October 2
October 2 is the 276th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar; 90 days remain until the year's end. It falls in autumn (northern hemisphere) and under the astrological sign of Libra.
External references
Curated jump-off points to the major almanacs, encyclopaedias and primary sources for this date.
Astronomy
On October 2 the Sun's declination is approximately -5.0°. 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 October 2.
Position in the year
Holidays & observances
- Batik Day (Indonesia)
- Christian feast day: Denha I of Tikrit (Syriac Orthodox Church)
- Christian feast day: Memorial of the Holy Guardian Angels
- Christian feast day: Leodegar
- Christian feast day: October 2 (Eastern Orthodox liturgics)
Events
A selection of widely-documented historical events that took place on this date. Years marked BCE follow standard astronomical convention.
2025 — 2 people are killed and at least 4 others injured in an attack on a synagogue in Manchester, UK, during Yom Kippur. ↗(1 years ago)more
On 2 October 2025, during the Jewish holiday of Yom Kippur, a man drove a black Kia Picanto into pedestrians before stabbing worshippers at the Heaton Park Hebrew Congregation, a synagogue in Higher Crumpsall, a northern suburb of the city of Manchester in North West England.
2019 — A privately owned Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress conducting a living history exhibition flight crashes shortly after takeoff from Windsor Locks, Connecticut, killing seven. ↗(7 years ago)more
The Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress is an American four-engined heavy bomber aircraft that was developed in the mid-1930s for the United States Army Air Corps (USAAC). A fast and high-flying bomber used primarily in the European Theater of Operations, the B-17 dropped more bombs than any other aircraft during World War II.
2018 — The Washington Post journalist Jamal Khashoggi is assassinated in the Saudi consulate in Istanbul, Turkey. ↗(8 years ago)more
The Washington Post is an American daily newspaper published in Washington, D.C. It is the most widely circulated newspaper in the Washington metropolitan area and is considered a newspaper of record in the United States.
2016 — Ethiopian protests break out during a festival in the Oromia region, killing dozens of people. ↗(10 years ago)more
The 2014–2016 Oromo protests were a series of protests and resistance in Oromia which first sparked on 25 April 2014. The initial actions were taken in opposition to the Addis Ababa Master Plan, and resumed on 12 November 2015 by university students and farmers in the town of Ginchi, located 80 km southwest of Addis Ababa, encircled by Oromia.
2007 — President Roh Moo-hyun of South Korea goes to North Korea for an Inter-Korean summit with North Korean leader Kim Jong-il. ↗(19 years ago)more
Roh Moo-hyun was a South Korean politician and lawyer who served as the ninth president of South Korea from 2003 to 2008.
- 2006 — Five Amish girls are murdered in a shooting at a school in Pennsylvania, United States. ↗(20 years ago)
more
On October 2, 2006, a mass shooting occurred at the West Nickel Mines School, an Amish one-room schoolhouse in the Old Order Amish community of Nickel Mines, a village in Bart Township, Pennsylvania. Gunman Charles Carl Roberts IV took hostages and shot ten girls, killing six, before dying by suicide in the schoolhouse. The emphasis on forgiveness and rec...
2004 — The first parkrun, then known as the Bushy Park Time Trial, takes place in Bushy Park, London, UK. ↗(22 years ago)more
Parkrun is a collection of 5-kilometre (3.1 mi) events for runners, walkers and volunteers that take place every Saturday morning at more than 2,000 locations in 23 countries across five continents.
2002 — The Beltway sniper attacks begin in Washington, D.C., extending over three weeks and killing 10 people. ↗(24 years ago)more
The D.C. sniper attacks were a series of coordinated shootings that occurred over three weeks in October 2002 throughout the Washington metropolitan area, consisting of the District of Columbia, Maryland, and Virginia. These were preceded by a series of murders and robberies in several states starting in February 2002.
1996 — Aeroperú Flight 603 crashes into the ocean near Peru, killing all 70 people on board. ↗(30 years ago)more
Aeroperú Flight 603 was a scheduled passenger flight from Miami International Airport in Miami, Florida, United States, to Arturo Merino Benítez International Airport in Santiago, Chile, with stopovers in Quito, Ecuador, and Lima, Peru. On October 2, 1996, the Boeing 757-23A aircraft flying the final leg of the flight crashed into the Pacific Ocean.
1996 — The Electronic Freedom of Information Act Amendments are signed by U.S. President Bill Clinton. ↗(30 years ago)more
The Freedom of Information Act, 5 U.S.C. § 552, is the United States federal freedom of information law that requires the full or partial disclosure of previously unreleased or uncirculated information and documents controlled by the U.S. government upon request.
1992 — Military police storm the Carandiru Penitentiary in São Paulo, Brazil during a prison riot. The resulting massacre leaves 111 prisoners dead. ↗(34 years ago)more
The Carandiru massacre occurred on 2 October 1992, in Carandiru Penitentiary in São Paulo, Brazil, when military police stormed the penitentiary following a prison riot. The massacre, which left 111 prisoners dead, is considered by many people to be a major human rights violation.
1990 — Xiamen Airlines Flight 8301 is hijacked and lands at Guangzhou, where it crashes into two other airliners on the ground, killing 132. ↗(36 years ago)more
On 2 October 1990, a hijacked Boeing 737, operating Xiamen Airlines Flight 8301, collided with two other aircraft at the old Guangzhou Baiyun International Airport while attempting to land. The hijacked aircraft struck parked China Southwest Airlines Flight 4305 first, inflicting only minor damage, but then collided with CAAC Flight 3523, a Boeing 757 wai...
Notable births
2005 — Sam Konstas, Australian cricketer ↗(21 years ago)more
Sam James Konstas is an Australian international cricketer who plays for the Australian national team, New South Wales in the Sheffield Shield and Sydney Thunder in the Big Bash League. He is a right-handed top-order batter.
2002 — Jacob Sartorius, American social media personality and singer ↗(24 years ago)more
Rolf Jacob Sartorius is an American social media personality and singer. He rose to fame via social media after posting lip-syncing videos on short-form video application Musical.ly. In 2016, he began releasing music with his debut single "Sweatshirt", which, along with his second single "Hit or Miss", charted on the Hot 100 in the United States and in Ca...
2000 — Quadeca, American singer-songwriter and YouTuber ↗(26 years ago)more
Benjamin Fernando Barajas Lasky, better known by his stage name Quadeca, is an American singer, songwriter, rapper and record producer. Lasky began on the Internet by uploading rap songs, music videos, comedy sketches, and video game gameplay to his YouTube channel.
1996 — Tom Trbojevic, Australian rugby league player ↗(30 years ago)more
Thomas Peter Trbojevic, also nicknamed "Turbo", is an Australian professional rugby league footballer who plays as a fullback for the Manly Warringah Sea Eagles in the National Rugby League (NRL), where he also captains as of November 2025, and plays as a centre for Australia at an international level.
1995 — Tepai Moeroa, Cook Islands rugby league player ↗(31 years ago)more
Tepai Moeroa is a dual code Cook Islands professional rugby league footballer who last played as a prop for the Melbourne Storm in the National Rugby League (NRL) and the Cook Islands at international level.
1993 — Lance McCullers Jr., American baseball player ↗(33 years ago)more
Lance Graye McCullers Jr. is an American professional baseball pitcher for the Houston Astros of Major League Baseball (MLB). The Astros selected McCullers in the first round of the 2012 MLB draft. He made his MLB debut in 2015 and was an All-Star in 2017.
Notable deaths
- 2024 — Susie Berning, American professional golfer (born 1941) ↗(2 years ago)
more
Suzanne Maxwell Berning was an American professional golfer. She became a member of the LPGA Tour in 1964 and won four major championships and eleven LPGA Tour victories in all. She also competed under her maiden name Susie Maxwell from 1964 to 1968. She was inducted into the World Golf Hall of Fame in 2022.
- 2024 — Marissa Haque, Indonesian politician (born 1962) ↗(2 years ago)
more
Marissa Grace was an Indonesian actress and politician of Madurese, Dutch, Pakistani, and French descent. The eldest of the Haque family, she was the older sibling of Indonesian model and actor Soraya Haque, and Indonesian television actor and presenter, Shahnaz Haque.
2023 — Francis Lee, English footballer (born 1944) ↗(3 years ago)more
Francis Henry Lee, also known as Franny Lee, was an English professional footballer and businessman. He was also later the chairman and main shareholder of Manchester City, as well as briefly a racehorse trainer and amateur cricket player.
2022 — Sacheen Littlefeather, American actress, model and activist for Native American civil rights (born 1946) ↗(4 years ago)more
Maria Louise Cruz, better known as Sacheen Littlefeather, was an American-born actress and activist for Native American civil rights. After her death, she was accused by family members and journalists of falsely claiming Native American heritage.
- 2021 — Jack Biondolillo, American bowler (born 1940) ↗(5 years ago)
more
Jack Joseph Biondolillo was an American professional bowler and member of the Professional Bowlers Association (PBA).
Numerical & calendrical curiosities
| Day-of-year (276) | 2^2 × 3 × 23 · composite (no) |
|---|---|
| Days remaining (90) | 2 × 3^2 × 5 |
| Date code DDMMYYYY | 02102026 · no palindrome in next 200 years |
| Sun declination | -5.00° (Cooper approximation) |
| Distance from solstice | 79 days |