Famous people born on August 2 — and what else happened that day
If your birthday is August 2, you share it with James Baldwin, Peter O'Toole, Kevin Smith — and you were born under Leo, the sign of the warm, confident, and born for the spotlight.
Birthday basics for August 2
Leo ♌
Zodiac sign
Peridot
Birthstone
Gladiolus
Birth flower
214th
Day of the year
August 2 is the 214th day of the year (215th in leap years), with 151 days still to come.
Famous people born on August 2
James Baldwin — American novelist, essayist, and civil rights voice (born 1924).
Peter O'Toole — British-Irish actor who starred in Lawrence of Arabia (born 1932).
Kevin Smith — American filmmaker and comedian who directed Clerks (born 1970).
Also sharing the day:
Carroll O'Connor (b. 1924) — American actor best remembered as Archie Bunker on All in the Family.
Isabel Allende (b. 1942) — Chilean-American novelist, author of The House of the Spirits.
Mary-Louise Parker (b. 1964) — American actress acclaimed for Angels in America and Weeds.
August 2 in history
1776 — The formal signing of the U.S. Declaration of Independence took place in Philadelphia.
1870 — Tower Subway, the world's first underground tube railway, opened in London.
1873 — The first cable car began operating in San Francisco.
1610 — Henry Hudson sailed into the vast Canadian bay that now bears his name, Hudson Bay.
1790 — The first United States Census began counting the young nation's population.
1939 — Albert Einstein and Leo Szilard sent their famous letter alerting President Roosevelt to the potential of atomic energy.
August 2 birthday questions
What zodiac sign is August 2?
Anyone born on August 2 is a Leo — warm, confident, and born for the spotlight.
What is the birthstone for August 2?
The birthstone for a August 2 birthday is Peridot, and the birth flower is the Gladiolus.
Who is the most famous person born on August 2?
James Baldwin is among the best known — American novelist, essayist, and civil rights voice (born 1924).
What happened on August 2?
In 1776, The formal signing of the U.S. Declaration of Independence took place in Philadelphia.
What day of the year is August 2?
August 2 is the 214th day of the year (215th in leap years), with 151 days still to come.
Make their day unforgettable
Know someone born on August 2? See the full story of their exact birthday — the headlines, the #1 song, what things cost — and turn it into a personalized front-page newspaper they can keep.