Apr
May 2025
Jun
On This Day 4 mins Read

May 2: Facts & Historical Events On This Day

Did you know that on this day, May 2, 1918, General Motors bought the Chevrolet Motor Company?

Fact Checked Human Written Verified Sources Regularly Updated

May 2nd is also known as International Harry Potter Day and Baby Day.

We’re now on the 122nd day of the year, and have 243 days left in 2025.

If this day is important to you, you should know what happened on this day, with these interesting facts & historical events.

Did you know that on this day, May 2, 1918, General Motors bought the Chevrolet Motor Company? The deal was orchestrated by Billy Durant who had founded both companies.

Keep reading for more fun & interesting facts about May 2nd in history!

Historical Events

What memorable events happened on May 2 in history? Keep reading to find out!

The Writers Guild of America went on strike after a labor dispute.

OTD in 2023: The Writers Guild of America went on strike after a labor dispute.

The strike against the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers (AMPTP) was the largest stoppage interruption to US film and TV production since the COVID-19 pandemic struck. Guild members headed to picket lines demanding increased wages and better job security.

Kanye West claimed that African-American slaves in the US remained slaves by choice.

The FBI’s most wanted man, Osama bin Laden, was killed by the US Navy Seals and CIA operatives in Abbottabad, Pakistan.

US President Barack Obama ordered the covert operation.

139,000 people lost their lives when Cyclone Nargis made landfall in Myanmar.

The Stanley Cup Finals took place with the Toronto Maple Leafs beating the Montreal Canadiens.

OTD in 1967: The Stanley Cup Finals took place with the Toronto Maple Leafs beating the Montreal Canadiens.

Terry Sawchuk prevented 41 shots from the opposing team, resulting in their victory.

An assassination attempt was made on Gangster Frank Costello.

As Frank Costello arrived home, a man followed him into the lobby, where Costello was shot. The bullet curved around his skull from his ear to his neck and exited without any mortal damage.

The Battle of Berlin ended, with German forces conceding as the Soviet army took Berlin.

The first game of the Negro National League was played at Washington Park in Indianapolis.

General Motors bought the Chevrolet Motor Company of Delaware.

OTD in 1918: General Motors bought the Chevrolet Motor Company of Delaware.

Take Me Out to the Ball Game was copyrighted.

The US Copyright Office received two copies of this new song for copyright. It was written by Jack Norworth and Albert Von Tilzer, neither of which had ever attended a baseball game before writing. It has since become the official anthem of Northern American baseball.

The territory of Oklahoma was incorporated.

The first-ever magazine issue of “Good Housekeeping” was published.

American Congress eliminated the twenty-cent coin.

OTD in 1878: American Congress eliminated the twenty-cent coin.

Britain founded the Swan River Colony in Western Australia.

The original landing site of the Swan River Colony, later on, became the city of Perth, Western Australia's capital. The first settlers in the colony found life incredibly challenging as the land was not particularly suitable for growing crops. The colonists eventually eked out a meager existence as one of Australia's only non-penal colonies.

William Herschel discovered the first binary star.

Named Xi Ursae Majoris, this star system was the first of its kind to be discovered. A binary star system is two stars that orbit around their common center of mass.

Famous Births

Is today your birthday? If so, you share this special day with Dwayne Johnson! Check out more famous people born on this day below.

1972

Dwayne Johnson

American Actor

Age

53 years old

Born IN

California, USA

1975

David Beckham

English Footballer

Age

50 years old

Born IN

England, UK

1985

Lily Allen

English Singer

Age

40 years old

Born IN

England, UK

1955

Donatella Versace

Italian Fashion Designer

Age

70 years old

Born IN

Reggio Calabria, Italy

Birthday & Zodiac

If you were born on May 2, your star sign is Taurus.

Taurus is the second astrological sign in the modern zodiac. It’s an earth sign represented by the bull.

All those born in May have the Emerald birthstone. The emerald symbolizes rebirth and is believed to grant the owner good fortune and youth. This beautiful green gem is also known to bring loyalty to the wearer.

If you were lucky enough to be born on May 2, you were likely conceived around August 9, the year before.

Babies conceived on May 2, 2025, will be due around January 23, 2026.

Famous Deaths

Unfortunately, May 2nd has also been a day where we've had to say some goodbyes over the years…

1452 — 1519

Leonardo da Vinci

Italian Polymath Leonardo da Vinci was born on April 15, 1452. He died on this day in 1519, at age 67 in Amboise, France.

1957 — 2011

Osama bin Laden

Saudi Terrorist Osama bin Laden was born on March 10, 1957. He died on this day in 2011, at age 54 in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan.

Quotes

Here we have the most notable quotes that have been spoken throughout history on May 2nd.

1786

“In general mankind, since the improvement of cookery, eat about twice as much as nature requires.”

Benjamin Franklin

(American Polymath)

Special Holidays

If you've got a few minutes spare today, why not celebrate these special holidays.

World

International Harry Potter Day

Potterheads worldwide rejoice; your day is finally here! International Harry Potter Day celebrates all aspects of J.K. Rowling’s wizarding world. So why not dress up as your favorite character today, learn to craft your own wand, or just binge-watch all the movies!

International

National Baby Day

They’re cute, they’re squishy, and they’re the future of the human race! Babies are pretty cool, even if they are sometimes the most devilish creatures on this planet. Celebrate Baby Day by making your own, or visit friends and fawn over their baby for the day.

Fact Of The Day

Days Until

Your countdown to 2025's upcoming special days!

  • Cinco de Mayo

    3 days

  • Flag Day

    43 days

  • Juneteenth

    48 days

  • Independence Day

    63 days

  • Halloween

    182 days

  • Christmas Day

    237 days

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About The Author

Luke Ward
Owner

Luke Ward is the owner of FactstoryHub. He has over 14 years of experience in researching, informative writing, fact-checking, SEO & web design. In his spare time, he loves to explore the world, drink coffee & attend trivia nights.

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