Tag Archives: 2 May

2 May 1812

Posted on by

The Siege of Cuautla during the Mexican War of Independence ends with both sides claiming victory.

The Mexican War of Independence was a pivotal conflict that lasted from 1810 to 1821 and led to Mexico gaining independence from Spanish colonial rule.

Beginnings: The war began on September 16, 1810, when Miguel Hidalgo y Costilla, a Catholic priest, issued the “Grito de Dolores” (Cry of Dolores), calling for the end of Spanish rule in Mexico. This event, which took place in the small town of Dolores, in the present-day state of Guanajuato, marked the start of the uprising.

Key Figures: Alongside Miguel Hidalgo, other important leaders included José María Morelos, Vicente Guerrero, and later, Agustín de Iturbide. These leaders played crucial roles in various phases of the war, with Morelos and Guerrero continuing the fight after Hidalgo’s capture and execution in 1811.

Phases of the War: The conflict can be broadly divided into several phases. The initial phase was characterized by significant gains by the insurgents, but after Hidalgo’s death, the movement suffered setbacks. Morelos managed to formalize the insurgency by convening Congresses and drafting constitutions but was captured and executed in 1815. The latter stages saw a revival under leaders like Guerrero and Guadalupe Victoria.

Plan of Iguala and Treaty of Córdoba: The final phase of the war was marked by a change in strategy. In 1821, Agustín de Iturbide, a former royalist who switched sides, formulated the Plan of Iguala, which proposed an independent Mexico governed as a constitutional monarchy. This plan gained wide support and led to the signing of the Treaty of Córdoba with the last viceroy of New Spain, confirming Mexico’s independence.

Outcome and Legacy: The war officially ended on September 27, 1821, when the Army of the Three Guarantees (reflecting the main points of the Plan of Iguala: religion, independence, and unity) entered Mexico City. The aftermath of the war was marked by political instability and power struggles, culminating in Iturbide declaring himself emperor, a reign that was short-lived. Despite these challenges, the war set the foundation for Mexico as an independent nation with its own identity.

2 May 1611

Posted on by

The King James Version of the Bible is published for the first time in London, England, by printer Robert Barker.

The King James Version of the Bible, also known as the KJV or the Authorized Version, is an English translation of the Christian Bible. It was first published in 1611 by the Church of England and has since become one of the most widely used and influential translations of the Bible in the English-speaking world.

The KJV was commissioned by King James I of England and was translated by a team of scholars from the Church of England. The translation was based on earlier English translations of the Bible, as well as the original Hebrew and Greek texts.

The KJV is known for its poetic language and for its influence on English literature and culture. It has been praised for its beauty and literary quality, and it has been used as a source of inspiration by many writers and artists.

Despite its popularity, the KJV is not without controversy. Some scholars have criticized its accuracy and pointed out that more recent translations of the Bible are based on more reliable manuscripts and are better suited to modern readers. Nonetheless, the KJV remains a beloved and influential translation of the Bible.

2 May 1982

Posted on by

Falklands War: The British nuclear submarine HMS Conqueror sinks the Argentine cruiser ARA General Belgrano.

[rdp-wiki-embed url=’https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Falklands_War’]

2 May 1920

Posted on by

The first game of the Negro National League baseball is played in Indianapolis.

On May 2, 1920, the Indianapolis ABCs beat the Chicago American Giants in the first game played in the inaugural season of the Negro National League, played at Washington Park in Indianapolis. But, because of the Chicago Race Riot of 1919, the National Guard still occupied the Giants’ home field, Schorling’s Park. This forced Foster to cancel all the Giants’ home games for almost a month and threatened to become a huge embarrassment for the league. On March 2, 1920 the Negro Southern League was founded in Atlanta, Georgia. In 1921, the Negro Southern League joined Foster’s National Association of Colored Professional Base Ball Clubs. As a dues-paying member of the association, it received the same protection from raiding parties as any team in the Negro National League.

Foster then admitted John Connors’ Atlantic City Bacharach Giants as an associate member to move further into Nat Strong’s territory. Connors, wanting to return the favor of helping him against Strong, raided Ed Bolden’s Hilldale Daisies team. Bolden saw little choice but to team up with Foster’s nemesis, Nat Strong. Within days of calling a truce with Strong, Bolden made an about-face and signed up as an associate member of Foster’s Negro National League.

On December 16, 1922, Bolden once again shifted sides and, with Strong, formed the Eastern Colored League as an alternative to Foster’s Negro National League, which started with six teams: Atlantic City Bacharach Giants, Baltimore Black Sox, Brooklyn Royal Giants, New York Cuban Stars, Hilldale, and New York Lincoln Giants. The National League was having trouble maintaining continuity among its franchises: three teams folded and had to be replaced after the 1921 season, two others after the 1922 season, and two more after the 1923 season. Foster replaced the defunct teams, sometimes promoting whole teams from the Negro Southern League into the NNL. Finally Foster and Bolden met and agreed to an annual Negro League World Series beginning in 1924.

2 May 2008

Posted on by

cyclone Nargis makes kills over 138,000 people in Burma.

photo 4548f3d05b873268215b6136b1bc9fc7_zpskhlyywnl.png

In early May 2008, Burma was struck by Cyclone Nargis, which left over 138,000 dead and tens of thousands injured, and 2.5 million homeless. It was the worst natural disaster ever in Myanmar (Burma). Damage was estimated at over $10 billion, which made it the most damaging cyclone ever recorded in this basin. The Myanmar government estimated the storm completely destroyed 450,000 of 800,000 homes hit. Associated Press called it “Asia’s answer to Hurricane Katrina”—except it was much more deadly.

Packing winds upwards of 195 kph, Cyclone Nargis became one of Asia’s deadliest storms by hitting land at one of the lowest points in Myanmar and setting off a storm surge that reached over 40 kilometers (25 miles) inland. Among the worst areas were Labutta, Bogale, Pyapon, Dedaye and Kyaiklat. More than 400,000 hectares of farmland were flooded with seawater and more than 200,000 drafts animals were killed in the Yangon and Irrawaddy areas. Before the storm hit this area produced 3.3 million tons of crops on 900,000 hectares of land in the monsoon season and 1 million tons of crops on 200,000 hectares in the summer. Initially some said that crops could only be raised on 40 percent of the damaged land and loses could clip two percent off Myanmar’s GDP for 2008 but after the disaster journalists reported that crops were raised in many places thought to be unable to produce crops.

Cyclone Nargis was a rare, eastward-moving, low-latitude, strong tropical cyclone. It made landfall in the evening of May 2, 2008 and lashed Myanmar for three days. It sent a storm surges 40 kilometers up the densely-populated Irrawaddy Delta. Nargis advanced eastward along the coastal delta region, over rivers, other waterways and villages surrounded by paddy fields. The cyclone initially hit the land with wind speeds of up to 194 kph, and later accelerated to a top speed of 238 kph. The name “Nargis” is an Urdu word meaning daffodil.