1. In 1895, the first automobile race in California took place on November 2. The event was held at a mile-long racecourse at Agricultural Park in Los Angeles and featured twelve drivers competing for a $1,500 purse. The winner, J. Frank Duryea, drove his gasoline-powered car to victory in a time of 57 minutes and 27 seconds.

2. On November 2, 1920, California became the ninth state to ratify the 19th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution, granting women the right to vote. The amendment was passed by Congress in 1919, but required ratification by three-fourths of the states to become law. California's ratification was a crucial step towards the amendment's ultimate adoption.

3. November 2, 1947 marked the opening of the first major freeway in California, the Arroyo Seco Parkway (now known as the Pasadena Freeway). The 8.2 mile road, which connected downtown Los Angeles to Pasadena, was seen as a bold and innovative solution to the city's growing traffic problem. Today, the freeway is recognized as a historic landmark and a significant piece of California's transportation history.

4. California's deadliest wildfire occurred on November 2, 1991, when a brush fire in the Oakland Hills neighborhood of Oakland erupted into a devastating inferno that claimed 25 lives and destroyed more than 3,000 homes. The fire burned for three days before it was finally extinguished.

5. In 2010, November 2 saw one of the most closely-watched elections in California history, as voters went to the polls to choose a replacement for Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger. The race was won by Democrat Jerry Brown, who defeated Republican Meg Whitman by a margin of 53% to 41%. Brown went on to serve two terms as governor, from 2011 to 2019.