April 2 in History
April 2 is the anniversary of the death of Khamtai Siphandone (2025). Below are deaths, events for April 2, plus editor's picks and genealogy records.
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Emperor Xian of Han, Chinese emperor was born in 181, while Hasan ibn Ali the second Shia Imam died in 670.
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Famous people who died on April 2
2025
Khamtai Siphandone (Wikipedia, opens in a new tab)
President of Laos (1924–2025; served 1998–2006)
2024
Larry Lucchino (Wikipedia, opens in a new tab)
American lawyer and baseball executive (1945–2024)
2015
Manoel de Oliveira (Wikipedia, opens in a new tab)
Portuguese film director, screenwriter and racing driver (1908–2015)
What happened on April 2
- 2025
Liberation Day tariffs: U.S. President Donald Trump announces sweeping worldwide tariffs.
Wikipedia source (opens in a new tab) - 2024
Viertola school shooting: A 12-year-old pupil is killed and two others injured by a shooter of the same age in Vantaa, Finland.
Wikipedia source (opens in a new tab) - 2021
At least 49 people are killed in a train derailment in Taiwan after a truck accidentally rolls onto the track.
Wikipedia source (opens in a new tab) - 2021
A Capitol Police officer is killed and another injured when an attacker rams his car into a barricade outside the United States Capitol.
Wikipedia source (opens in a new tab) - 2020
COVID-19 pandemic: The total number of confirmed cases reach one million.
Wikipedia source (opens in a new tab) - 2015
Gunmen attack Garissa University College in Kenya, killing at least 148 people and wounding 79 others.
Wikipedia source (opens in a new tab) - 2015
Four men steal items worth up to £200 million from an underground safe deposit facility in London's Hatton Garden area in what has been called the "largest burglary in English legal history."
Wikipedia source (opens in a new tab) - 2014
A spree shooting occurs at the Fort Hood army base in Texas, with four dead, including the gunman, and 16 others injured.
Wikipedia source (opens in a new tab) - 2012
A mass shooting at Oikos University in California leaves seven people dead and three injured.
Wikipedia source (opens in a new tab) - 2012
UTair Flight 120 crashes after takeoff from Roshchino International Airport in Tyumen, Russia, killing 33 and injuring 10.
Wikipedia source (opens in a new tab) - 2011
India wins the Cricket World Cup for the second time in history under the captaincy of MS Dhoni.
Wikipedia source (opens in a new tab) - 2006
Over 60 tornadoes break out in the United States; Tennessee is hardest hit with 29 people killed.
Wikipedia source (opens in a new tab) - 2004
Islamist terrorists involved in the 11 March 2004 Madrid attacks attempt to bomb the Spanish high-speed train AVE near Madrid; the attack is thwarted.
Wikipedia source (opens in a new tab) - 2002
Israeli forces surround the Church of the Nativity in Bethlehem, into which armed Palestinians had retreated.
Wikipedia source (opens in a new tab) - 1992
In New York, Mafia boss John Gotti is convicted of murder and racketeering and is later sentenced to life in prison.
Wikipedia source (opens in a new tab)
Births, deaths and events from Wikipedia, available under CC BY-SA 4.0 (opens in a new tab).
Editor's picks
Born on April 2
- 181 — Emperor Xian of Han, Chinese emperor (died 234)
- 747 — Charlemagne, Frankish king (died 814)
- 1473 — John Corvinus, Hungarian noble (died 1504)
Died on April 2
- 670 — Hasan ibn Ali the second Shia Imam (born 624)
- 870 — Æbbe the Younger, Frankish abbess
- 872 — Muflih al-Turki, Turkish general
Source: Wikipedia historical listings for April 2
Quick answers
Who died on April 2? Khamtai Siphandone (2025), John Barth (2024), Maryse Condé (2024).
Explore genealogy records
Researching someone born in April? Search birth records
Live genealogy events
This calendar is live and has its own date controls; it is separate from the April 2 historical article above.
Ancestry
Holiday Sale: 65% off AncestryDNA. Offer ends 11/19. Terms apply.
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Ancestry
AncestryDNA® with Traits
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