September 2 has seen empires end, wars conclude, and devastating fires reshape great cities.
Japanese officials signed the instrument of surrender aboard USS Missouri in Tokyo Bay, formally ending World War II. The ceremony, witnessed by representatives of nine Allied nations, concluded the deadliest conflict in history.
A fire that began in a bakery on Pudding Lane spread rapidly through London, burning for four days. The fire destroyed 13,200 houses and 87 churches but led to London's reconstruction as a modern city.
Octavian's naval forces defeated the combined fleets of Mark Antony and Cleopatra off the western coast of Greece. The decisive victory made Octavian master of the Roman world; he would become Emperor Augustus.
Ho Chi Minh proclaimed the independence of Vietnam from French colonial rule, quoting the American Declaration of Independence. The declaration began decades of conflict for Vietnamese sovereignty.
Britain and its colonies adopted the Gregorian calendar, skipping 11 days so that September 2 was followed by September 14. The change caused public confusion, with some reportedly demanding 'Give us our eleven days.'
Chemical Bank installed the first automated teller machine in the United States at its branch in Rockville Centre, New York. The ATM revolutionized banking by providing 24-hour access to cash.
British and Egyptian forces under Lord Kitchener decisively defeated the Mahdist army in Sudan. The battle, in which a young Winston Churchill participated, secured British control of Sudan.