February 2 - The Day in History

February 2: General Interest
1887 : First Groundhog Day

On this day in 1887, Groundhog Day, featuring a rodent meteorologist, is celebrated for the first time at Gobbler's Knob in Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania. According to tradition, if a groundhog comes out of its hole on this day and sees its shadow, there will be six more weeks of winter weather... read more.


American Revolution
1781 : Nathanael Greene finds fortification at Steele's Tavern
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/nathanael-greene-finds-fortification-at-steeles-tavern

Automotive
1991 : Hurley Haywood in quest to win fifth 24 Hours of Daytona
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/hurley-haywood-in-quest-to-win-fifth-24-hours-of-daytona

Civil War
1803 : Albert Sidney Johnston born
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/albert-sidney-johnston-born

Cold War
1949 : United States rejects proposal for conference with Stalin
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/united-states-rejects-proposal-for-conference-with-stalin

Crime
1922 : Murder in Hollywood: A tale of vice and vixens
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/murder-in-hollywood-a-tale-of-vice-and-vixens

Disaster
1847 : First Donner Party member dies
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/first-donner-party-member-dies

General Interest
1943 : Battle of Stalingrad ends
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/battle-of-stalingrad-ends
1971 : Idi Amin takes power in Uganda
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/idi-amin-takes-power-in-uganda
1980 : ABSCAM operation revealed
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/abscam-operation-revealed

Hollywood
1996 : Gene Kelly dies
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/gene-kelly-dies

Literary
1882 : James Joyce is born
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/james-joyce-is-born

Music
1979 : Sid Vicious dies of a drug overdose in New York City
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/sid-vicious-dies-of-a-drug-overdose-in-new-york-city

Old West
1812 : Russians establish Fort Ross
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/russians-establish-fort-ross

Presidential
1848 : Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo is signed
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/treaty-of-guadalupe-hidalgo-is-signed

Sports
1876 : National League of baseball is founded
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/national-league-of-baseball-is-founded

Vietnam War
1962 : First U.S. Air Force plane crashes in South Vietnam.
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/first-us-air-force-plane-crashes-in-south-vietnam
1970 : Antiwar protestors sue Dow Chemical
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/antiwar-protestors-sue-dow-chemical

World War I
1916 : Zeppelin crashes into North Sea
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/zeppelin-crashes-into-north-sea

World War II
1942 : Quisling becomes prime minister of puppet regime in Norway
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/quisling-becomes-prime-minister-of-puppet-regime-in-norway
1943 : Germans surrender at Stalingrad
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/germans-surrender-at-stalingrad