In History, Today on January 2

On January 2, 2022, the new joint venture airline ITA Airways took over Alitalia's slots, becoming Italy's new flagship carrier and officially starting operations.

On January 2, 2021, India delivered two more mobile harbour cranes to Iran at the strategically located Chabahar port, marking a development in the cooperation between the two countries.

China's spacecraft Chang'e 4 successfully lands on the far side of the moon, marking the first time in history a spacecraft has landed there

A gunman opens fire at the Reina nightclub in Istanbul during New Year's celebrations, killing 39 people and injuring 79 others. The attack is later claimed by ISIS.

A group of armed militants, led by Ammon Bundy, occupy the Malheur National Wildlife Refuge in Oregon, protesting federal land policies. The standoff lasts 41 days.

A magnitude 7.1 earthquake strikes central Chile, causing widespread panic but no significant damage or casualties, as the region was still recovering from a major quake in 2010.

A coal mine explosion in Sago, West Virginia, traps 13 miners. Only one miner survives, leading to increased scrutiny and reforms in mine safety regulations.

NASA's Stardust spacecraft successfully flies by Comet Wild 2, collecting samples of the comet's dust and returning them to Earth in 2006.

Sila Calderón is inaugurated as the first female governor of Puerto Rico.

Sharon Pratt Dixon is sworn in as mayor of Washington, D.C., becoming the first African American woman to serve as mayor of a major American city.

Akio Morita announces the launch of the Sony CDP-101, the world’s first commercially released compact disc player.

President Richard Nixon signed a bill lowering the maximum U.S. speed limit to 55 MPH as an energy conservation measure.

Luna 1, the first spacecraft to reach the vicinity of the Moon and to orbit the Sun, was launched by the Soviet Union.

The Manila was captured by Japanese forces during World War II.

The second Palmer Raid took place in the United States, targeting suspected radicals and anarchists.

The Russian garrison at Port Arthur surrendered to Japanese forces after a nearly year-long siege during the Russo-Japanese War, marking a significant turning point in the conflict. The fall of Port Arthur was a major blow to Russian military prestige and contributed to the eventual loss of Russia in the war.

The start of the Coney Island Cyclone roller coaster's long run opens with much anticipation and excitement.

The U.S. Post Office issues its first commemorative stamp.

The first electric chair is set up at Auburn Prison in New York.

French photo-pioneer Louis Daguerre took the first clear photograph of the Moon.

The British reoccupied the Falkland Islands, leading to a long-standing territorial dispute with Argentina.

Georgia ratified the United States Constitution, becoming the fourth state to join the Union.

The British army captures the city of Calcutta in India from the Nawab of Bengal after the recapture following the Siege of Calcutta.

The King of England, Charles I, orders the arrest of members of Parliament, sparking a confrontation that leads to the English Civil War.

The Catholic Monarchs Ferdinand II of Aragon and Isabella I of Castile captured Granada from the Nasrid dynasty, marking the end of the Reconquista.

Mercurius becomes Pope John II, the first pope to adopt a new name upon elevation to the papacy.

The Alamanni cross the frozen Rhine River in large numbers, invading the Roman Empire.

The Roman legions in Germania Superior refused to swear loyalty to Emperor Galba, marking the beginning of the Year of the Four Emperors.