…King Richard III formally established the College of Arms on March 2nd, 1484, setting the standard for heraldic authority in England. This institution became pivotal in the regulation and granting of coats of arms. The College of Arms played a significant role in maintaining records of ancestry and heraldry. It provided structure and legitimacy to the art of heraldry, ensuring its continuity and evolution. The establishment underscored the importance of heraldry in medieval society, reflecting the values and identities of noble families.
….. On March 2nd, 1498, Vasco da Gama’s expedition reached the Island of Mozambique, an important milestone in his pioneering sea voyage to India. This historic visit marked one of the earliest European interactions with the East African coast. …
.. On 2nd March 1585 spy and double agent William Parry was executed on the discovery of his plot to kill Queen Elizabeth l. This became known as 'The Parry Plot'. Parry, from Northop, Flintshire, left for London to seek his fortune. Shortly after entering the Queen's service, he found himself in financial difficulties and had to rely on a royal pardon to escape a death sentence for assaulting one of his creditors. Parry then received a commission from Lord Burghley to spy on Catholics in Europe, but soon became a double agent for both Queen Elizabeth and Mary Queen of Scots. When he was heard to boast that he would assassinate Elizabeth if he had the opportunity, it was not known whether he was acting on behalf of Mary, with a papal blessing, or whether he was just trying to infiltrate papist circles. However, when Elizabeth was informed of the plot, Parry was arrested for treason and hanged at Westminster.
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… On 2nd March 1768, local miner, Rowland Hughes discovered the 'Great Lode' of copper on Parys Mountain, Ynys Mon (Anglesey). He was rewarded with a bottle of whisky and a rent-free house for life.
The mountain had been mined for copper ore in the early Bronze Age nearly 4,000 years ago and later by the Romans. However, following its rediscovery in the 1780s it became Europe's largest copper mine, with the copper notably being used by the admiralty to protect the bottom of wooden ships of war from barnacles and wood worms, as well as increasing their speed and manoeuvrability.
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1882An unsuccessful attempt was made by Scotsman Roderick Maclean to assassinate Queen Victoria. As she was leaving Windsor railway station he stepped forward from the cheering crowd, lifted a revolver and fired into her carriage. Before a second shot could be fired, he was overpowered by the crowd and arrested by Superintendent Hayes. Remaining calm, the Queen and her companions rode on to Windsor Castle. …
.. On 2nd March 1918 Arthur James Cook (A.J. Cook), a prominent trade union leader in South Wales, was arrested and charged with sedition under the Defence of the Realm Act. Cook is remembered as one of the United Kingdom's best known miners’ leaders during the General Strike of 1926. ..
… The supersonic passenger airliner, Concorde, made its first successful flight on March 2, 1969. In France. ….
1974 – Rock band Slade scored their second number one album of the year in the UK with ‘Old New Borrowed and Blue’. I own this Album. [media=https://youtu.be/yGocC367XlU]
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1983: The Compact Disc is released in Europe and the United States as a replacement for the LP format. The new audio disc is enthusiastically received, despite the lack of available titles and high price of early CD players.
