What Happened on October 2?

October 2 is International Day of Non-Violence — honoring peaceful change on Mahatma Gandhi's birthday — on the same date Thurgood Marshall joined the Supreme Court in 1967, Peanuts debuted in 1950, Texans fought at Gonzales in 1835, The Twilight Zone premiered in 1959, IBM announced the RAMAC hard disk in 1955, and Saladin captured Jerusalem in 1187.

• 1187 — Saladin captures Jerusalem

  On October 2, 1187, Muslim leader Saladin took Jerusalem after defeating Crusader forces — ending nearly a century of Crusader rule in the city. Read the full story →

• 1835 — Texians and Mexican troops clash at the Battle of Gonzales

  On October 2, 1835, settlers at Gonzales refused to return a cannon — fighting a skirmish that opened the Texas Revolution. Read the full story →

• 1950 — Peanuts comic strip debuts in newspapers

  On October 2, 1950, Charles M. Schulz's Peanuts first appeared — introducing Charlie Brown, Snoopy, and friends to readers. Read the full story →

• 1955 — IBM announces the RAMAC hard disk system

  On October 2, 1955, IBM unveiled RAMAC — a refrigerator-sized machine that stored data on spinning magnetic disks. Read the full story →

• 1959 — The Twilight Zone premieres on television

  On October 2, 1959, Rod Serling's The Twilight Zone first aired — blending science fiction, suspense, and moral twists. Read the full story →

Famous birthdays

Mahatma Gandhi (1869–1948) · Groucho Marx (1890–1977) · Sting (1951) · Queen Camilla (1947)

Days & observances

International Day of Non-Violence · Gandhi Jayanti · National Name Your Car Day · National Fried Scallops Day