Browse Historical Events by Day: What Happened on October 2nd?

Fire destroys most of the Palace of Whitehall in London.

Fire destroys most of the Palace of Whitehall in London.

President Woodrow Wilson suffered a severe stroke that left him incapacitated until the end of his presidential term in 1921. More

Guinea Independence Day from France. Guinea was the only French West African colony to opt for complete independence, rather than membership in the French Community. France withdrew all aid to the new republic. shortly thereafter. More

A team of scientists working at a University of Florida lab, invent a sports drink to quench thirst. the drink that would soon become known as Gatorade was born. The name "Gatorade" is derived from the nickname of the university's sports teams. Eventually, the drink becomes a phenomenon and made its inventors wealthy. More

Thurgood Marshall is sworn in to the nation’s highest court at the opening ceremony of the Supreme Court term, becoming the first Black US Supreme Court justice. More

Journalist Jamal Khashoggi is murdered inside the Saudi consulate in Istanbul, Turkey.