August 2: What Happened on This Day in History (High_school Level)?

(Page last edited 10/12/2017)

1. In 1776, delegates to the Continental Congress formally sign the Declaration of Independence.
2. In 1858, the first mailboxes were installed in Boston & NYC streets.
3. In 1865, Lewis Carroll publishes "Alice's Adventures in Wonderland".
4. On this day in 1869, George Eliot, born Mary Ann Evans, begins work on her masterpiece Middlemarch.
5. In 1875, the world's first roller skating rink opens in London
6. In 1934, the President of Germany's Weimar Republic, Hindenburg, dies, leaving Chancellor Adolph Hitler to become Fuhrer (commander) of Germany.
7. In 1943, the torpedo boat, PT 109, whose Commander was future President John F. Kennedy, was attacked and sunk by Japanese forces in the Pacific Solomon Islands.
8. In 1961, the Beatles got their first gig as a house band at Liverpool's Cavern Club.
9. In 1987, Michael Andretti runs fastest Indy car race in history (171.49 MPH).
10. In 1990, Iraqi troops invade Kuwait, leading to Operation Desert Shield and Operation Desert Storm, known as the Gulf War.
11. Famous Birthdays: James Baldwin (author), Charles L'Enfant (engineer and city planner, Mary Louise Parker (actor), Wes Craven (director)

For famous birthdays and other daily events in history, visit our Daily Dose Activities.

Click Here for Yesterday in History: August 1

Click Here for Tomorrow in History: August 3

For more history resources on Internet 4 Classrooms, visit our Social Studies and History index. For Pre K-8th Grade Level History and Social Studies Resources, visit our Grade Level Index.