1. On August 2, 1863, a battle between Shoshone Native Americans and the United States Army occurred near Bear River in southeastern Idaho. The battle, known as the Bear River Massacre, resulted in the deaths of approximately 250 Shoshone, including women and children, and was one of the deadliest Native American massacres in United States history.

2. In 1882, a major fire broke out in downtown Boise on August 2, destroying over 30 buildings and causing millions of dollars in damage. The fire, which was caused by a gas explosion, prompted the city to adopt new fire codes and building regulations to prevent future disasters.

3. Humorist and writer James Thurber was born in Columbus, Ohio on August 2, 1894. Thurber spent his teenage years in the small town of Middletown, Idaho and later went on to write for The New Yorker and win multiple awards for his humor writing.

4. Grizzly bear hunting was officially banned in Idaho on August 2, 1975. The state was one of the first in the country to pass such a ban, which aimed to protect the state's grizzly bear population from extinction.

5. On August 2, 2000, NASA's Deep Space 1 spacecraft flew past the asteroid Braille, becoming the first spacecraft ever to encounter a comet or asteroid using ion propulsion. The mission, which was launched in 1998, was primarily a test of new spacecraft technologies for future missions.