1755day.year
Commodore William James captures the Maratha fortress of Suvarnadurg on the west coast of India.
British Commodore William James captures the Maratha fortress of Suvarnadurg on India's west coast, asserting British naval power.
On April 2, 1755, Commodore William James led a naval assault against the Maratha fortress of Suvarnadurg, located on an island off the Konkan coast of India.
The strategically positioned stronghold guarded the entrance to the Mirya River and the Arabian Sea trade routes.
James's squadron deployed warships and gunboats to bombard the fortress, overcoming Maratha defenses.
The capture disrupted Maratha naval capabilities and strengthened British influence in the region.
This victory played a role in the East India Company's expansion along India's western shores.
The fall of Suvarnadurg highlighted the shift of power from regional Indian rulers to European colonial forces.
1755
Commodore
William James
Maratha
Suvarnadurg
1801day.year
French Revolutionary Wars: In the Battle of Copenhagen a British Royal Navy squadron defeats a hastily assembled, smaller, mostly-volunteer Dano-Norwegian Navy at high cost, forcing Denmark out of the Second League of Armed Neutrality.
In the Battle of Copenhagen, the British Royal Navy defeats the Dano-Norwegian fleet, breaking the Second League of Armed Neutrality.
On April 2, 1801, a British fleet under Admiral Sir Hyde Parker, with Vice-Admiral Horatio Nelson in action command, attacked Danish defenses near Copenhagen harbor.
The engagement aimed to disrupt the Second League of Armed Neutrality formed by Russia, Denmark–Norway, and Sweden.
Despite fierce resistance from a hastily assembled, mostly volunteer Dano-Norwegian Navy, British ships leveraged superior tactics and firepower.
Nelson famously ignored his commander's signal to withdraw by putting his telescope to his blind eye.
The battle ended with Denmark agreeing to a ceasefire and withdrawing from the alliance.
The victory secured British naval dominance in Northern Europe during the Napoleonic Wars.
1801
French Revolutionary Wars
Battle of Copenhagen
Royal Navy
Dano-Norwegian Navy
Denmark
Second League of Armed Neutrality
1865day.year
American Civil War: Defeat at the Third Battle of Petersburg forces the Army of Northern Virginia and the Confederate government to abandon Richmond, Virginia.
Union breakthrough at the Third Battle of Petersburg forces the evacuation and fall of Richmond, signaling the imminent end of the Civil War.
On April 2, 1865, Union forces under General Ulysses S. Grant broke through Confederate lines at Petersburg, Virginia, after a nearly ten-month siege.
The breakthrough made the defense of Richmond untenable, prompting General Robert E. Lee to order the city's evacuation.
That night, Lee's army withdrew, and Confederate officials set fire to military supplies to prevent their capture.
The resulting conflagration caused widespread destruction in the capital of the Confederacy.
Within days, President Abraham Lincoln visited the city to oversee relief efforts.
The fall of Richmond marked a decisive moment that led to Lee's surrender at Appomattox just a week later.
1865
Third Battle of Petersburg
Army of Northern Virginia
Richmond, Virginia
1885day.year
Canadian Cree warriors attack the village of Frog Lake, killing nine.
Cree warriors attack the settlement of Frog Lake in Alberta, killing nine and escalating the North-West Rebellion of 1885.
On April 2, 1885, a party of Cree fighters led by Wandering Spirit descended upon Frog Lake in present-day Alberta.
They seized local officials and settlers, demanding provisions and recognition of Indigenous rights.
When negotiations failed, the attackers killed nine inhabitants, including Indian Agent Thomas Quinn.
The incident, known as the Frog Lake Massacre, shocked the Canadian government and settler community.
It marked one of the first violent confrontations in the North-West Rebellion against federal policies.
Government forces soon moved to suppress the uprising, leading to trials and harsh sentences for the participants.
1885
Cree
attack
Frog Lake
1917day.year
American entry into World War I: President Wilson asks the U.S. Congress for a declaration of war on Germany.
President Woodrow Wilson asks Congress to declare war on Germany in April 1917, marking America's entry into World War I.
On April 2, 1917, President Woodrow Wilson addressed the United States Congress, requesting a formal declaration of war against Germany and signaling the end of American neutrality. The decision was driven by German unrestricted submarine warfare that threatened U.S. shipping and provoked public opinion. Wilson framed the conflict as a fight to make the world 'safe for democracy,' rallying support for the Allied powers. Congress approved the war resolution on April 6, officially drawing the United States into World War I. American mobilization brought fresh troops and resources to the European front, influencing the war's final stages and reshaping the nation's role on the global stage.
1917
American entry into World War I
asks the U.S. Congress
1975day.year
Vietnam War: Thousands of civilian refugees flee from Quảng Ngãi Province in front of advancing North Vietnamese troops.
In April 1975, thousands of Vietnamese civilians fled Quảng Ngãi Province ahead of advancing North Vietnamese forces. The mass exodus epitomized the desperation at the war’s final stages.
As the North Vietnamese Army pressed southward in the closing days of the Vietnam War, civilians in Quảng Ngãi Province faced imminent danger. Families carried what they could as they trekked toward coastal evacuation points or refugee camps. The chaotic flight reflected the broader collapse of South Vietnamese defenses and the humanitarian crisis that followed. Witnesses described harrowing scenes of fear, uncertainty, and loss along dusty roads. The refugee movement foreshadowed the eventual fall of Saigon and the start of mass migrations from Vietnam. Images of the fleeing civilians later shaped global perceptions of the war’s human toll.
1975
Vietnam War
refugees
Quảng Ngãi Province
North Vietnamese
1982day.year
Falklands War: Argentina invades the Falkland Islands.
On April 2, 1982, Argentina launched a military invasion of the Falkland Islands, igniting a brief but intense conflict with the United Kingdom. The move shocked the international community and led to a dramatic naval campaign.
Argentine forces landed on the Falkland Islands in the South Atlantic, asserting sovereignty over the territory. The British government, led by Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher, dispatched a naval task force to retake the islands. Over ten weeks, naval battles and ground engagements resulted in hundreds of casualties on both sides. The conflict tested logistical capabilities thousands of miles from Britain and highlighted modern amphibious warfare tactics. Following Argentina’s surrender on June 14, British rule was restored. The Falklands War reshaped Argentine politics and bolstered Thatcher’s domestic standing in the U.K.
1982
Falklands War
Argentina invades the Falkland Islands
1992day.year
Forty-two civilians are massacred in the town of Bijeljina in Bosnia and Herzegovina.
On April 2, 1992, during the Bosnian War, paramilitary forces in Bijeljina massacred at least forty-two civilians.
Bijeljina, a strategic town in northeastern Bosnia, witnessed one of the earliest mass killings of the Bosnian War on April 2, 1992. Serb paramilitary units and local militias attacked unarmed Bosniak residents, executing civilians and instilling fear across the region. Victims were targeted in their homes, mosques, and on the streets, and their bodies were found in mass graves after the assault. The massacre contributed to the subsequent international outcry and the characterization of the conflict as ethnic cleansing. Decades later, the events at Bijeljina remain emblematic of the war’s brutality and the suffering of civilian populations.
are massacred
Bijeljina
Bosnia and Herzegovina
2002day.year
Israeli forces surround the Church of the Nativity in Bethlehem, into which armed Palestinians had retreated.
On April 2, 2002, Israeli forces laid siege to the Church of the Nativity in Bethlehem, where Palestinian militants had taken refuge.
At the height of the Second Intifada on April 2, 2002, Israeli Defense Forces surrounded the Church of the Nativity, one of Christianity’s holiest sites, after a group of Palestinian militants sought sanctuary inside. The standoff, part of Operation Defensive Shield, lasted nearly 39 days and saw fierce negotiations to prevent damage to the ancient basilica. Both sides faced criticism: Palestinians for using civilians and holy sites as shields, and Israelis for risking cultural heritage in their military response. International mediators, including the Vatican and diplomats, intervened to broker a peaceful resolution. Ultimately, most militants were granted safe passage to Gaza in exchange for the release of hostages, averting further bloodshed within the sacred precincts.
2002
Israeli
surround the Church of the Nativity
Bethlehem
Palestinians
2004day.year
Islamist terrorists involved in the 11 March 2004 Madrid attacks attempt to bomb the Spanish high-speed train AVE near Madrid; the attack is thwarted.
On April 2, 2004, Islamist terrorists attempted to bomb Spain’s AVE high-speed train near Madrid, but authorities intercepted the plot.
In the aftermath of the deadly March 11, 2004 Madrid train bombings, Spanish security forces thwarted a second planned attack on April 2 by Islamist militants targeting the AVE high-speed train. The plotters placed explosive devices on tracks near the town of El Pozo, hoping to inflict further civilian casualties. Thanks to heightened vigilance and a tip-off from intelligence services, authorities discovered and defused the bombs before they could detonate. The successful intervention highlighted the improved coordination between police, intelligence agencies, and railway authorities. It also reassured a shaken public that Spain’s transportation infrastructure could be defended against terror threats.
2004
Islamist
terrorists
11 March 2004 Madrid attacks
AVE
Madrid
2015day.year
Gunmen attack Garissa University College in Kenya, killing at least 148 people and wounding 79 others.
On April 2, 2015, gunmen attacked Garissa University College in Kenya, killing at least 148 people and wounding 79 others in one of the country’s deadliest terrorist attacks.
Gunmen affiliated with the extremist group Al-Shabaab stormed Garissa University College on April 2, 2015, targeting Christian students and staff. The attackers separated victims by religion, executing those who could not recite verses from the Quran and sparing some Muslim students. The siege lasted nearly 15 hours before Kenyan security forces launched a raid to end the bloodshed. In total, 148 people lost their lives and 79 were wounded, prompting national mourning and international condemnation. The tragedy exposed vulnerabilities in campus security and led to reforms in counterterrorism strategies across Kenya. Memorials and scholarships were later established to honor the victims and support the survivors' education.
2015
attack
Garissa University College
Kenya