This Day That Year

April 2

in History

Emperor Xian Was Born — The last sovereign of a dying dynasty
Luoyang, ChinaClassical
181

Emperor Xian Was Born

The last sovereign of a dying dynasty

In the waning years of the Han dynasty, a child was born who would become Emperor Xian -- the final ruler of a four-century-old imperial line. Placed on the throne as a puppet amid warring factions, he watched helplessly as warlords carved up the empire. His forced abdication in 220 AD would formally end the Han dynasty and usher in the tumultuous Three Kingdoms era, one of the most storied periods in Chinese history.

181 AD
Roberto Arlt Was Born — Buenos Aires found its fiercest storyteller
Buenos Aires, ArgentinaEarly 20th Century
1900

Roberto Arlt Was Born

Buenos Aires found its fiercest storyteller

In the immigrant neighborhoods of Buenos Aires, Roberto Arlt entered a world he would later dissect with savage honesty. The son of poor European immigrants, he became one of Argentina's most original writers, crafting novels and plays that exposed the raw underbelly of urban life. His masterwork, 'The Seven Madmen,' depicted a city teeming with dreamers and schemers. Though he died at just forty-two, his literary legacy towers over Latin American letters.

1900 AD
As the World Turns — As the World Turns and The Edge of Night premiere on CBS.
Late 20th Century
1956

As the World Turns

As the World Turns and The Edge of Night premiere on CBS.

As the World Turns and The Edge of Night premiere on CBS. The two soaps become the first daytime dramas to debut in the 30-minute format.

1956 AD