October 2 - This Day in History

October 2: General Interest
1985: Hollywood icon Rock Hudson dies of AIDS

On this day in 1985, actor Rock Hudson, 59, becomes the first major U.S. celebrity to die of complications from AIDS. Hudson's death raised public awareness of the epidemic, which until that time had been ignored... read more


American Revolution
1780 : Benedict accomplice hanged
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/benedict-accomplice-hanged


Automotive
1948 : Checkered flag waves at first postwar U.S. road race in Watkins Glen, New York
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/checkered-flag-waves-at-first-postwar-us-road-race-in-watkins-glen-new-york


Civil War
1864 : Confederates score victory at the Battle of Saltville
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/battle-of-saltville


Cold War
1958 : The Cold War comes to Africa, as Guinea gains its independence
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/the-cold-war-comes-to-africa-as-guinea-gains-its-independence


Crime
2006 : Gunman kills five students at Amish school
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/gunman-kills-five-students-at-amish-school


Disaster
1963 : Hurricane devastates Haiti
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/hurricane-devastates-haiti


General Interest
1780 : British spy executed in Arnold affair
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/british-spy-executed-in-arnold-affair

1836 : Darwin returns to England
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/darwin-returns-to-england

1944 : Warsaw Uprising ends
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/warsaw-uprising-ends

1967 : Thurgood Marshall sworn in
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/thurgood-marshall-sworn-in


Literary
1879 : Wallace Stevens is born
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/wallace-stevens-is-born


Music
1971 : Rod Stewart earns his first #1 hit with "Maggie May"
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/rod-stewart-earns-his-first-1-hit-with-quotmaggie-mayquot


Old West
1835 : First shots of the Texas Revolution fired in the Battle of Gonzales
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/first-shots-of-the-texas-revolution-fired-in-the-battle-of-gonzales


Presidential
1922 : Former President Taft dedicates Lincoln Memorial
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/former-president-taft-dedicates-lincoln-memorial


Sports
1968 : Gibson strikes out 17 in World Series
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/gibson-strikes-out-17-in-world-series


Vietnam War
1966 : Soviets report that Russian military personnel have come under fire
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/soviets-report-that-russian-military-personnel-have-come-under-fire

1967 : Aerial offensive against North Vietnam continues
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/aerial-offensive-against-north-vietnam-continues


World War I
1919 : U.S President Woodrow Wilson suffers massive stroke
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/us-president-woodrow-wilson-suffers-massive-stroke


World War II
1941 : Operation Typhoon is launched
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/operation-typhoon-is-launched