2 April 1862

A Wednesday in history

Weekday

Wednesday

Season

Spring (N. Hemisphere)

Century

19th century

Records

361

  1. 2015

    Six elderly men burgled a safe-deposit facility in Hatton Garden, London, and stole items worth up to an estimated £14 million.

    Source
  2. 2015

    Gunmen attacked Garissa University College in Kenya, killing 148 people and wounding 79 others.

    Source
  3. 2012

    A gunman shot at people inside Oikos University, a Korean Christian college in Oakland, California, leaving seven people dead and three injured.

    Source
  4. 2002

    Second Intifada: Palestinian militants sought refuge from advancing Israeli forces in the Church of the Nativity in Bethlehem, beginning a month-long siege.

    Source
  5. 1992

    Bosnian War: At least 48 civilians were massacred in the town of Bijeljina in Bosnia and Herzegovina.

    Source
  6. 1992

    John Gotti, the head of the Gambino crime family of New York City, was convicted of racketeering, murder, conspiracy to commit murder, loansharking, obstruction of justice, illegal gambling, and tax evasion.

    Source
  7. 1982

    Argentine special forces invaded the Falkland Islands, sparking the Falklands War against the United Kingdom.

    Source
  8. 1979

    Spores of anthrax were accidentally released from a military research facility near the city of Sverdlovsk, causing at least 68 deaths.

    Source
  9. 1968

    2001: A Space Odyssey, the epic science fiction film produced and directed by Stanley Kubrick, premiered at the Uptown Theater in Washington, D.C.

    Source
  10. 1911

    The Australian Bureau of Statistics conducted the first national census of the country.

    Source
  11. 1871

    Creatures of Impulse, by W. S. Gilbert (pictured), premiered at the Court Theatre in London.

    Source
  12. 1865

    American Civil War: On the third attempt, Union forces captured Petersburg, Virginia, although Confederate officials and most of their remaining troops were able to escape.

    Source
  13. 1860

    The first modern Italian Parliament is opened in Turin, following the annexation of Central Italy into the Kingdom of Sardinia.

    Source
  14. 1513

    Spanish conquistador Juan Ponce de León sighted land in North America, naming the area La Florida.

    Source

Photo archive

24 historic images from this day — tap to open the gallery.

What was life like?

Prices, jobs, food, music and everyday routine — the world as it felt to live in.

Sources & fact check

Every claim is traced to primary sources, archives, universities and the press — with an explicit confidence rating. Dossiers are generated once and cached permanently.