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Today in History, January 2nd

On January 2, 1492, Granada surrendered to Ferdinand and Isabella, ending Muslim rule in Spain. Plus Georgia's ratification and the 55 mph speed limit.

By Today in History Updated November 10, 2026 3 min read Sources checked

Published January 2, 2026 · Last updated November 10, 2026

January 2 is best known for 1492, when the Moorish kingdom of Granada surrendered to Ferdinand and Isabella, ending Muslim rule in Spain. The date also saw Georgia ratify the U.S. Constitution in 1788 and President Richard Nixon sign a national 55 mph speed limit in 1974.

The big story: Granada falls to Ferdinand and Isabella (1492)

Muslim armies had taken most of the Iberian Peninsula in the early 700s. The Christian push to win it back, called the Reconquista, is traditionally dated from about 718, and it ground on for centuries. By 1238, the Moors held only the kingdom of Granada in the far south. That last enclave lasted around 200 years and flourished, but by the late 1400s it was torn by internal feuds. Meanwhile, the Spanish monarchy had grown stronger under Ferdinand and Isabella. Their forces closed in, and on January 2, 1492, King Boabdil handed Granada over. Nearly eight centuries of Muslim rule on the peninsula were over. Tolerance did not last. In 1502, the crown ordered Spain’s Muslims to convert to Christianity, and in 1609 the last Moors who still practiced Islam were expelled from the country.

More events on January 2

Year	What happened
1788	Georgia voted to ratify the U.S. Constitution, the fourth state to do so and the first in the South.
1811	The Senate censured Timothy Pickering of Massachusetts, 20 to 7, for reading confidential documents aloud in open session. He was the first senator ever censured.
1905	Russia surrendered its naval base at Port Arthur, China, to Japan, a blow followed by a string of Russian defeats that turned the Russo-Japanese War against Russia.
1923	Interior Secretary Albert Fall announced his resignation as the Teapot Dome scandal grew.
1946	About 20 Japanese soldiers who had stayed hidden on Corregidor in the Philippines surrendered after learning that the war was over.
1965	Quarterback Joe Namath signed with the AFL’s New York Jets instead of the NFL’s St. Louis Cardinals.
1971	Sixty-six fans died in a crush as crowds left a soccer match at Ibrox Stadium in Glasgow, Scotland.
1974	President Richard Nixon signed a law setting a national speed limit of 55 mph to save fuel during the Arab oil embargo. It was repealed in 1995.
2006	An explosion trapped 13 miners at the Sago Mine in West Virginia. Twelve died; Randal McCloy Jr. was the lone survivor.

Born on January 2

1938: David Bailey, British fashion and portrait photographer, born in London.
1961: Todd Haynes, American film director and screenwriter, born in Los Angeles.
1968: Cuba Gooding Jr., actor who won an Oscar for Jerry Maguire, born in the Bronx, New York.