◆ On this day

December 2

5 sourced moments from December 2 in history: Napoleon crowned himself Emperor of the French (1804); John Brown was hanged for treason against Virginia in 1859; The First Nuclear Chain Reaction Happened Under a Football Stadium (1942), plus 2 more.

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5 things happened on December 2

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1982 Human Body & Mind · Medicine & Disease

Barney Clark got the first permanent artificial heart in 1982

In 1982 a dying dentist received the first artificial heart meant to stay for good. He lived 112 days; its descendant is still used.

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1971 Geography · Countries

The United Arab Emirates was formed

On a December morning in 1971, six Persian Gulf emirates signed away their separate futures to build one young federation.

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1942 Technology · Energy

The First Nuclear Chain Reaction Happened Under a Football Stadium

In a squash court beneath Chicago's Stagg Field, humanity first tamed the atom.

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1859 History · Modern

John Brown was hanged for treason against Virginia in 1859

Six weeks after Harpers Ferry, Virginia hanged John Brown for treason against a state he did not belong to, under guard of cadets led by Stonewall Jackson.

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1804 History · Modern

Napoleon crowned himself Emperor of the French

With the Pope looking on, Napoleon took the crown into his own hands and made the gesture of his reign unmistakable.

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