On This Day - What Happened On April 2 - Britannica

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2005 Death of Pope John Paul II Bishop of Rome and head of the Roman Catholic Church from 1978, Pope John Paul II, who was the first non-Italian pope in 455 years and the first from a Slavic country, died in Vatican City this day in 2005. Claudio Luffoli—AP/REX/Shutterstock.com

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Charlemagne Holy Roman emperor [747?–814] bornApril 2, 747?diedJanuary 28, 814Aachen, Germany© Photos.com/Jupiterimages 1965 Rodney King American construction worker 1947 Camille Paglia American academic 1939 Marvin Gaye American singer and composer 1914 Alec Guinness British actor 1805 Hans Christian Andersen Danish author See All Biographies On This Day

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2015 Portuguese filmmaker Manoel de Oliveira, who was known for richly meditative and often self-reflexive films that were frequently inspired by literary and theatrical works, died at age 106. Test your knowledge of cinemaIan Gaven—Getty Images Entertainment/Thinkstock 1992 American organized-crime boss John Gotti was convicted on 13 criminal counts—including the murder of Paul Castellano and others, racketeering, and obstruction of justice—and was sentenced to life in prison. Take our mobster name quizSplash/Newscom 1982 Argentine troops seized the Falkland Islands (Islas Malvinas), precipitating the Falkland Islands War with Britain. Discover how much you know about warfareEncyclopædia Britannica, Inc. 1978 The soap opera Dallas debuted as a five-part miniseries on American television; hugely popular, it became a running series and revolutionized prime-time dramas. Sort fact from fiction in our pop culture quiz© Columbia Broadcasting System 1968 Stanley Kubrick's 2001: A Space Odyssey had its world premiere in Washington, D.C.; it became a classic, setting the benchmark for sci-fi films. Take our Stanley Kubrick quiz© 1968 Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Inc. 1917 U.S. President Woodrow Wilson asked Congress for a declaration of war against Germany. Sort fact from fiction in our World War I quizEncyclopædia Britannica, Inc. 1914 British actor Alec Guinness, who was known for the variety and excellence of his stage and screen characterizations, was born. Take our actors and acting quiz© Archive Photos 1891 German sculptor and painter Max Ernst, who was a leading advocate of irrationality in art, was born. Test your knowledge of sculptors and sculptureKarsh—Rapho/Woodfin Camp and Associates 1865 In the face of advancing Union forces, Confederate troops evacuated Richmond, Virginia, the capital of the Confederate States of America during the American Civil War. Watch a video about the armies that fought in the American Civil WarLibrary of Congress, Washington, D.C. 1681 King Charles II of England officially proclaimed the charter he had granted in March to William Penn for the Quaker colony of Pennsylvania in North America. How much do you know about early America?Library of Congress, Washington, D.C.; map division 1513 Spanish explorer Juan Ponce de León landed on the coast of Florida. Watch a video about Florida and its geography, people, economy, and history© North Wind Picture Archives SIGN UP FOR History's Biggest Headlines Discover the fascinating events that shaped the world, straight from our editors. SIGN UP Thanks for signing up for Today in History. Your first newsletter will arrive soon! SIGN UP By clicking "Sign Up" you are agreeing to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.