1982 - Falklands Islands - Argentina invades Falklands Islands
1982: Argentina invaded the Falklands Islands and quickly overcame the small garrison of British marines at the town of Stanley on East Falkland, this led to the Falklands Crisis (Both sides never used the word war all throughout the conflict although the popular press in both countries did),. The final official date of the conflict is given as 14th June just 6 weeks after the Argentinean Invasion with Britain back in full control of the Islands. Find More What happened in 1982.
1980 - U.S.A. - Windfall Act on Oil Industries High Profits
1980: Following the increases in petrol in the mid to late '70s President Carter urged Congress to create legislation that would take advantage of the oil industry's high profits. And the "Crude Oil Windfall Profits Tax Act" did by collecting roughly $227 billion dollars over the next 10 years.1801 - U.S.A. - The Battle of Copenhagen
1801: Twelve British ships commanded by Horatio Nelson aboard HMS Elephant engaged with Danish ships, following an agreement between Nelson and the Danish commander, Crown Prince Frederick to call a truce Nelson landed in Copenhagen and on May 19th, 1801 was awarded the Viscount Nelson of the Nile and of Burnham Thorpe in the County of Norfolk.1917 - U.S.A. - US Troops To World War I
1917: President Woodrow Wilson tells Congress "The world must be made safe for democracy." asking Congress for a declaration of war and to send U.S. troops into battle against Germany in World War I.1932 - U.S.A. - Lindbergh Pays Ransom
1932: Charles Lindbergh, whose son was kidnapped paid $50,000 ransom in a New York cemetery to a man who promised to return his kidnapped son. (His son is later found dead after being murdered by Bruno Hauptmann, who was executed).1941 - Africa - Rommel Continues Advance Into Libya
1941: Lieutenant General Erwin Rommel, "the Desert Fox," resumes his advance into Cyrenaica, modern-day Libya, signaling the beginning of what nine days later will become the recapture of Libya by the Axis forces.1956 - U.S.A. - "As the World Turns"
1956: As the World Turns the first half-hour serial is aired at 1:30 PM airing each weekday on CBS. Currently, the show is one hour long set in the fictional town of Oakdale, Illinois, with over 13,000 episodes being shown.1972 - U.S.A. - Charlie Chaplin Returns to the United States
1972: Following 20 years of self-imposed exile after he was accused of "un-American activities" as a suspected communist sympathizer during the era of McCarthyism. He returned only to receive an Honorary Oscar at the Academy Awards and went back to his home in Vevey, Switzerland.1974 - France - President Georges Pompidou
1974: The French President Georges Pompidou died from Waldenström macroglobulinemia in Paris.1977 - UK - Red Rum Grand National
1977: Red Rum the diminutive horse with the heart of a champion wins the English Grand National for a record third time after winning in 1973 and 1974. The Grand National is widely recognized as one of the testing races in the world with the majority of horses falling or refusing to continue. This year was no exception with 9 of the 42 starters completing the 4.5 miles (7.2 kilometers) course at Aintree in Liverpool.1979 - Russia - Anthrax Epidemic
1979: The world’s first anthrax epidemic begins in Ekaterinburg, Russia by the time it was finished 62 people were dead. The town did contain a biological weapons plant, and in 1992 the cause was confirmed as starting at that plant.1982 - Falklands Islands Argentina invades Falklands Islands
1982: Argentina invaded the Falklands Islands and quickly overcame the small garrison of British marines at the town of Stanley on East Falkland, this led to the Falklands Crisis ( Both sides never used the word war all throughout the conflict although the popular press in both countries did ),. The final official date of the conflict is given as 14th June just 6 weeks after the Argentinean Invasion with Britain back in full control of the Islands.1986 - Greece - Bomb Explodes on TWA Boeing 727
1986: Bomb Explodes on TWA Boeing 727 tearing hole in the side of the aircraft which sucks four passengers including an eight-month-old baby from the aircraft. The TWA Passenger Jet was flying over Greece, on its way to Athens, when the bomb exploded.1987 - U.S.A. - Speed Limit Increased to 65 MPH
1987: Congress passed laws that allowed each state to increase the speed limit on rural roads from 55mph to 65mph. observed on our country's roads.1989 - Cuba - Soviet Leader Visits Cuba To Patch Up Relations
1989: Russian leader Mikhail Gorbachev arrives in Havana to meet with Fidel Castro. Much of the problems stemmed from Russia's inability to continue large-scale aid to Cuba due to its economic woes.1992 - U.S.A. - John Gotti
1992: Mob boss John Gotti often referred to as "The Teflon Don" because of the number of times he was charged but not convicted is finally convicted in New York of racketeering, murder, obstruction of justice, hijacking, illegal gambling, extortion, tax evasion and loan sharking largely helped through the testimony of an ex high ranking member of the Mafia who had turned informant Salvatore Gravano. John Gotti is sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole, where he died in 2002.1998 - France - Maurice Papon
1998: A Former cabinet minister Maurice Papon is sentenced to 10 years in jail after proof is published in the press showing his signature on papers deportation 1,690 Jews of Bordeaux to Drancy internment camp from 1942 to 1944 during World War II.2002 - Palestine - Israel Takes Control Bethlehem
2002: Following Palestinian gunmen take control of the Church of the Nativity, the traditional birthplace of Jesus for 39 days. Israeli Military seizes control of Bethlehem a Palestinian city in the central West Bank.2005 - Vatican - Pope John Paul II
2005: Pope John Paul II served as the 264th Pope of the Roman Catholic Church from October 16th, 1978, until his death on 2nd April 2005 almost 27 years later.2006 - Iraq - American Journalist Jill Caroll Released
2006: Having been held hostage in Iraq for nearly three months, Jill Caroll arrives home in Boston. Carroll works for the Christian Science Monitor that is based there and was abducted in Baghdad on January 7th. Flown to Boston on a commercial flight from Germany, the U.S. ambassador to Iraq has said no ransom was paid for her release.2007 - Argentina - Claims the Falklands as Theirs
2007: Argentina renews its claim over the Falkland Islands on the 25th anniversary of their 1982 invasion. The Argentine Vice-President Daniel Scioli has said that "the Malvinas are Argentine, they always were, they always will be." The Malvinas is the Spanish name for the islands. He has urged Britain to resume talks on the island's sovereignty. The vast majority of the islanders consider themselves British. The island's first settlers were French and English, and these predate the origin of Argentina.2008 - Hungary - President Bush Backs Ukraine and Georgia's Membership in NATO
2008: President Bush backs Ukraine and Georgia's bids for NATO membership. He is doing this with regards to European worries on the issue, and staunch opposition from Russia. Speaking before NATO's biggest-ever summit, in Bucharest, the President also urged NATO members to send more troops to Afghanistan and to make the Afghan mission their top priority.2008 - United States - No Fourth Amendment Ties to Military Operations in the United States
2008: The Pentagon has declassified the 2003 legal memo that approved the use of harsh interrogation techniques for terror suspects. The U.S. Justice Department's Office of Legal Counsel (OLC) memo said President Bush's wartime authority superseded international laws on interrogation and gave a legal justification for aggressive methods (as long as no intended torture was taking place). The memo was subsequently overruled, but its release allowed a lawsuit by the American Civil Liberties Union to take place.2009 - UK - G20 Summit Over Global Financial Problems
2009: Members of the G20 meet in London over what to do about the ongoing global financial crisis. Most countries had decreased interest rates and supported "To Big To Fail" banks and industries, but concerns over possible trade Tariffs and increasing unemployment still leave economies around the world in jeopardy. The world's leading economies have reached an agreement on how to tackle the global financial crisis with measures worth $1.1 trillion.2010 - United States - Profiling of Air Passengers
2010: The United States has announced that it will be profiling its incoming air passengers to work out which of them will need further screening. This system will replace the mandatory screening of travelers from fourteen nations that have taken place since the failed attack in December 2009. Travelers will be selected on how closely they match intelligence on current terrorist threats. The United States began notifying the air carriers on April 1st, and the new protocols are implemented with immediate effect. A senior administration official has said that the profiling of racial or religious characteristics would be used.2011 - United States - Flight Lands After Hole Opens in Plane
2011: A Southwest Airlines flight carrying one hundred and eighteen passengers is forced to make an emergency landing after a hole opened up in the roof of the plane mid-flight. The rupture appeared as a result of metal fatigue on the fuselage. The pilot was able to land safely with only one small injury to a flight attendant. The incident caused many other planes to be grounded and inspected for similar problems.2012 - Russia - Plane Crash in Siberia Kills 31
2011: A Southwest Airlines flight carrying one hundred and eighteen passengers is forced to make an emergency landing after a hole opened up in the roof of the plane mid-flight. The rupture appeared as a result of metal fatigue on the fuselage. The pilot was able to land safely with only one small injury to a flight attendant. The incident caused many other planes to be grounded and inspected for similar problems.2013 - North Korea - to Restart Nuclear Program
2013: North Korean officials announced plans to restart activities at the Yongbyon nuclear facility. The reactor at Yongbyon had been shut down in 2007 as part of an aid agreement. The move was the latest in a series of escalating moves towards nuclear armament.2 Apr 2014 - Germany - Merkel Approves First German Minimum Wage
2014: Chancellor of Germany, Angela Merkel, officially approved the country's first minimum wage of 8.50 euros an hour. The minimum wage was set to be rolled out in 2015. Germany had previously relied on unions and groups to set a standard.Born This Day In History 2nd April
Celebrating Birthdays TodayAlec Guinness
Born: 2nd April 1914 Paddington, London, England, UKDied: August 5th, 2000 Midhurst, West Sussex, England, UK
Known For: Sir Alec Guinness was a British Oscar-winning actor who appeared in multiple movies winning critical acclaim, his roles included Fagin in Oliver Twist ( 1948 ), Father Brown, Col. Nicholson in The Bridge on the River Kwai, Lawrence of Arabia, Doctor Zhivago, Hitler: The Last Ten Days, Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy, A Passage to India and possibly his best-known role as Obi-Wan "Ben" Kenobi in the original Star Wars trilogy. He was respected by his peers in the movie industry for his courtesy and professionalism, both on and off the set.