It happened today, October 2: Gandhi and the conquest of Jerusalem

October 2 is the 275th day of the Gregorian calendar, with 90 days remaining in the year. In 2026, it falls on a Friday and is celebrated as International Day of Non-Violence, Grandparents' Day, and Gandhi Jayanti. The date ties together Gandhi 's birth , Saladin's conquest of Jerusalem, and the discovery of Montreal.

Politics and History

On October 2, 1187, Saladin entered Jerusalem after a brief siege, ending 88 years of Crusader rule over the city. The conquest shook Europe and paved the way for the Third Crusade , led by Richard the Lionheart and Philip II of France.

On October 2, 1535, French explorer Jacques Cartier reached the island where Montreal , Quebec, now stands. He named the central elevation Mont Royal , from which the future Canadian metropolis takes its name.

On October 2, 1835, in Gonzales , Texas, settlers repel Mexican soldiers sent to seize their cannons: it is the first clash of the Texas Revolution . It sparks the Battle of the Alamo and, in 1836 , the birth of the Republic of Texas.

On October 2, 1870, a plebiscite was held for the annexation of Rome to the Kingdom of Italy, twelve days after the Capture of Rome . The "yes" vote won overwhelmingly, and in 1871 the city became the capital of the new Italian state.

On October 2, 1941, Nazi Germany launched Operation Typhoon , the final offensive to capture Moscow . The advance stalled just a few dozen kilometers from the city, blocked by mud, freezing temperatures, and Soviet resistance.

On October 2, 1944, the Warsaw Uprising ended : after 63 days of urban fighting, the Home Army surrendered to the Germans. The city was then razed to the ground on Hitler 's orders , as had happened in Naples during the Four Days of War.

Science and Technology

On October 2, 1836, Charles Darwin landed in Falmouth , England, after a five-year voyage aboard HMS Beagle. The theory of evolution was born from the specimens collected in the Galápagos.

On October 2, 1925, delivery boy William Taynton became the first man to appear on television , in front of John Logie Baird 's camera . To persuade him to remain in front of the lens, the inventor offered him a few shillings.

On October 2, 1955 , ENIAC , the first large-scale electronic computer in history, was shut down . It operated with 17.468 vacuum tubes and took up an entire room: today, a single telephone has much more power.

Culture, Art and Entertainment

On October 2, 1928, Josemaría Escrivá founded Opus Dei in Madrid , the Catholic organization that spreads the search for holiness in everyday life. Over the decades, it became one of the most controversial entities in the Church.

On October 2, 1950, Charles M. Schulz 's Peanuts debuted in seven American newspapers . Charlie Brown and Snoopy became among the most beloved characters in comic strips worldwide, appearing for 50 years.

On October 2, 1959, the first episode of The Twilight Zone , Rod Serling 's science fiction, horror, and morality tale, aired in the United States . It paved the way for generations of fantastic stories.

Sports

On 2 October 1909 , the first rugby match was played at the new stadium of the English rugby union at Twickenham , London: Harlequins beat Richmond 14-10 . Twickenham became the temple of European rugby.

On October 2, 1920, the Cincinnati Reds and Pittsburgh Pirates played Major League Baseball's only tripleheader of the 20th century, three games on the same day. The Reds won the first two, the Pirates the third.

News and Society

On October 2, 1937, the Parsley Massacre began in the Dominican Republic : Rafael Trujillo 's regime killed thousands of Haitians. The name comes from the pronunciation test for the word "perejil," which betrayed those who spoke Creole.

On October 2, 1967, Thurgood Marshall was sworn in as the first African-American justice of the United States Supreme Court . He served for 24 years and signed historic civil rights decisions.

On October 2, 1968, the army opened fire on a student crowd in Tlatelolco , Mexico City , ten days before the Olympics. Hundreds of people died: the massacre remains one of the darkest moments in Mexican history.

Born today

Mahatma Gandhi , the lawyer who led the struggle for independence through nonviolence , was born in Porbandar , India in 1869. His birthday is celebrated as Gandhi Jayanti , India's national holiday.

Groucho Marx , the mustachioed, cigar-smoking comedian who, with his brothers, founded one of Hollywood's most irreverent troupes, was born in New York in 1890. His surreal humor influenced generations of authors. He died in 1977.

Graham Greene , author of The Power and the Glory and Our Man in Havana , was born in Berkhamsted , England, in 1904. His novels intertwine espionage, faith, and morality. He died in 1991.

Sting , born Gordon Sumner, was born in Wallsend , England in 1951. He became a rock star as the lead singer of The Police , then launched a long solo career in jazz and world music.

Recent events (2000-present)

On October 2, 2001, Swissair was grounded: its planes stopped taking off due to a lack of liquidity. The grounding led to the airline's bankruptcy and the creation of the new Swiss.

On October 2, 2006, a gunman entered the Amish school in Nickel Mines , Pennsylvania, and killed five girls before taking his own life. The Amish community responded with forgiveness , a gesture that moved the world.

On October 2, 2016, Colombian voters rejected the peace agreement between the government and the FARC by 50,2% . The rejection surprised everyone and reopened negotiations, which were re-signed a few weeks later.

On October 2, 2018, Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi was killed in the Saudi Arabian consulate in Istanbul . The case sparked an international crisis and cast a shadow over Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman.

The memory of October 2nd is still touched upon in Naples, between the Naples Underground , the Castel dell'Ovo and the historic cafés of the Decumani , where every day of the past leaves a concrete trace.