Box-office #1
The Empire Strikes Back
1980 · dir. Irvin Kershner
Wide US release on May 23, 1980. Goes on to become the highest-grossing film of the year.
Sci-fiStar Wars $538M worldwide
On this day
February 2 Monday, February 2, 2026
A curious almanac of what happened on February 2 across the years — history, birthdays, the songs that ruled the charts, the films that packed cinemas, and the science that nudged the world forward.
12
Events
7
Birthdays
4
Holidays
1032
European history 994 years ago
Conrad II, Holy Roman Emperor becomes king of Burgundy.
Conrad II is crowned king of Burgundy, expanding his imperial influence across Europe.
History
What happened on February 2
12 verified entries Full timeline
- 506European history
Alaric II, eighth king of the Visigoths, promulgates the Breviary of Alaric (Breviarium Alaricianum or Lex Romana Visigothorum), a collection of "Roman law".
Alaric II issues the Breviary of Alaric, a compilation of Roman laws for his Visigothic kingdom.
- 880European history
Battle of Lüneburg Heath: King Louis III of France is defeated by the Norse Great Heathen Army at Lüneburg Heath in Saxony.
King Louis III of France suffers defeat at the hands of the Norse Great Heathen Army at Lüneburg Heath in Saxony.
- 962European history
Translatio imperii: Pope John XII crowns Otto I, Holy Roman Emperor, the first Holy Roman Emperor in nearly 40 years.
Pope John XII crowns Otto I as Holy Roman Emperor, ending a nearly four-decade interregnum.
- 1032European history
Conrad II, Holy Roman Emperor becomes king of Burgundy.
Conrad II is crowned king of Burgundy, expanding his imperial influence across Europe.
- 1141UK history
The Battle of Lincoln, at which Stephen, King of England is defeated and captured by the allies of Empress Matilda.
Stephen, King of England, is defeated and captured by the allies of Empress Matilda in the Battle of Lincoln.
- 1207European history
Terra Mariana, eventually comprising present-day Latvia and Estonia, is established.
The Terra Mariana territory, later encompassing parts of modern Latvia and Estonia, is founded.
- 1347Religion
Byzantine Empress Anna convenes a synod to depose patriarch Joseph XIV in Constantinople. The same night, conspirators let in her rival John VI Kantakouzenos which ends the Byzantine civil war of 1341-1347.
Anna, Byzantine Empress, convenes a synod to depose Patriarch Joseph XIV; meanwhile, John VI Kantakouzenos enters Constantinople with conspirators, ending the civil war.
- 1428Disaster
An intense earthquake struck the Principality of Catalonia, with the epicenter near Camprodon. Widespread destruction and heavy casualties were reported.
An earthquake struck Catalonia, causing widespread destruction and heavy casualties near Camprodon.
- 1461UK history
Wars of the Roses: The Battle of Mortimer's Cross results in the death of Owen Tudor.
Edward of York defeats a Lancastrian force at the Battle of Mortimer's Cross, where Owen Tudor, grandfather of the future Henry VII, is captured and executed.
- 1536US history
Spaniard Pedro de Mendoza founds Buenos Aires, Argentina.
Pedro de Mendoza establishes a settlement that would become Buenos Aires.
- 1653US history
New Amsterdam (later renamed The City of New York) is incorporated.
New Amsterdam is incorporated as a city, later to be renamed the City of New York.
- 1725Pop culture
J. S. Bach leads the first performance of his chorale cantata Mit Fried und Freud ich fahr dahin, BWV 125, based on Luther's paraphrase of the Nunc dimittis.
Johann Sebastian Bach premieres his chorale cantata Mit Fried und Freud ich fahr dahin, based on Martin Luther's text.
Born today
Famous birthdays on February 2
7 this date All birthdays
Bozorg Alavi
Iranian author and activist
Bozorg Alavi, the influential Iranian writer and political intellectual who co-founded the communist Tudeh Party in the 1940s, was born in 1904.
Born
1904
Died
1997
Robert Philipp
American painter
1895 – 1981
John Russell
American Olympic equestrian
1920 – 2020
Genichiro Tenryu
Japanese wrestler
b. 1950 · 76
Michael Misick
Caicos Islander politician, Premier of the Turks and Caicos Islands
b. 1966 · 60
Teddy Hart
Canadian wrestler
b. 1980 · 46
Arfa Karim
Pakistani student and computer prodigy
1995 – 2012
Music
The number one songs on February 2
Across the years Full chart history
🇬🇧 #1 on February 2, 1981
"Stand and Deliver"
by Adam and the Ants
The dandy highwayman spent five weeks at the top — a brash, glam-pop coronation.
#1 for 5 weeks
Also #1 on this day
- 1965"Ticket To Ride"— The Beatles
- 1972"Metal Guru"— T. Rex
- 2003"Make Luv"— Room 5 ft. Oliver Cheatham
Film & TV
At the movies
Box office #1 and premieres All releases
🏆 Sport February 2, 2025
Slovenian NBA player Luka Doncic is traded from the Dallas Mavericks to the Los Angeles Lakers in exchange for Anthony Davis in one of the largest trades in American sports history.
Luka Dončić is traded from the Dallas Mavericks to the Los Angeles Lakers in exchange for Anthony Davis, marking one of the largest NBA trades.
Read the story
🔬 Science February 2, 1995
Java 1.0 is unveiled
Sun Microsystems releases a programming language that will become the backbone of enterprise computing and Android.
Read the storyToday is also
Holidays & observances
4 celebrated today
Groundhog Day
International
Groundhog Day is a tradition observed regionally in the United States and Canada on February 2 of every year
Anniversary of Treaty of Tartu (Estonia)
International
All official holidays in Estonia are established by acts of Parliament
Victory of the Battle of Stalingrad (Russia)
International
The Days of Military Honour are special memorable dates in the Russian Armed Forces dedicated to the most outstanding victories won by Russia
World Wetlands Day
International
World Wetlands Day is an environmentally related celebration which dates back to the year 1971 when several environmentalists gathered to reaffirm protection and love for wetlands, which are water eco