Quick glance of 2 April in the pages of History

April 2: Here are the major events that occurred on 2 April….

• 2 April, 1679: Aurangzeb reimposed Jizya Tax to finance the spread of Islam on the Hindus.This Jeziya tax was abolished by Akbar.
• 2 April, 1775: Kanhoji Angre was appointed as the Admiral of Marathas Naval force in 1698 and since then he became a cause of concern for the East India Company. Despite their warnings of dire consequences, Kanhoji attacked and looted numerous company’s naval convoys. This prompted the company to declare Kanhoji as a pirate and lay a siege at his fort. Commodore William James captured the fort of Suvarnadurg on this day.
• 2 April, 1781: Swami Narayan was born in Chhapiya, Uttar Pradesh in 1781 as Ghanshyam Pande. He was a Yogi and an ascetic who left home to practice the path of Dharma and Brahmcharya. His followers were from different religions and he appointed 500 Paramhamsas (Teachers) to spread his message across the world.
• 2 April, 1783: William Cavendish-Bentinck becomes Prime Minister of Great Britain after an opposition coalition of Henry Fox and Frederick North forces William Petty to resign.
• 2 April, 1870: Poona Sarvajanik Sabha was found. 95 members from different parts of Maharashtra assembled in Pune during its founding.
• 2 April, 1902: Bade Ghulam Ali Khan, Hindustani classical vocalist, was born.
• 2 April, 1917: US President Woodrow Wilson asks Congress to declare war against Germany. This signalled the entry of USA in the First World War.
• 2 April, 1921: Albert Einstein lectures in New York City on his new “Theory of Relativity”.
• 2 April, 1933:  K S Ranjitsinji, often known as “Ranji”, Ranjitsinhji was the ruler of India’s princely state of Nawanagar, died on this day. He was a noted cricketer who also played for the English Cricket Team. Considering his contributions to the world of cricket, India named the first class tournament between states as “Ranji Trophy”.
• 2 April, 1935:  Scottish physicist Robert Watson-Watt receives a British patents for RADAR.
• 2 April, 1942: The Indian born British actor appeared predominantly in British and American movies. He was born in Patna, Bihar and did his schooling from the prestigious Doon school. He portrayed the character of India’s first Prime Minister “Jawahar Lal Nehru” in the TV series “Bharat Ek Khoj”.
• 2 April, 1969: Ajay Devgan is an Indian film actor, director and producer who was born in New Delhi on this day. He began his professional career in 1991 with a blockbuster, Phool aur Kaante and went on to win numerous awards including 2 National Film Awards and 4 Filmfare Awards.
• 2 April, 1972: Following 20 years of self imposed exile after he was accused of “un-American activities” as a suspected communist sympathizer during the era of McCarthyism. He returned only to receive an Honorary Oscar at the Academy Awards, and went back to his home in Vevey, Switzerland.
• 2 April, 2005:  Pope John Paul II served as the 264th Pope of the Roman Catholic Church from October 16th, 1978, until his death on 2nd April 2005 almost 27 years later.