On This Day, March 2: Texas declares independence from Mexico

March 2 (UPI) — On this date in history:

In 1836, Texas proclaimed independence from Mexico.

In 1899, President William McKinley signed legislation establishing Mount Rainier National Park in Washington. The park received record flooding in November 2006, resulting in more than $36 million in damage.

In 1949, a U.S. Air Force plane piloted by Capt. James Gallagher completed the first non-stop around-the-world flight in just over 94 hours.

In 1962, Philadelphia’s Wilt Chamberlain set the single-game NBA scoring record with 100 points against the New York Knicks.

In 1974, the cost of a U.S. first class postage stamp was increased to 10 cents, up from 8 cents.

In 1983, the compact disc and player are released in the United States, beginning the slow decline of the cassette tape and launching the digital audio revolution.

In 2007, U.S. Army Secretary Francis J. Harvey announced his resignation amid charges of poor conditions for patients at Walter Reed Army Medical Center in Washington.

In 2008, outgoing Russian President Vladimir Putin’s choice as his successor, Dmitry Medvedev, was elected president in a landslide. Putin remained in power as prime minister.

In 2011, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled 8-1 that an anti-gay Kansas church had a constitutional right to stage a peaceful protest at the funeral of a U.S. Marine killed in Iraq.

In 2017, Attorney General Jeff Sessions announced he would not participate in any federal investigation into allegations the Russian government interceded in the 2016 presidential election, sparking the ire of President Donald Trump.

In 2023, Los Angeles Lakers icon LeBron James became the first NBA player to reach 40,000 regular-season points. He broke the previous record — 38,387 by Kareem Abdul-Jabbar — in 2023.

In 2025, Anora won Best Picture at the Academy Awards along with Best Actress for Mikey Madison, Best Director for Sean Baker, Best Original Screenplay and Best Editing.