1409 – The University of Leipzig opened on the 2nd December 1409.

1697 – St Paul’s Cathedral opened in London on the 2nd December 1697.

1755 – The 2nd Eddystone Lighthouse was destroyed by fire on the 2nd December 1755.

1775 – The USS Alfred became the first vessel to fly the Grand Union Flag (precursor to the Stars and Stripes flag) on the 2nd December 1775.

1804 – At Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris, Napoleon Bonaparte crowned himself Emperor of the French on the 2nd December 1804, the 1st French Emperor in 1000 years.

1848 – Franz Josef I became Emperor of Austria on the 2nd December 1848.

1851 – French President Louis-Napoléon Bonaparte overthrew the Second Republic on the 2nd December 1851.

1852 – Louis-Napoléon Bonaparte became Emperor of the French as Napoleon III on the 2nd December 1852.

1859 – Georges Seurat the French painter was born on the 2nd December 1859 (died 1891).

1863 – Charles Edward Ringling the American businessman and co-founder of the Ringling Brothers Circus was born on the 2nd December 1863 (died 1926).

1867 – At Tremont Temple in Boston, British author Charles Dickens gave his first public reading in the United States on the 2nd December 1867.

1891 – Otto Dix the German painter and illustrator was born on the 2nd December 1891 (died 1969).

1908 – Child Emperor Pu Yi ascends the Chinese throne at the age of 2 on the 2nd December 1908.

1910 – Russell Lynes the American photographer, historian and author was born on the 2nd December 1910 (d. 1991)

1927 – Following 19 years of Ford Model T production, the Ford Motor Company unveiled the Ford Model A as its new automobile on the 2nd December 1927.

1927 – Prabhakar Thokal the Indian cartoonist was born on the 2nd December 1927.

1930 – In a State of the Union message, U.S. President Herbert Hoover proposed a US$150 million public works program to help generate jobs and stimulate the economy on the 2nd December 1930 during the Great Depression.

1939 – New York City’s La Guardia Airport opened on the 2nd December 1939.

1942 – During the Manhattan Project, a team led by Enrico Fermi initiated the 1st self-sustaining nuclear chain reaction on the 2nd December 1942, during World War II.

1946 – David Macaulay the English-American author and illustrator was born on the 2nd December 1946.

1946 – Gianni Versace the Italian fashion designer and founder of Versace was born on the 2nd December 1946 (died 1997).

1950 – Paul Watson the Canadian activist and founder of the Sea Shepherd Conservation Society was born on the 2nd December 1950.

1958 – George Saunders the American writer was born on the 2nd December 1958.

1960 – Rick Savage the English singer-songwriter and bass player from Def Leppard was born on the 2nd December 1960.

1961 – In a nationally broadcast speech, Cuban leader Fidel Castro declared that he was a Marxist-Leninist on the 2nd December 1961, and that Cuba is going to adopt Communism.

1968 – Lucy Liu the American actress and producer was born on the 2nd December 1968.

1968 – Nate Mendel the American bass player from the Foo Fighters was born on the 2nd December 1968.

1969 – Tanya Plibersek the Australian politician and Labor MP was born on the 2nd December 1969.

1970 – The United States Environmental Protection Agency began operations on the 2nd December 1970.

1970 – Treach the American rapper from Naughty by Nature was born on the 2nd December 1970.

1971 – Abu Dhabi, Ajman, Fujairah, Sharjah, Dubai, and Umm Al Quwain formed the United Arab Emirates on the 2nd December 1971.

1971 – Mine Yoshizaki the Japanese illustrator was born on the 2nd December 1971.

1976 – Fidel Castro became President of Cuba replacing Osvaldo Dorticós Torrado on the 2nd December 1976.

1978 – Nelly Furtado the Canadian singer-songwriter and producer was born on the 2nd December 1978.

1978 – Christopher Wolstenholme the English singer-songwriter and bass player from Muse was born on the 2nd December 1978.

1979 – Sabina Babayeva the Azerbaijani singer was born on the 2nd December 1979.

1981 – Britney Spears the American singer-songwriter and dancer was born on the 2nd December 1981.

1982 – At the University of Utah, Barney Clark became the 1st person to receive a permanent artificial heart on the 2nd December 1982.

1986 – Tal Wilkenfeld the Australian bass player and composer was born on the 2nd December 1986.

1987 – Mari-Leen the Estonian singer was born on the 2nd December 1987.

1988 – Benazir Bhutto was sworn in as Prime Minister of Pakistan, becoming the first woman to head the government of an Islam-dominated state on the 2nd December 1988.

1993 – Space Shuttle program: STS-61 – NASA launched the Space Shuttle Endeavour on a mission to repair the Hubble Space Telescope on the 2nd December 1993.

1999 – Glenbrook Rail Accident: 7 passengers were killed when 2 trains collidde near Sydney in New South Wales on the 2nd December 1999.

2001 – Enron filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy on the 2nd December 2001.