MAY 2 ~ ON THiS DAY in History

1194 ~ Portsmouth was given its first Royal Charter by King Richard I of England on the 2nd May 1194.

1519 ~ LEONARDO da ViNCi the Italian Renaissance polymath considered to be the most diversely talented person to ever live, and one of the greatest painters of all time, died on the 2nd day of May in 1519 aged 67. Leonardo was a great example of a polymath, he was a successful architect, painter, writer, cartographer, sculptor, inventor, musician, anatomist, geologist, botanist, scientist, mathematician and engineer. His genius was considered superhuman.

Leonardo da Vinci's self-portrait in red chalk circa 1512 to 1515 (Artwork at Royal Library of Turin)
Leonardo da Vinci’s self-portrait in red chalk circa 1512 to 1515 (Artwork at Royal Library of Turin)

1568 ~ Mary, Queen of Scots escaped from Loch Leven Castle on the 2nd may 1568.

1808 ~ Emma Wedgwood the English naturalist, and wife of Charles Darwin was born on the 2nd May 1808 (died 1896).

1829 ~ Captain Charles Fremantle of HMS Challenger declared the Swan River Colony in Australia on the 2nd May 1829.

1885 ~ Good Housekeeping magazine went on sale for the first time on the 2nd May 1885.

1895 ~ Lorenz Hart the American playwright, songwriter, and composer was born on the 2nd May 1895 (died 1943).

1903 ~ Benjamin Spock the American pediatrician and author was born on the 2nd May 1903 (died 1998). Benjamin Spock’s book Baby and Child Care (published in 1946) was one of the biggest best-sellers of all time. Throughout the book’s first 52 years, Baby and Child Care was the 2nd best selling book, next to the Bible. The books best message to mothers was “you know more than you think you do.”

1906 ~ Philippe Halsman the American photographer was born on the 2nd May 1906 (died 1979).

1918 ~ General Motors acquired the Chevrolet Motor Company of Delaware on the 2nd May 1918.

1927 – Ray Barrett the Australian actor was born on the 2nd May 1927 (died 2009).

1932 ~ Jack Benny‘s radio show aired for the first time on the 2nd May 1932.

1936 ~ ENGELBERT HUMPERDiNCK the British Indian singer was born on the 2nd day of May in 1936 as Arnold George Dorsey. Engelbert  is best known for his No 1 hit Release Me in 1967. On the 1st of March in 2012 the BBC announced that Engelbert Humperdinck would represent the United Kingdom in the final of the Eurovision Song Contest 2012, to be held in Baku, Azerbaijan on 26th May 2012. 

1945 – Judge Dread the English singer-songwriter was born on the 2nd May 1945 (died 1998).

1945 – Bianca Jagger the Nicaraguan-English actress, model, and activist was born on the 2nd May 1945.

1950LOU GRAMM the American lead singer of FOREiGNER was born on the 2nd day of May in 1950.

1951 ~ John Glascock the English bass guitarist from Jethro Tull was born on the 2nd May 1951 (died 1979).

1952 ~ The De HAViLLAND COMET 1 became the world’s 1st jet airliner, when it made its maiden flight from London to Johannesburg, on the 2nd day of May in 1952.

The World's first jet airliner, the De Havilland Comet 1, during the maiden flight  from London to Johannesburg, at Entebbe Airport in Uganda 1952 (photo from Imperial War Museums
The World’s first jet airliner, the De Havilland Comet 1, during the maiden flight from London to Johannesburg, at Entebbe Airport in Uganda 1952 (photo from Imperial War Museums

*Photo from Imperial War Museums ~ London

1953 ~ Valery Gergiev the Russian conductor was born on the 2nd May 1953.

1955 ~ TENNESSEE WiLLiAMS wins the Pulitzer Prize for Drama for Cat on a Hot Tin Roof on the 2nd day of May in 1955.

1955 – Donatella Versace the Italian fashion designer was born on the 2nd May 1955.

1963 ~ Berthold Seliger launched a rocket with 3 stages and a maximum flight altitude of more than 100 kilometres on the 2nd May 1963, near Cuxhaven. It wass the only sounding rocket developed in Germany.

1969 ~ Queen Elizabeth 2 the British ocean liner departed on her maiden voyage to New York City on the 2nd May 1969.

1975 – David Beckham the English footballer, coach, and model was born on the 2nd May 1975.

1985 ~ LiLY ALLEN the English singer songwriter was born on the 2nd day of May in 1985.

1989 ~ Hungary began dismantling its border fence with Austria on the 2nd May 1989, which allowed a number of East Germans to defect.

1990Kay Panabaker the American actress was born Stephanie Kay Panabaker on the 2nd May 1990. She is the younger sister of actress Danielle Panabaker.

1998 ~ The European Central Bank was founded in Brussels on the 2nd May 1998, in order to define and execute the European Union‘s monetary policy.

1999Oliver Reed the English actor died on the 2nd May 1999 (born 1938).

2000 ~ President Bill Clinton announced that accurate GPS access would no longer be restricted to the United States military on the 2nd May 2000.

2008 ~ Cyclone Nargis made landfall in Burma on the 2nd May 2008, killing over 138,000 people and left millions of people homeless.

2008Chaitén Volcano began erupting in Chile on the 2nd May 2008, forcing the evacuation of over 4,500 people.

2011 ~ OSAMA BiN LADEN the FBi‘s most wanted man, and suspected mastermind behind the September 11 attacks was killed by the United States special forces in Pakistan on the 2nd day of May in 2011.

2012~ THE SCREAM by Edvard Munch sold for a record $US119.9 million ($AUS116.4 million) at Sotheby’s in New York City on the 2nd day of May 2012. The 1895 pastel artwork is one of 4 versions of the composition, seen as modern symbol of human anxiety.

The Scream by Edvard Munch ~ 1895 pastel on board ~ sold for $US119.9 million
The Scream by Edvard Munch ~ 1895 pastel on board ~ sold for $US119.9 million

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