February 2
February 2 is the 33rd day of the year in the Gregorian calendar; 333 days remain until the year's end. It falls in winter (northern hemisphere) and under the astrological sign of Aquarius.
External references
Curated jump-off points to the major almanacs, encyclopaedias and primary sources for this date.
Astronomy
On February 2 the Sun's declination is approximately -17.2°. At this latitude the Sun is south of the celestial equator, giving the Northern Hemisphere shorter days than nights.
For specific rise/set times at your location, see the U.S. Naval Observatory, or the NASA APOD archive for any imagery published on a February 2.
Position in the year
Holidays & observances
- Groundhog Day (United States, Canada)
- Candlemas (Christian)
- World Wetlands Day
Events
A selection of widely-documented historical events that took place on this date. Years marked BCE follow standard astronomical convention.
1536 — Spanish explorer Pedro de Mendoza founded the city of Buenos Aires. ↗(490 years ago)more
Pedro de Mendoza was a Spanish conquistador, soldier and explorer, the first adelantado of New Andalusia, and the founder of Buenos Aires.
1848 — Mexican-American War: the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo was signed, ceding California and other Mexican territories to the United States. ↗(178 years ago)more
The Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo officially ended the Mexican–American War (1846–1848). It was signed on the 2nd of February 1848 in the town of Guadalupe Hidalgo.
1887 — In Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania, Groundhog Day was first celebrated. ↗(139 years ago)more
Groundhog Day is a tradition observed regionally in the United States and Canada on February 2 of every year. It derives from the Pennsylvania Dutch superstition that if a groundhog emerges from its burrow on this day and sees its shadow, it will retreat to its den and winter will go on for six more weeks; if it does not see its shadow, spring will arrive...
1922 — James Joyce's Ulysses was published in Paris. ↗(104 years ago)more
Ulysses is a modernist novel by the Irish writer James Joyce. Partially serialised in the American journal The Little Review from March 1918 to December 1920, the entire work was published in Paris by Sylvia Beach on 2 February 1922, Joyce's fortieth birthday.
1990 — South African President F. W. de Klerk announced the unbanning of the African National Congress and the imminent release of Nelson Mandela. ↗(36 years ago)more
Frederik Willem de Klerk was a South African politician who served as the final state president of South Africa from 1989 to 1994 and as deputy president alongside Thabo Mbeki under President Nelson Mandela from 1994 to 1996.
Notable births
1650 — Nell Gwyn, English actress and royal mistress. ↗(376 years ago)more
Eleanor Gwyn was an English stage actress and celebrity figure of the Restoration period. Praised by Samuel Pepys for her comic performances as one of the first actresses on the English stage, she became best known for being a longtime mistress of King Charles II of England.
1882 — James Joyce, Irish novelist. ↗(144 years ago)more
James Augustine Aloysius Joyce was an Irish novelist, poet, and literary critic. He contributed to the modernist movement and is regarded among the most influential and important writers of the 20th century.
1947 — Farrah Fawcett, American actress. ↗(79 years ago)more
Farrah Fawcett was an American actress. A four-time Primetime Emmy Award nominee and six-time Golden Globe Award nominee, Fawcett rose to international fame when she played a starring role in the first season of the television series Charlie's Angels.
Notable deaths
1979 — Sid Vicious, English bassist (Sex Pistols). ↗(47 years ago)more
John Simon Ritchie, better known by his stage name Sid Vicious, was an English musician, best known as the second bassist for the punk rock band Sex Pistols. After his death in 1979 at the age of 21, he remained an icon of the punk subculture; one of his friends noted that he embodied "everything in punk that was dark, decadent and nihilistic".
Numerical & calendrical curiosities
| Day-of-year (33) | 3 × 11 · composite (no) |
|---|---|
| Days remaining (333) | 3^2 × 37 |
| Date code DDMMYYYY | 02022026 · no palindrome in next 200 years |
| Sun declination | -17.24° (Cooper approximation) |
| Distance from solstice | 44 days |