Historical timeline for March 2

The Lebanese militant group Hezbollah launches several projectiles into northern Israel as a response to the assassination of Ali Khamenei, formally initiating the 2026 Lebanon War.

Russian forces capture the city of Kherson during the Russian invasion of Ukraine, which subsequently began the start of the Russian occupation and military-civilian administration in Kherson. Kherson is the only regional capital in Ukraine that Russia captured.

The elements Moscovium, Tennessine, and Oganesson are officially added to the periodic table at a conference in Moscow, Russia.

The Oscar Selfie, regarded as one of the most influential and important images of all time, is taken at the 86th Academy Awards.

A tornado outbreak occurs over a large section of the Southern United States and into the Ohio Valley region, resulting in 40 tornado-related fatalities.

In Monterrey, Mexico, a man identified as Diego Santoy Riveroll commits a double murder against two children, followed by an attempted murder of his ex-partner, Erika. The incident is popularly known as the Cumbres case.

War in Iraq: Al-Qaeda carries out the Ashoura Massacre in Iraq, killing 170 and wounding over 500.

U.S. invasion of Afghanistan: Operation Anaconda begins, (ending on March 19 after killing 500 Taliban and al-Qaeda fighters, with 11 Western troop fatalities).

Data sent from the Galileo spacecraft indicates that Jupiter's moon Europa has a liquid ocean under a thick crust of ice.

Researchers at Fermilab announce the discovery of the top quark.

Space Shuttle Endeavour launches from the Kennedy Space Center on STS-67, carrying the ASTRO-2 spacelab observatory.

Armenia, Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Moldova, San Marino, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan, all of which (except San Marino) were former Soviet republics, join the United Nations.

Start of the war in Transnistria.

Establishment of Kuwait Democratic Forum, center-left political organization in Kuwait.

Battle at Rumaila oil field brings an end to the 1991 Gulf War.

Nelson Mandela is elected deputy president of the African National Congress.

Twelve European Community nations agree to ban the production of all chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) by the end of the century.

Aeroflot Flight F-77 crashes near Bugulma Airport, killing all 38 people aboard.

Compact discs and players are released for the first time in the United States and other markets. They had previously been available only in Japan.

Czech Vladimír Remek becomes the first non-Soviet or non-American to go into space, when he is launched aboard Soyuz 28.