On this day

2 May in history.

5 moments from 1670 to 1969: discovery, creativity and courage, each with a source to read more.

5 moments

1952

Passengers fly by jet. A de Havilland Comet flew paying passengers from London to Johannesburg, the first scheduled jet airliner service, cutting travel times dramatically.

Photo: SDASM Archives / Wikimedia Commons (Public domain)

1670
The Hudson's Bay Company is founded
A royal charter created the Hudson's Bay Company to trade furs in northern Canada. It is one of the oldest companies in the world.
Wikipedia: Hudson's Bay Company
Photo: Unknown author / Wikimedia Commons (Public domain)
1867
Not a lizard after all
Zoologist Albert Günther showed that New Zealand's tuatara is not a lizard but the last of a very ancient group of reptiles.
Wikipedia: Tuatara Wikipedia: Albert Günther
Photo: Sid Mosdell from New Zealand / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY 2.0)
1920
The Negro National League plays ball
The Negro National League opened its first season with a game in Indianapolis, giving Black players a professional league of their own.
Wikipedia: Negro National League (1920–1931)Wikipedia: Rube Foster
Photo: Carol M. Highsmith / Wikimedia Commons (Public domain)
1969
The QE2 sets sail
The ocean liner Queen Elizabeth 2 left Southampton on her first voyage to New York. She went on to sail for nearly 40 years.
Wikipedia: Queen Elizabeth 2
Photo: Own work by Balou46 . Cropped by HefePine23 / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 4.0)

Moments chosen for discovery, creativity and courage. Each one links to a source where you can read more; photos are credited to their owners.