1. On May 2, 2000, the United States government discontinued “Selective Availability,” granting civilian GPS users worldwide access to the highest level of positioning accuracy previously reserved for the military. This decision catalyzed widespread innovation and adoption of precise location-based services and technologies.
2. The programming language BASIC (Beginner’s All-purpose Symbolic Instruction Code) was first successfully run at Dartmouth College on May 2, 1964. Created by John Kemeny and Thomas Kurtz, its design significantly lowered the barrier to learning computer programming, paving the way for the personal computer revolution.
3. The de Havilland Comet, the world’s first production commercial jetliner, made its inaugural scheduled flight with fare-paying passengers from London to Johannesburg on May 2, 1952. This flight heralded the beginning of the commercial jet age, fundamentally changing the speed and nature of international air travel.
4. The influential *Good Housekeeping* magazine published its first issue on May 2, 1885. It represented an early successful application of mass printing and distribution technologies aimed at a specific consumer demographic.