Key Historical Events on January 2:
- 1788: Georgia became the fourth state to ratify the U.S. Constitution.
- 1839 (approx.): Louis Daguerre took the first photograph of the Moon, though it was later destroyed.
- 1939: Adolf Hitler was named Time Magazine’s “Man of the Year,” a controversial choice reflecting his influence on world events.
- 1942: During World War II, Japanese forces captured Manila, the capital of the Philippines.
- 1949: Luis Muñoz Marín was inaugurated as Puerto Rico’s first democratically elected governor.
- 1954: India established its highest civilian honors, the Bharat Ratna and Padma Vibhushan awards.
- 1959: The Soviet Union launched Luna 1, the first spacecraft to reach the vicinity of the Moon.
- 1960: Senator John F. Kennedy announced his candidacy for President of the United States.
- 1971: A devastating stadium disaster in Glasgow, Scotland, resulted in 66 football fans losing their lives in a crush at the Ibrox Stadium.
- 1974: U.S. President Nixon signed a bill lowering the national speed limit to 55 mph to conserve fuel during an oil embargo.
- 2008: The price of oil reached $100 per barrel for the first time.
Notable Births & Deaths:
- Born: Actress Kate Bosworth (1983).
- Died: Actor Chris Farley (1998).
