Washington, United States. Several major events have occurred on April 2 across Europe, the Americas, Asia and the Middle East, spanning infrastructure, politics, conflict, justice and international security.
1905: Simplon rail tunnel opens
The Simplon rail tunnel under the Alps linking Switzerland with Italy officially opened.
1974: Death of French President Georges Pompidou
French president Georges Pompidou died in office.
1982: Argentina invades the Falkland Islands
Argentina invaded the Falkland Islands, leading to a war in which it tried to wrest them from British control.
1992: John Gotti convicted in New York
Mafia boss John Gotti, nicknamed “Teflon Don” after earlier attempts to try him, was convicted of murder and racketeering in New York.
1998: Maurice Papon convicted for wartime actions
Maurice Papon, an official in collaborationist Vichy France, was convicted of arresting Jews to be sent to Nazi death camps in 1942-1944 when he was secretary-general of the Bordeaux prefect’s office.
2003: Protest blocked in Seoul after Iraq deployment vote
Riot police blocked protesters trying to march to the National Assembly in Seoul after a vote to send 700 medical and engineering personnel to Iraq.
2004: NATO expands to 26 members
NATO expanded to 26 members when former communist countries Bulgaria, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Romania, Slovakia and Slovenia joined the organisation.
2005: Pope John Paul II dies
Polish-born Pope John Paul II, who headed the Roman Catholic Church for 26 years and played a crucial role in the fall of communism in Europe, died at the age of 84.
2006: Iran reports test-firing Fajr-3 missile
Iran said it had test-fired what it described as the world’s fastest sonar-evading underwater missile called the Fajr-3 during a week of war games in the Gulf.
Which of these April 2 events do you consider most consequential today?
