The 2nd of February in History

February 2 is the 33rd day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. There are 332 days remaining until the end of the year (since 2010 is not a leap year). In the course of history there has been interesting events that occurred on the 2nd of February.

This is a list of events that have occurred on this day in the past:

• Spaniard Pedro de Mendoza founded Buenos Aires in Argentina on this day in 1536.
• New Amsterdam (later renamed The City of New York) was incorporated on this day in 1653.
• Alexander Selkirk was rescued after being shipwrecked on a desert island on this day in 1709. This event inspired Daniel Defoe to write the book Robinson Crusoe.
• The United States Supreme Court convened for the first time on this day in 1790.
• The world’s first electric streetlight was installed on this day in 1880 in Wabash, Indiana in the United States.
• Queen Victoria’s funeral was held on this day in 1901 in Britain.
• Grand Central Terminal (also known as Grand Central Station) was opened in New York City on this day in 1913.
• Ulysses by Irish Writer and Poet James Joyce was published on the 2nd of February 1922.
• Leonarde Keeler tested the world’s first polygraph machine on this day in 1935.
• The Battle of Stalingrad in World War II ended on this day in 1943.
• Idi Amin replaced President Milton Obote as leader of Uganda on this day in 1971.
• The F-16 Fighting Falcon flew for the first time on the 2nd of February 1974.
• “Late Night with David Letterman” premiered on the NBC television network in the United States on this day in 1983.
• The last Soviet Union armored column left Kabul, Afghanistan on this day in 1989.
• On this day in 1989 Sky Television was launched in the United Kingdom.
• F.W. de Klerk allowed the African National Congress to function legally and promised to release Nelson Mandela on this day in 1990 in South Africa.