August 2
1776 – The signing of the United States Declaration of Independence took place.
1923 – Vice President Calvin Coolidge becomes U.S. President upon the death of President Warren G. Harding.
1934 – Gleichschaltung: Adolf Hitler becomes Führer of Germany following the death of President Paul von Hindenburg.
1943 – World War II: The Motor Torpedo Boat PT-109 is rammed by the Japanese destroyer Amagiri and sinks. Lt. John F. Kennedy, future U.S. President, saves all but two of his crew.
1990 – Iraq invades Kuwait, eventually leading to the Gulf War.