At A Glance

2 January 2016 at a glance

Day of the week
2 January 2016 was a Saturday.
UK Number One
The UK Number One single was “Love Yourself” by Justin Bieber.
Top Film of 2016
The highest-grossing film worldwide released in 2016 was Captain America: Civil War.
Star sign
The star sign for 2 January is Capricorn.
Chinese zodiac
In the Chinese zodiac, 2 January 2016 fell in the Year of the Goat.
Birthstone
The birthstone for January is Garnet.
Moon phase
The moon phase on 2 January 2016 was Last Quarter.

On this day: 2 January

  • 1959 Luna 1, the first spacecraft to reach the vicinity of the Moon and to orbit the Sun, is launched by the Soviet Union.
  • 1963 Vietnam War: The Viet Cong wins its first major victory, at the Battle of Ap Bac.
  • 1967 Ronald Reagan, past movie actor and future President of the United States, is sworn in as Governor of California.
  • 1991 Sharon Pratt Dixon becomes the first African American woman mayor of a major city and first woman Mayor of the District of Columbia.
  • 2004 Stardust successfully flies past Comet Wild 2, collecting samples that are returned to Earth.

Famous people born on 2 January

  • Jim Bakker, American televangelist (1940–2026)
  • Kemi Badenoch, English politician (born 1980)
  • Dax Shepard, American actor (born 1975)
  • Kate Bosworth, American actress (born 1983)

Source: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0)

Choose your country: the charts, news and leaders change to match.

Events of 2016 in the United Kingdom

A selection from Wikipedia's '2016 in the United Kingdom'. Not a complete list.

  • 5 May – UK local and Police and crime commissioner elections, as well as elections to the Northern Ireland Assembly, Welsh Assembly and Scottish Parliament are held.
  • 23 June – The 2016 United Kingdom European Union membership referendum is held in the UK and Gibraltar, the first of its kind since the 1975 referendum on the UK's membership of the then European Economic Community.
  • 11 July – Theresa May is announced as the Conservative Party leader, and Prime Minister-designate, after Andrea Leadsom withdraws from the leadership election.New Prime Minister and Conservative leader Theresa May

Life in 2016

Prime Minister

David Cameron

Monarch

Elizabeth II

Pint of Beer

£3.45

Loaf of Bread

£1.45

Average House

£214,578

Weekly Wage

£789.00

Or

Browse by Year

About The Day You Were Born

Ever wondered what was happening in the world when you took your first breath? Our birthday lookup tool reveals the fascinating history of your special day.

About The Birthday Chronicle and where our data comes from →