On this day: July 2

Andrés Escobar killed after own goal in 1994 World Cup

Colombian defender Andrés Escobar was shot and killed in Medellín on July 2, 1994, days after scoring an own goal in Colombia’s World Cup loss to the United States; his death shocked Colombia and drew international attention to football-related violence and criminal influence.

Jockey Falls at Start; Horse Continues to Win 1932 Race

At a July 2, 1932 race, a jockey was unseated at the start but the mount continued without its rider and crossed the finish line first. The unusual outcome was recorded in contemporary race reports and attracted press attention for its rarity.

Pan Am Clipper Disappears Over Central Pacific, July 2, 1937

On July 2, 1937, a Pan American Airways flying boat departing from Guam vanished during a transpacific flight bound for Manila; search efforts found no wreckage and the aircraft’s fate remains unresolved.

Enforcing the Civil Rights Act Provokes Violent Backlash in Summer 1964

After the Civil Rights Act passed in July 1964, federal enforcement of desegregation and voting protections triggered violent resistance in several Southern communities, including attacks on activists, federal marshals, and Black citizens seeking equal access to public accommodations and the ballot.

Supreme Court Reinstates Capital Punishment Nationwide

On July 2, 1976, the U.S. Supreme Court upheld new death-penalty statutes, effectively allowing capital punishment to resume after a de facto nationwide moratorium following earlier rulings.

France conducts nuclear test in the Pacific on 2 July 1966

On 2 July 1966 France detonated a nuclear device at its Moruroa Atoll test site in the South Pacific, part of a series of atmospheric and underground tests conducted during the 1960s as Paris developed its independent nuclear deterrent.