This Day in History: March 2

Here’s a brief look back in time on this day, March 2.

In 1807, the Act Prohibiting Importation of Slaves is passed by Congress. The bill effectively banned the international import and export of slaves to and from foreign countries. According to the National Archives, “a domestic trade in slaves persisted between ports within the United States”.

In 1836, Texas declares independence from Mexico towards the end of the Texas Revolution. While the doctrine bears a similar resemblance to the United States’ Declaration of Independence, the Republic is not part of the Union just yet. At this time, the Siege of the Alamo – led by General Antonio Lopez de Santa Anna – is still underway.

In 1972, NASA’s Pioneer 10 is launched to capture the first images of Jupiter. It would reach its destination in December 1973 after traversing the Asteroid Belt and around 620 million miles through the Milky Way. Having completed its mission in 1997, the probe is now floating towards the Taurus star constellation: a trip that is expected to take 2 million years to complete.