This day in history: 2 june

Europa

• Coronation of Queen Elizabeth II (1953)
  The most significant European event on June 2 is the coronation of Queen Elizabeth II. On this day in 1953, Elizabeth II was crowned at Westminster Abbey in London, marking the beginning of her reign as the monarch of the United Kingdom and other Commonwealth realms. The event was notable not only for its historical and cultural significance but also because it was the first British coronation to be televised, allowing millions across Britain and Europe to witness the ceremony from their homes despite the rainy weather in London.
• 1420: King Henry V of England married Catherine of Valois, daughter of Charles VI of France, strengthening ties between England and France during the Hundred Years’ War.
• 1840: Birth of Thomas Hardy, the renowned English novelist and poet, in Dorset, England.
• 1857: Birth of Edward Elgar, one of England’s most celebrated composers, known for works like the Enigma Variations and Pomp and Circumstance Marches.
• 1868: The first meeting of the Trades Union Congress (TUC) took place in Manchester, a pivotal moment in the history of the British labor movement.
• 1910: C.S. Rolls became the first Briton to fly across the English Channel and back, marking a milestone in aviation history.
• 1875: Alexander Graham Bell and his assistant Watson made the first sound transmission with their experimental telegraphic device, a key step toward the invention of the telephone. While Bell was Scottish-born, this innovation had a global impact.
• 1953: The coronation of Elizabeth II also brought about a surge in television sales and marked a new era in British and European media consumption.

America

• 1924, the U.S. Congress passed the Indian Citizenship Act, granting citizenship to all Native Americans born within the territorial limits of the United States. This was a landmark moment in U.S. civil rights history, although many Native Americans still faced barriers to voting and full participation in American society for years afterward.
• 1886, President Grover Cleveland married Frances Folsom in the White House, making him the only U.S. president to be married in the executive mansion. Frances became the youngest First Lady in American history at age 21.
• Baseball legend Lou Gehrig, known as “the Iron Horse” for his record of consecutive games played, died of ALS (amyotrophic lateral sclerosis) on June 2, 1941. His legacy remains significant in American sports and medical history, as the disease is often referred to as “Lou Gehrig’s disease”.
• The first baseball game played under electric lights took place in Fort Wayne, Indiana, on June 2, 1883, marking a milestone in the evolution of American sports.
• 1966, Surveyor 1 became the first American spacecraft to make a soft landing on the Moon, sending back photographs and paving the way for future lunar exploration.
• 1851: Maine became the first U.S. state to enact a law prohibiting alcohol, starting the temperance movement in America.
• 1919: Anarchists set off bombs in eight U.S. cities, part of the wave of violence during the “Red Scare” period.
• 1983: After an emergency landing following an in-flight fire, 23 people died aboard Air Canada Flight 797, leading to new aviation safety regulations.
• 1997: Timothy McVeigh was convicted for the Oklahoma City bombing, one of the deadliest terrorist attacks in U.S. history.

Asia

• Formation of Telangana (2014): On June 2, 2014, Telangana officially became the 29th state of India, following its separation from Andhra Pradesh. Kalvakuntla Chandrashekar Rao was elected as the first Chief Minister of the new state, marking a significant political and administrative milestone in modern Indian history.
• Arrest of Sri Aurobindo (1908): Prominent freedom fighter Sri Aurobindo was arrested in connection with the Manik Tala Bomb explosion case, a key event in the Indian independence movement.
• Death of Raj Kapoor (1988): Raj Kapoor, one of India’s most celebrated film actors and directors, passed away on this date.
• Tiananmen Square Protests (1989): On June 2, 1989, during the pro-democracy demonstrations in Beijing, 100,000 citizens blocked 10,000 soldiers in Tiananmen Square, temporarily halting the military’s advance. This standoff occurred just days before the violent crackdown on June 4.
• Notable Deaths: Huang Ju, former Vice Premier of China, died on June 2, 2007, and Chen Xitong, former Mayor of Beijing, died on June 2, 2013.
• Laguna Phuket Marathon (Thailand): The annual Laguna Phuket Marathon is held on June 1–2, attracting runners from across Asia and the world to Thailand for a series of marathon events.
• Cultural Festivals: While not tied to June 2 specifically, June is a month of major festivals across Southeast Asia, including the Bali Arts Festival in Indonesia, Gawai Dayak in Malaysia, and various dragon boat festivals in China and Hong Kong.

Africa

• 1899, members of the National Afro-American Council organized a protest against lynching and racial massacres in the United States. While this event took place in America, it is deeply connected to the African diaspora and the global struggle against racial violence, resonating with African history and its broader impact on civil rights movements worldwide.
• 1863, Harriet Tubman became the first woman to lead a major military operation in the United States during the Civil War, freeing more than 700 enslaved people in Maryland. Tubman’s achievements are celebrated within the African diaspora and are a source of pride and inspiration across Africa and the world.
• The events most directly tied to June 2 in African history, as highlighted in available sources, are those relating to the African diaspora, especially in the context of civil rights and emancipation in the Americas. These events underscore the interconnectedness of African and African-descended peoples’ histories across continents.
• Based on the provided search results, there is no record of a major political, cultural, or historical event that occurred specifically within the African continent itself on June 2. Most notable commemorations for this date are rooted in the African diaspora and its ongoing influence on global history.