June 2
June 2 is the 154th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar; 212 days remain until the year's end. It falls in spring (northern hemisphere) and under the astrological sign of Gemini.
External references
Curated jump-off points to the major almanacs, encyclopaedias and primary sources for this date.
Astronomy
On June 2 the Sun's declination is approximately +22.3°. At this latitude the Sun is north of the celestial equator, giving the Northern Hemisphere longer 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 June 2.
Position in the year
Holidays & observances
- Republic Day (Italy, 1946)
Events
A selection of widely-documented historical events that took place on this date. Years marked BCE follow standard astronomical convention.
1953 — Coronation of Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom at Westminster Abbey, the first to be televised internationally. ↗(73 years ago)more
The coronation of Elizabeth II as queen of the United Kingdom and the other Commonwealth realms took place on 2 June 1953 at Westminster Abbey in London. Elizabeth acceded to the throne at the age of 25 upon the death of her father, George VI, on 6 February 1952, being proclaimed queen by her privy and executive councils shortly afterwards.
1966 — Surveyor 1, the first American spacecraft to soft-land on the Moon, touched down. ↗(60 years ago)more
Surveyor 1 was the first lunar soft-lander in the uncrewed Surveyor program of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration. This lunar soft-lander gathered data about the lunar surface that would be needed for the crewed Apollo Moon landings that began in 1969.
1979 — Pope John Paul II became the first pope to visit a communist country with a trip to his native Poland. ↗(47 years ago)more
Pope John Paul II was head of the Catholic Church and sovereign of Vatican City from 16 October 1978 until his death in 2005. He was the first non-Italian pope since Adrian VI in the 16th century, as well as the third-longest-serving pope in history, after St. Peter and Pius IX.
Notable births
1840 — Thomas Hardy, English novelist. ↗(186 years ago)more
Thomas Hardy was an English novelist and poet. A Victorian realist in the tradition of George Eliot, he was influenced both in his novels and in his poetry by Romanticism, including the poetry of William Wordsworth.
1941 — Charlie Watts, English drummer (Rolling Stones). ↗(85 years ago)more
Charles Robert Watts was an English musician who was the drummer of the Rolling Stones from 1963 until his death in 2021.
Notable deaths
1882 — Giuseppe Garibaldi, Italian general and revolutionary. ↗(144 years ago)more
Giuseppe Maria Garibaldi was an Italian general, revolutionary and republican. He contributed to the Unification of Italy (Risorgimento) and the creation of the Kingdom of Italy. He is considered to be one of Italy's "fathers of the fatherland", along with Camillo Benso di Cavour, King Victor Emmanuel II and Giuseppe Mazzini.
Numerical & calendrical curiosities
| Day-of-year (154) | 2 × 7 × 11 · composite (no) |
|---|---|
| Days remaining (212) | 2^2 × 53 |
| Date code DDMMYYYY | 02062026 · no palindrome in next 200 years |
| Sun declination | +22.29° (Cooper approximation) |
| Distance from solstice | 18 days |