Marcher Lord Walter de Lacy of Ewyas Lacy is said to have fallen from a ladder to his death on this day 1084 while inspecting the nearly finished work at St Peter’s Church in Hereford.
Ponce de León discovered Florida: Spanish explorer Juan Ponce de León first sighted Florida on April 2, 1513, while searching for the legendary Fountain of Youth. He eventually named the land "La Florida" in honor of Spain's "Pascua Florida" (Feast of the Flowers).
One of the more dramatic events in British history occurred on April 2, 1685, with the execution of James Scott, the Duke of Monmouth. Monmouth was the illegitimate son of King Charles II, and he led a rebellion against the Catholic King James II. Monmouth’s rebellion, known as the Monmouth Rebellion, was an attempt to overthrow James II and place himself on the throne. After a series of battles, Monmouth was defeated at the Battle of Sedgemoor in 1685.
Captured and brought to trial, Monmouth was sentenced to death for treason. On April 2, 1685, he was executed by beheading at the Tower of London. His execution marked the end of one of the last significant challenges to the rule of the Catholic King James II and solidified James II’s position on the throne, at least for the time being.
1873Almost 14 years after the United States, British trains were fitted with toilets, but only for sleeping cars. Day carriages were fitted in 1881. Third class passengers weren’t able to 'spend a penny' until 1886.
1877The first Human Cannonball Act was performed at London's Amphitheatre when acrobat Lady Zazal, attached by elastic springs, was fired into a safety net.
April 2, 1919, marks a significant date in the history of British women’s rights, as it was on this day that the first woman was officially appointed to the British Parliament. Lady Nancy Astor became the first woman to take her seat in the House of Commons, having won the seat for Plymouth in the 1919 general election.
The Hotel Portmeirion was officially opened for the Easter Weekend on 2nd April 1926. Portmeirion is a popular tourist village, located in the community of Penrhyndeudraeth on the estuary of the River Dwyryd, 2 miles from Porthmadog in Gwynedd. It was designed and built by Sir Clough Williams-Ellis between 1925 and 1975 in the style of an Italian village.
Portmeirion has served as the location for numerous films and television shows, most famously in the 1960s television show The Prisoner. The show became a cult classic and fans continue to visit Portmeirion, which hosts annual Prisoner fan conventions.. Used to be called Aber Iâ
The first iPad was released on April 2, 2010: Apple's groundbreaking tablet, the iPad, was released to the public for the first time in the United States, revolutionizing the way people use technology for communication, entertainment, and work. This post was compiled on one.
1965: The UK pop show Ready Steady Go! switches to a 'live' format where the acts are expected to actually perform their songs rather than mime to a recording. Despite the new policy Tom Jones mimes to his song 'It's Not Unusual'.
2006: A schoolbook belonging to John Lennon containing his drawing of Lewis Carroll's poem The Walrus and the Carpenter is sold at auction in London for £126,500 ($239,733). The poem inspired the adult Lennon to write The Beatles' song 'I Am the Walrus'.
