On this day: January 2
The Palmer Raids: A Nation Afraid of Ideas
The United States in the late 1910s was exhausted and terrified.
Ibrox Stadium Disaster, 1971: 66 Fans Killed in Stairway Crush
On January 2, 1971, a crush on Stairway 13 at Rangers’ Ibrox Stadium in Glasgow killed 66 people and injured scores more; subsequent inquiries identified crowd movement and design shortcomings as key factors.
Reassessment Raises Death Toll for the Great Plague of 1665–66
New archival analysis has prompted historians to raise estimates of fatalities from the Great Plague that struck London in 1665–66, revising earlier counts upward after reviewing parish records, burial registers, and contemporaneous accounts.
Vatican Grants Scholars Access to Long-Restricted Archives
On January 2, 2020, the Vatican opened portions of its Secret Archives to qualified researchers, expanding access to records that scholars say illuminate papal decision-making and Church-state relations across centuries.
Baltimore Bullets Open 1953 Season with Road Loss, Begin 32-Game Road Losing Streak
On January 2, 1953, the Baltimore Bullets suffered a road defeat that marked the start of a franchise-record streak of 32 consecutive road losses spanning the 1952–53 season into subsequent seasons. The streak remains one of the longest in NBA history.
Ibrox Stadium Crush, 1971: 66 Fans Killed in Stairway Panic
On 2 January 1971, a crush on Stairway 13 at Ibrox Park in Glasgow during an Old Firm match led to the deaths of 66 people and injured over 200; subsequent inquiries prompted stadium safety changes across Britain.