This Day in History: May 2

1945 World War II: Battle of Berlin ends as Soviet army takes Berlin forcing German commander of the city general Helmuth Weidling to surrender

On May 2, 1945, Soviet troops captured Berlin after intense fighting, which marked the end of World War II in Europe. German General Helmuth Weidling surrendered the city to the Soviet army, and the remaining German troops in the city also surrendered.

1949 Arthur Miller wins Pulitzer Prize for “Death of a Salesman”

Arthur Miller’s play “Death of a Salesman” won the Pulitzer Prize for Drama in 1949. The play explores the disillusionment and downfall of a traveling salesman named Willy Loman and his family.

1952 The jet age begins with the first scheduled flight of the De Havilland Comet 1

The De Havilland Comet 1 made its first scheduled flight on May 2, 1952, from London to Johannesburg, ushering in the era of commercial jet travel. However, a year later, a Comet 1 crashed due to structural problems, leading to the grounding of the entire Comet fleet.

1982 The British Royal Navy sinks the Argentinian cruiser General Belgrano

In the Falklands War between the UK and Argentina, the British Royal Navy sank the Argentinian cruiser General Belgrano on May 2, 1982, killing more than 350 men. The attack was controversial, and the British tabloid newspaper The Sun famously reported it with the headline “Gotcha.”

1989 The Iron Curtain begins to crumble as Hungary dismantles its border fence

On May 2, 1989, Hungary dismantled its border fence with Austria, allowing thousands of East Germans to escape to the West. This event marked the beginning of the end of the Cold War and the eventual fall of the Iron Curtain.

1997 Tony Blair becomes British Prime Minister, ending 18 years of Conservative Party reign

Tony Blair’s Labor Party won a landslide victory in the general elections on May 2, 1997, ending 18 years of Conservative Party rule in Britain. Blair’s leadership, however, was later criticized for his support of the US invasion of Iraq in 2003.

2008 Cyclone Nargis makes landfall in Myanmar killing over 130,000 people and leaving millions of people homeless

Cyclone Nargis struck Myanmar (formerly known as Burma) on May 2, 2008, causing widespread devastation and leaving over 130,000 people dead. The cyclone also left millions of people homeless and caused severe damage to the country’s infrastructure.

2011 Osama bin Laden is killed by a U.S. commando

On May 2, 2011, a US special forces team raided a compound in Abbottabad, Pakistan, and killed Osama bin Laden, the founder of the militant group al-Qaeda and the suspected mastermind behind the September 11 attacks on the US in 2001.