Today in History for 2nd May 2026

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Historical Events

1876 - The April Uprising breaks out in Bulgaria
1878 - US stops minting the 20-cent coin due to public confusion with the quarter
1887 - Hannibal Goodwin patents celluloid photographic film (used in Thomas Edison's Kinetoscope)
1953 - Hussein I installed as King of Jordan
1998 - 124th Kentucky Derby: Kent Desormeaux aboard Real Quiet wins in 2:02.20

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Famous Birthdays

1660 - Alessandro Scarlatti, Italian baroque composer (Tigrane), born in Palermo, Sicily, Viceroyalty of the Spanish Empire (d. 1725)
1860 - Theodor Herzl, Austrian journalist and father of modern political Zionism (World Zionist Organization), born in Budapest, Austria-Hungary (d. 1904)
1910 - Laurie Nash, Australian cricket fast-bowler (2 Tests, 10 wickets) and VFL player and coach (South Melbourne), born in Melbourne, Australia (d. 1986)
1954 - Elliot Goldenthal, American concert, theater, and Academy Award-winning film score composer (Frida; Juan Darién - A Carnival Mass), born in Brooklyn, New York City
1984 - Saulius Mikoliūnas, Lithuanian footballer, born in Vilnius, Lithuanian SSR

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Famous Deaths

2001 - Gina Mastrogiacomo, American actress (Goodfellas), dies at 39
2012 - Junior Seau, American Pro Football Hall of Fame linebacker (12 x Pro Bowl; 6 × First-team All-Pro; NFL Defensive Player of the Year 1992; SD Chargers), commits suicide at 43
2013 - Jeff Hanneman, American haevy metal guitarist (Slayer), dies from liver failure at 49
2017 - Abelardo Castillo, Argentine writer and novelist, dies at 82
2018 - Wang Danfeng, Chinese actress, dies at 93

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