What Happened on November 2?
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events
births
deaths
holidays
EVENTS ON NOVEMBER 2
Explore the most important historical events that happened on November 2, featuring key moments that shaped the world.
World War II
Year:
1940
World War II: First day of Battle of Elaia–Kalamas between the Greeks and the Italians.
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BBC One
Year:
1936
The BBC Television Service, the world's first regular, "high-definition" (then defined as at least 200 lines) service begins. Renamed BBC1 in 1964, the channel still runs to this day.
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KDKA (AM)
Year:
1920
In the United States, KDKA of Pittsburgh starts broadcasting as the first commercial radio station. The first broadcast is the result of the 1920 United States presidential election.
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Balfour Declaration
Year:
1917
The Balfour Declaration proclaims British support for the "establishment in Palestine of a national home for the Jewish people" with the clear understanding "that nothing shall be done which may prejudice the civil and religious rights of existing non-Jewish communities".
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Howard Hughes
Year:
1947
In California, designer Howard Hughes performs the maiden (and only) flight of the Hughes H-4 Hercules (also known as the "Spruce Goose"), the largest fixed-wing aircraft ever built until Scaled Composites rolled out their Stratolaunch in May 2017.
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Dutch–Indonesian Round Table Conference
Year:
1949
The Dutch–Indonesian Round Table Conference ends with the Netherlands agreeing to transfer sovereignty of the Dutch East Indies to the United States of Indonesia.
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M1 motorway
Year:
1959
The first section of the M1 motorway, the first inter-urban motorway in the United Kingdom, is opened between the present junctions 5 and 18, along with the M10 motorway and M45 motorway.
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Hungarian Revolution of 1956
Year:
1956
Hungarian Revolution: Nikita Khrushchev meets with leaders of other Communist countries to seek their advice on the situation in Hungary, selecting János Kádár as the country's next leader on the advice of Josip Broz Tito.
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BIRTHS ON NOVEMBER 2
Discover famous people and historical figures born on November 2, including leaders, artists, scientists, and cultural icons.
Charlie Walker (musician)
Year of birth:
1926
Charlie Walker, American country music singer-songwriter, guitarist, and DJ (died 2008)
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David Bauer (ice hockey)
Year of birth:
1924
David Bauer, Canadian ice hockey player and coach (died 1988)
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Rudy Van Gelder
Year of birth:
1924
Rudy Van Gelder, American record producer and engineer (died 2016)
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Michael Loewe
Year of birth:
1922
Michael Loewe, British historian, Sinologist and writer (died 2025)
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Steve Ditko
Year of birth:
1927
Steve Ditko, American author and illustrator (died 2018)
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Shulamith Shahar
Year of birth:
1928
Shulamith Shahar, Latvian-born Israeli historian (died 2025)
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Muhammad Rafiq Tarar
Year of birth:
1929
Muhammad Rafiq Tarar, Pakistani judge and politician, 9th President of Pakistan (died 2022)
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Richard E. Taylor
Year of birth:
1929
Richard E. Taylor, Canadian physicist and academic, Nobel Prize laureate (died 2018)
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DEATHS ON NOVEMBER 2
Look back at notable individuals who passed away on November 2, and learn about their lasting influences on history.
Ngô Đình Nhu
Year of death:
1963
1963 South Vietnamese coup
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Ngo Dinh Diem
Year of death:
1963
1963 South Vietnamese coup
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Mississippi John Hurt
Year of death:
1966
Mississippi John Hurt, American singer-songwriter and guitarist (born 1892)
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Peter Debye
Year of death:
1966
Peter Debye, Dutch-American physicist and chemist, Nobel Prize laureate (born 1884)
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Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa (born 1894)
Year of death:
1961
Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa I, Hakim of Bahrain (born 1894)
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Harriet Bosse
Year of death:
1961
Harriet Bosse, Swedish-Norwegian actress (born 1878)
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Mehmet Esat Bülkat
Year of death:
1952
Mehmet Esat Bülkat, Greek-Turkish general (born 1862)
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Michael Considine
Year of death:
1959
Michael Considine, Irish-Australian trade union leader and politician (born 1885)
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HOLIDAYS ON NOVEMBER 2
See which holidays, observances, and special celebrations take place on November 2 around the world.
Dziady
Dziady (Belarus)
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Day of the Dead
Day of the Dead, the second day of Day of the Dead or El Dia de los Muertos celebration (Mexico)
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Indian Arrival Day
Arrival of Indentured Labourers (Mauritius)
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International Day to End Impunity for Crimes Against Journalists
International Day to End Impunity for Crimes Against Journalists (United Nations)
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List of U.S. states by date of admission to the Union
Statehood Day (North Dakota and South Dakota, United States)
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Rastafari
Coronation of Haile Selassie (Rastafari)
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All Souls' Day
All Souls' Day (Roman Catholic Church and Anglican Communion)
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Justus of Trieste
Christian feast day: Justus of Trieste
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