On This Day for February 2 - Ban on African National Congress lifted, James Joyce is featured, and more

This message contains graphics. If you do not see the graphics, click here to view. February 02 FEATURED BIOGRAPHY James Joyce READ MORE   FEATURED EVENT 1990 Ban on African National Congress lifted READ MORE   Advertisement Advertisement   MORE EVENTS ON THIS DAY 2014: American actor Philip Seymour Hoffman, who fully inhabited the characters he played and was renowned for his scene-stealing work in supporting roles, died of a heroin overdose in New York City. [ Sort fact from fiction in our A-list of actors quiz.] 1980: The FBI's undercover criminal investigation known as Abscam was revealed to the public; it resulted in the convictions of various elected officials on an assortment of bribery and corruption charges. [Take our quiz about criminality and famous outlaws.] 1979: Sid Vicious of the Sex Pistols, early proponents of British punk rock, died of a drug overdose in New York City. [Test your knowledge of rock and roll.] 1971: Idi Amin declared himself president of Uganda and for the next eight years headed a regime that was noted for its brutality. [How much do you know about African leaders?] 1905: American writer Ayn Rand, whose commercially successful novels promoting individualism and laissez-faire capitalism became influential among conservatives and libertarians, was born in St. Petersburg. [Test your knowledge of famous writers.] 1943: The Battle of Stalingrad in World War II ended with the surrender of German troops to the Soviets. [ Learn about the key moments in the Battle of Stalingrad.] SEE ALL EVENTS ON THIS DAY ALSO BORN ON THIS DAY 1977 Shakira Colombian musician 1905 Ayn Rand American author 1952 Park Geun-Hye president of South Korea 1882 James Joyce Irish author 1927 Stan Getz American musician 1895 George Halas American sportsman SEE ALL BIOS ON THIS DAY   Advertisement   FOLLOW: To unsubscribe from Britannica e-mails, click here. Encyclopædia Britannica 325 N. LaSalle Street, Suite 200 Chicago, Illinois 60654 United States © 2021 Encyclopaedia Britannica, Inc. Privacy Policy • Help