TODAY IN HISTORY: MAY 2

May 2 is the 122nd day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. There are 243 days remaining until the end of the year.

MAY 2 1994

NELSON MANDELA CLAIMS VICTORY IN SOUTH AFRICA POLLS:

Nelson Mandela claimed victory in the wake of South Africa’s first democratic elections; President F.W. de Klerk acknowledged defeat.

MAY 2, 2004

YELWA MASSACRE IN PLATEAU STATE NIGERIA:

Hundreds of Muslim residents of Yelwa in Plateau state were killed in religious clashes. The killings are often referred to as the “Yelwa massacre”

MAY 2 2008

IRON MAN RELEASED:

Iron Man, the latest big-budget action film based on a Marvel Comics character, debuts in some 4,100 theaters in the United States and Canada, raking in an estimated $32.5 million on its opening day. Co-created by Stan Lee, the legendary writer-editor behind Spider-Man, the Fantastic Four, X-Men and the Incredible Hulk, among others, Iron Man made his first appearance in the pages of Marvel’s comic books in 1963. The super hero’s trek to the big screen began in 1990, when Universal Studios purchased the film rights from Marvel. The rights were later sold to 20th Century Fox and then New Line Cinema before Marvel Studios re-acquired them in 2006. The $150 million movie was the first to be financed completely by Marvel, which together with the distributor, Paramount Pictures, poured another $75 million into a wide-ranging marketing campaign.

After a $51 million opening weekend, Iron Man went on to gross more than $300 million at the domestic box office. Its release kicked off a summer packed with super-hero movies, including the big-screen returns of the Incredible Hulk, Batman and Hellboy.

MAY 2 2011

OSAMA BIN LADEN KILLED BY THE USA NAVY SEALS:

Barack Obama announced that Osama Bin Laden had been found and killed in Abbottabad, Pakistan in an operation carried out by United States Navy Seals. He announced the raid on Bin Laden's compound had lasted about forty minutes, four other people had been killed in the raid, and that Bin Laden's body was buried at sea according to Islamic standards. The death of the man many believed to be responsible for the 9/11 World Trade Center attacks was celebrated across the United States and many other parts of the world.

MAY 2, 2015

THE BIGGEST FIGHT IN BOXING RECENT HISTORY:

After 5 years of hype, the fight many have been waiting for will hold today between Mayweather and Pacquiao.

Mayweather; undefeated in 47 fights, schooled in the mystique of hit-and-not-be-hit, has an almost perfect triangular physique for boxing, with tiny waist, broad shoulders, long arms and forearms, all employed from side on to form a defensive shield to protect his chin and head. From that position, and with sublime footwork, Mayweather has never been unlocked. He attacks with single shots, and he counters, scares up with Manny Pacquiao; an aggressive, volume puncher who goes looking for a fight and has only lost 3 fights in his 64 fight career.