On This Day for May 2 - Lou Gehrig's 2,130-game streak ended, Catherine II is featured, and more

This message contains graphics. If you do not see the graphics, click here to view. May 02 FEATURED BIOGRAPHY Catherine II READ MORE   FEATURED EVENT 1939 Lou Gehrig's 2,130-game streak ended READ MORE   Advertisement Advertisement   MORE EVENTS ON THIS DAY 2015: Princess Charlotte Elizabeth Diana of Cambridge, the second child of Prince William, duke of Cambridge, and Catherine, duchess of Cambridge, was born in London. [Sort fact from fiction in our English royalty quiz.] 2011: Osama bin Laden—founder of the militant Islamist organization al-Qaeda and mastermind of numerous terrorist attacks, notably the September 11, 2001, attacks—was killed by U.S. forces in Abbottabad, Pakistan. [Watch a video of U.S. President Barack Obama announcing the death of Osama bin Laden.] 2000: U.S. PresidentBill Clinton announced that highly accurate GPS would be made available to the public; the satellite signals had previously been degraded for nonmilitary use. [ Learn how GPS satellites guide airplanes, cars, and even cell phones.] 1997: British Labour Party leader Tony Blair became prime minister of the United Kingdom; he was the youngest person to hold the office since 1812. [ Test your knowledge of British culture and politics.] 1946: An attempted prison escape by six inmates at Alcatraz resulted in two days of violent fighting, which became known as the Battle of Alcatraz. 1935: The peasants of Luzon, Philippines, rose up in arms against oppressive land tenancy laws. [Sort fact from fiction in our quiz about Southeast Asia.] SEE ALL EVENTS ON THIS DAY ALSO BORN ON THIS DAY 1972 Dwayne Johnson American professional wrestler and actor 1975 David Beckham British athlete 1729 Catherine the Great empress of Russia 1892 Manfred, baron von Richthofen German aviator 1921 Satyajit Ray Indian film director 1860 Theodor Herzl Austrian Zionist leader 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