December 2 is the 336th day (337th on leap years) of the year in the Gregorian calendar. There are 29 days remaining.
Events:
Births:
- 1694 - William Shirley, Colonial Governor of Massachusetts (+ 1771)
- 1738 - Richard Montgomery, Irish-American soldier
- 1817 - Heinrich von Sybel, historian (+ 1895)
- 1859 - Georges Seurat, painter (+ 1891)
- 1891 - Otto Dix, painter and graphic artist (+ 1969)
- 1899 - John Barbirolli, conductor (+ 1970)
- 1899 - John R. Cobb[?], automobile racer (+ 1952)
- 1906 - Peter Goldmark[?], inventor, engineer (+ 1977)
- 1909 - Marion Gräfin Dönhoff[?], publisher (+ 2002)
- 1914 - Ray Walston, actor (+ 2001)
- 1914 - Adolph Green, composer (+ 2002)
- 1923 - Maria Callas, opera singer (+ 1977)
- 1924 - Alexander M. Haig, Jr., US politician
- 1925 - Julie Harris, actress
- 1930 - Gary Becker, economist
- 1931 - Edwin Meese, American politician
- 1944 - Botho Strauß[?], author
- 1945 - Penelope Spheeris, director
- 1946 - Gianni Versace[?], designer (+ 1997)
- 1952 - Michael McDonald, musician
- 1962 - Tracy Austin[?], tennis player
- 1968 - Lucy Liu, actress
- 1973 - Jan Ullrich[?], cyclist and winner of the 1997 Tour de France
- 1973 - Monica Seles[?], tennis player
- 1981 - Britney Spears, singer
Deaths:
- 1547 - Hernán Fernando Cortés, Spanish explorer and conqueror
- 1552 - Francis Xavier, Catholic missionary
- 1594 - Gerardus Mercator, cartographer
- 1814 - Marquis de Sade, writer
- 1859 - John Brown, militant abolitionist (hanged)
- 1892 - Jay Gould, entrepreneur
- 1969 - Kliment Yefremovich Voroshilov, Russian politician
- 1980 - Romain Gary, writer
- 1982 - Marty Feldman, comedian
- 1983 - Fifi D'Orsay, actress
- 1986 - Desi Arnaz, actor, musician, band leader, composer
- 1990 - Aaron Copland, composer
- 1995 - Robertson Davies, Canadian novelist
Holidays and Observances:
See Also:
December 1 - December 3 - November 2 - January 2 -- listing of all days
January, February, March, April, May, June, July,
August, September, October, November, December