the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty (INF) with Russia.
February 2, 2020
The Kansas City Chiefs win Super Bowl LIV, defeating the San Francisco 49ers.
February 2, 2021
NASA’s Mars rover Perseverance successfully lands on Mars.
Please note that these are just a few historical events that happened on February 2. History is full of numerous other significant events on this day, ranging from politics and warfare to cultural and scientific milestones.
