What Happened on March 2 in History?
March 2 has been a busy day for rebels, record-breakers, and giant gorillas. Whether it’s redrawing borders or rewriting sports history, this date packs a punch.
Here is a look at what happened on this day in history:
🏛️ Politics and Revolutions
The Birth of the Lone Star State (1836)
Adopting the Texas Declaration of Independence, settlers officially broke away from Mexico to create the Republic of Texas. If you’re in Texas today, you’re likely seeing a lot of state pride — it’s a formal state holiday there.
A Civil Rights Precursor (1955)
Nine months before Rosa Parks became a household name, 15-year-old Claudette Colvin refused to give up her seat to a white woman on a crowded, segregated bus in Montgomery, Alabama. Her brave act was a vital spark for the Montgomery Bus Boycott.
🏀 Sports and Science
Wilt Chamberlain’s "Century" (1962)
In one of the most unbreakable records in sports, Wilt Chamberlain scored 100 points in a single NBA game for the Philadelphia Warriors against the New York Knicks. To put that in perspective, some entire teams don't hit 100 points today.
The Speed of Sound (1969)
The British-French supersonic airliner Concorde made its first test flight in Toulouse, France. It eventually allowed travelers to fly from London to New York in under three and a half hours — faster than the sun appears to move across the sky.
🎭 Arts and Culture
1933: The original King Kong premiered at Radio City Music Hall in New York City. It was a marvel of stop-motion animation and became a cornerstone of monster cinema.
1965: The film version of The Sound of Music, starring Julie Andrews, premiered. It went on to become one of the highest-grossing films of all time (adjusted for inflation).
1995: Yahoo! was incorporated. Before Google reigned supreme, "Jerry and David's Guide to the World Wide Web" was how most of us found anything online.
Fun Fact: March 2 is also Read Across America Day, established to coincide with the birthday of Dr. Seuss (born 1904).
