In History, Today on January 2

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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.

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

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

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.

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 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 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.